The Business Builder - Vol 2 Issue 2

Would you let them hire you again?

It’s not something we often think about… Until we have a bad experience.

Or three.

The attitudes and dispositions of the clients we select play a big part in the success of our business.

And yet, there’s rarely a box for that in those silly avatar exercises you’ve been told to do (that’s a rant for a different time.)

Dean Jackson of the ILoveMarketing podcast has a 5-star system rating system for prospects. The first two stars are:

1. They are willing to engage in a dialogue

2. They’re friendly and cooperative

I like those criteria because they are easily observable for people like us who talk to prospects during the sales process.

Putting it into practice

Step 1 is determining the traits of the clients you love working with - and the red flags you want to avoid.

Step 2 is looking for evidence of those traits or red flags. Here are 3 common approaches I see in practice:

1. Probing for answers to “Why is solving this important?”, “Why now” and “Why me” during the sales conversation. Dig deep for real answers. Curt, surface-level answers are often a red flag.

2. Assigning pre-sales call homework. It’s hard to help clients achieve any type of transformation if they are unwilling to do their part.

3. Start with a small project that delivers real results for your new client and helps you determine your working relationship fit.

And don’t forget about the importance of keeping a healthy pipeline. It’s much easier to say “No” to less-than-ideal clients when you have a steady flow of opportunities.

Bill

913.962.9261

P.S. - Naturally, there are more than the three approaches listed above. Have you found a different approach that works for you? Hit reply, I’d love to know..

The World’s Most Valuable Company

Microsoft briefly overtakes Apple to become the world’s most valuable company again, thanks to its investments in AI and a downtick in Apple stock.

On Doing Great Work

I love these 5 Direct Questions Worth Answering from Seth Godin, even if you are a team of one.

Trademark & Branding Law

I found this summary of court case decisions about NFTs, trademarks, and copyrights extremely interesting. It includes cases involving Microsoft, Google, Andy Warhol, Prince, Mickey Mouse, and others.

Managing your Google Business Profile

If you delegate or outsource the management of your Google Business Profile, don’t share your login details - do this instead.

And This…

This man avoided over $6k in library fines when he returned a Clint Eastwood biography 38 years late.

Featured Picks

📚️ The Little Book of Networking

Whether you want to advance your career or build your business, this book has great tips for achieving your goals by connecting with others. And if you have Kindle Unlimited, you can read it for free.

🛠️ Guidde

Easily create video documentation for SOPs, Client Support, Explainer Videos, and more. They have a pretty generous Free Plan if you want to try them out.

📷️ Shovel the Yellow Brick Road

Snapped this candid photo of my neighbor to show my out-of-state friends what our weather has been like this year 😉

I generated this using AI - pretty fun!

Like this newsletter?

Let me know. Just hit reply (I read every reply). I’d love to know what you think.

Thanks for reading.

Bill

913.962.9261

P.S. Whenever you are ready, here are 3 ways I can help you grow your business.

1) Map Your Growth Engine

The first step towards predictable growth is understanding and documenting “How Clients Happen” in your business. Reply to this email with "Map" if you want to learn more.

2) Get Your Visual Sales Sheet

Win new clients and projects using a visual path to success that answers the key questions they have about your service. Reply with “Visual” to learn more.

3) Work with me One-on-One 

If you'd like to work directly with me to achieve predictable growth in your business... just reply “Let’s Talk”