“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were all meant to shine as children do. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” – Marianne Williamson
Your relationship with a client shouldn’t be thought of any differently to any other relationship. It is really important that you know who you like hanging out with and who would love to hang out with you. Just because you own a business and offer a bunch of products and services, doesn’t mean you will have a flock of customers coming to you. I believe that really knowing why you are in business, and who you are there to serve are some of the key questions you should ask before you invest a single penny into creating a business.
When you finally understand your purpose and how you are helping your people, your business will be on steroids – well kinda. Here are the 5 steps I believe you need to tick off before you own the very best customers.
1. Discover who you love working with
I eluded to this in the introduction but for whatever reason, this step is one that we take for granted. Or even worse, we think that if we offer a service, why should we limit the types of customers to buy from us. You have heard of the word “niche” (probably a bit too much these days) but there is a good reason why. A lot of us have finally understood that it is better to be a specific thing to a specific set of people, than be all things to everyone.
Consider that you are in the position where you have an issue with your heart – would you rather see a general practicing doctor or a heart surgeon? Now, take that to another level – if you were an athlete, would rather go to a general heart surgeon or a heart surgeon that specialises in dealing only with athletes? And, when you go to this specialist surgeon, would the conversation ever be about money?
Find out who you love hanging out with. Those who, by just being friends, gives you more than the exchange of money for services and you enjoy every single moment you spend with them. I want you to blur the lines of work and play.
2. Really understand them
When you know who you love hanging out with and who help you enjoy your work life, your next step is to really care about them. Not from a selfish point of view, but from a genuine authentic need to serve them. Find out what makes them tick. What they like to do when they aren’t working and while they are working? What are their secret fears? What could you possibly know about them that they cannot even articulate. But when you say it, they go “yeah! I go through that. How did you know”?
3. Help them – no matter what
Now that you understand what their biggest challenges are, help them no matter what the outcome. Whether you get paid, or not. Whether they think you are a rockstar or not.
And, if you really nail step 1, it wouldn’t matter if you got paid. If you love hanging out with someone, wouldn’t you want to genuinely help them with their most pressing problems?
4. Create a platform where they find you
I don’t mean that you start a charity service. I mean that if you understand what really bugs them, find a channel or a platform that helps them understand their issues better. A platform that addresses their secret fears or burning desires.
It can be an article, a podcast, a YouTube channel or even a live streaming periscope that goes out a few times a week. Create a platform that suits your client, who you are as a person and the type of authentic connection you are trying to create.
Make sure they can engage with you and tell you how much you have helped them and what is missing.
5. Create the ultimate solution for them
With all this awesome information coming to you from the people that matter most, it should be fairly easy to create a fantastic solution that would take all their problems and solve them. Create the first class solution that only a few of your clients could afford, but who would really love that you have a service like that. Only you can create such a solution with the unique set of experiences and knowledge that you possess. So stop playing small and go out and be awesome!
