The Desert of Arizona
Clear 65 Degrees 5:34 a.m.
Once the perception of you is set in the mind of a client, it’s pretty hard to change it. It’s far easier to just get a new client.
Just think about the responses you’d get with your current clients if, between project A and project B, your fees tripled.
You probably wouldn’t hear most of the responses as they would be said “silently,” in the clients’ minds. But there would be a response to your increase.
Tripling your fees, however, is generally not out of the question. It’s just best done with new clients.
Duh, right?
The first interactions with a new client set the perception by which you will be governed throughout the entire relationship. This is the period during which future expectations are molded.
We’ve all been frustrated with clients who expect us to X, Y or Z. But if you look closely, you’ll realize most of those annoying expectations are OUR mistakes. We messed up. And we can fix it.
This process is much like a brand new concrete sidewalk. Once that concrete sets and hardens, you’re pretty much stuck with it!
If you return the client’s call in 10 minutes, you are setting an expectation. There’s certainly nothing wrong with responding quickly. There IS a problem when expectations are not met. So unless that’s how you want to run your business… unless that’s the level of service you want to deliver every time, think twice before you set that expectation. Think carefully about what your words and behavior are communicating.
How much thought have you given to the first few days/weeks of a client’s life in your world? How about a prospect’s first few days/weeks? Prospects grow up to be clients. So the time to do this right is when they’re “young.”
People are trainable. But not in a “you’re going to control them because you’re a jerk” kind of way. Some people do that. But really? Can’t we do better?
You train your clients how to work with you because it’s your business and they’re coming to trade something they value less (MONEY!) for something they value more (YOUR WORK!). Why wouldn’t you structure your business to allow for the maximum possible happiness and effectiveness of the owner?
You’re the leader here. Act like it!
Each new client is an opportunity to move one step closer to the way you want your business to work. Don’t miss those opportunities.
Here’s last call for the Laws of the Land PILOT Program. Get the details at that link. This will be closed by tomorrow morning. The Laws of the Land message sequence gets you off on the right foot with new prospects coming into your universe. This message sequence can go a long way to strategically building your prospects’ and clients’ perception of you in a way that benefits everyone.