Being able to express your desired clientele with clarity leads you to them. But unless we have a natural talent for marketing plus motivation to learn, denial can take over. Sometimes it takes years of trial and error in working with less than desirable clients that will lead us to a better place.There was never any question in my mind about my preferred type of clients as a salesperson. And filling the sales pipeline was relatively easy once I recognized my requirements. But as an entrepreneur , I was stopped in my tracks upon hearing that I had to define a narrow niche to get started.Initially, my thought was that everyone in business needs sales training. But sadly most people don’t want to be bothered, or they think they know it all. I found coaching frustrating because the majority of clients were not motivated enough to implement change. Due to my frustration along with second-guessing myself as to what I could do better, I stopped coaching others.Training in corporate was almost depressing. It quickly became clear that some companies only wanted a few of their representatives to succeed. I was privately told that the executives did not want to pay high commission to everyone, just the top few. It’s ironic, because high turnover, known as the revolving door syndrome, costs companies substantially more than paying a reasonable sum for work well-done.Finally, I recognized that the people I most enjoyed and wished to attract were entrepreneurs. We are independent and in control of decisions. Highly motivated, we value our time to get things done. Everyday experiences remind me of the early words of wisdom, ‘find your precise niche.’ Once established we are positioned to expand outward.
Repeating the Question
Yesterday, I returned the favor by asking,
who is your desired clientele that you are trying to attract? The company is in charge of an Active-and-Over-55-Community. The problem at hand is whether to pursue both public and private charging stations for electric cars on the property. Most have not thought that far ahead.One main factor dissuading the executives from continuing the discussion is the monetary investment. Much of the population is on a tight budget. It will be a tough sell job getting homeowners to agree to pay a bit more in homeowner fees.Every issue has its pros and cons. Clientele may be long-term but not evergreen. Turnover exists for every type of business. Sticking with older technology and ignoring the new is never the answer. Over time, the community’s clientele will turnover and see younger people moving in.I asked if in the future, the community would be just those over 55 or will the word ‘active’ remain in the description. If they don’t come to terms with the problem and find a satisfactory answer in the foreseeable future, they will experience a downward spiral. As electric cars become the norm, more people will expect the charging stations. The lack of availability will have prospective residents looking elsewhere and eventually drive down the value of the homes.It is sometimes painful to recognize the changes we need to make for us to move forward. There are upfront costs. But weighing out the ‘do I’ or ‘don’t I,’ most often reveals the ‘don’t do anything’ runs up a bigger bill in the long run.The problem becomes needing to play catch-up. Instead of making continual progress, holes develop in the various venues for serving clients.Related:
Do You Deliver On Promises? Stop the Monetary Bleed by asking these questions:
What is the profile of our desired clientele Is the majority of our clients those we most desire Are we serving the needs, wants and desires of the people we serve How can we more adeptly improve our systems With an increase in efficiencies and attentiveness will we attract more of our preferred clientele?By getting your community involved, the reward comes in the form of
a returning and referring clientele. Sales become easier and your pipeline remains full.
Sales Tips per Trying to Attract Desired Clientele
Come to terms with those who you most enjoy working Expand your effort into attracting your desired clientele Become familiar with their preferences and desires Familiarize yourself with their demographics and issues Adjust your attempt to alleviate problems as they arise Pay people to participate in focus groups for confiding their worst fears Ask ‘what if’ questions to see which ideas might be popular Create a new plan of action and ask for agreement moving forward Keep your clientele informed of all changes and continue to request feedback Celebrate Success!Today’s blog is provided to help you achieve
The Smooth Sale!
