Thursday, May 24, 2018

Attracting High-Quality Clients Avoid These Mistakes

Attracting High Quality Clients

These are some common mistakes. Salespeople and service providers make when they are trying to attract High-Quality Customers. Avoiding these mistakes can mean the difference between struggling or running your business smoothly, with a steady stream of clients willing to pay you what you are worth.

Not Distinguishing between Price and Value


A lot of vendors worry about price and are willing to sell their services for less than their competition. The trouble is that you can get locked into the lower price, and find it difficult to raise it in the future. Also, the lower price might attract only bargain-basement clients, rather than quality ones you could have a long-term relationship with. Top business people might actually dismiss you for being too cheap.

Then there is a question of value. Value and price are not the same. Your value will be in how good you are with your work, how reliable you are, and how well you are able to stick to your deadlines. Your value is also determined by your experience. If you are a real pro at WordPress, for example, then you are more valuable than a person charging the same amount who isn't, because you are bringing your knowledge and experience to every project.

Not Being Clear about What You Offer


Make a list of everything that you are good at that you could offer to your clients. Narrow it down to things that you enjoy and can do quickly. Next, decide how closely related they are to each other. Can you offer some services that cover many of the basics that busy business owners would find it useful to hand over to others? They might include customer service, email marketing, uploading content to a blog, and so on.

For example, if you are able to do email marketing and you also have a health background, this might be worth mentioning in some cases, but not in others. A person interested in finance, for example, might not think you were the right person for them.

Not Choosing a Niche


Service providers who choose a particular niche to work in often find that it is easier to get work because they start to build up a reputation as an expert in that niche. The top three niches are health, finance, and self-help.

Not Having a Well-Constructed Portfolio


Your portfolio should give examples of each of the services you wish to offer, if at all possible. Give items a title, link to them, and if there are many samples, group them according to the category of services being offered.

Giving Away Too Much for Free to Make the Sale


It is great to want to prove that you are a talented worker who can deliver the goods, but time is money, and so is the work you do. A lot of new service providers give away far too much in terms of free information and their time. Free samples are not really needed - you have your portfolio to show what you can do.

You should also avoid long consultation calls. In an effort to be helpful and prove you are the right person for the job, you would probably give away far more information than you should. Then they really have no reason to hire you, because you have already told them what to do.

Not Marketing Yourself Enough


Once you are a service provider, you need to tell the world you are available for work. This is not a time to be shy.

Not Marketing Yourself in the Right Places


Determine where your high-end prospective customers are likely to spend most of their time. Then come up with marketing material that speaks to their needs, offering real solutions at an affordable price.

Not Asking Happy Customers for Referrals


Word-of-mouth marketing is key to a successful business. Happy customers spreading the word about how reliable and professional you are can make all the difference between a full calendar of regular assignments, and you have to chase all over trying to get gigs.





Thursday, May 3, 2018

Self Development at the Workplace

Self Development

What is the deal with all this personal growth and self-development at the workplace?   It's so simple to take care of private development as 'optional' and few people ever take the opportunity to actively enhance themselves. 

Your own personal growth and self development is possibly among the most important thing you can do with your own time.  You may even argue that to actualize your real potential is the goal of being here.  In many ways all of your activities are geared towards 'self improvement'. 

This, however, is mostly unconscious and for nearly all people it is a case of chasing 'things' and 'stuff' together with the (all too common) assumption that if they get enough stuff, they'll be happy.

You do not have to look too far to find precisely how wrong this theory actually is.   Why?   At no point in your life can you just stop and say 'now I'm successful -- I believe I will take another 10 years away'.  Unfortunately this is 'the dream' that so many folks aspire to.The trick to a life of happiness lies in personal development. 

Real and lasting fulfillment in life comes from continuously enhancing the quality of your life.  Life is dynamic and it must keep moving.  Like in nature, everything that doesn't grow, dies!  You may either grow or die, and even though you likely won't die a physical death, you probably will endure a psychological death.  Depression is but one example of the ramifications of failing to grow as an individual.  If you're not growing you'll feel as though you are dying.

They are primarily disguised as problems, and sadly most people curse them rather than seeing the terrific opportunities they present.  Earl Schoff once said 'Do not wish for less problems.  Wish that you're better'.  This is where personal growth comes to play and you have to do it on purpose and with an active frame of mind.


Three areas of  Self Development at Workplace


So why do people fail to actively participate in their personal growth?  Well, there are particular personal growth barriers that prevent them from actively progressing in almost any area of your life.  The key word being 'knowingly'.  The three most significant personal growth hurdles are three interrelated behaviors that generally keep us trapped and secured up in inaction.  Personal

Development Barrier #1: Procrastination


Procrastination is the unreasonable delay of tasks, particularly ones that are important.  On a conscious level you may want a particular outcome and you know what course of action to take, but still you stay trapped.   It's very likely that what you're procrastinating about is what you have to do as this can allow you to grow in your ability to do it and just do it.  Bear in mind that you merely procrastinate about jobs that you appreciate and at some level, you know you will benefit from it.Personal

Development Barrier #2: Indecision


Each and every activity is preceded by a determination.   The ironic thing is that not making a decision is a choice -- is not it?  Indecision is like a disease that you must eliminate from your life.  Indecision is merely the consequence of a fear of failure and by not decided you can not neglect -- right?  Realize that nothing in the long run has occurred yet and dreading the worse possible outcome will most likely keep you from deciding.  If you do not make the choices you won't take the action and you'll remain immobilized.

Personal Development Barrier #3: Comfort Zones


Comfort zones are those things which you're too comfortable with -- and often to the point where you do not even try anything else.  Within your comfort zones what's understood and you've got this feeling of certainty which you could comfortably deal with anything that comes your way.    Stepping outside your comfort zones however, challenges you to grow as a person -- you need to develop to become comfortable out of your old comfort zone.  The majority of your constraints are self imposed and controlled by what you believe you can or can't do, what you like or dislike, what you believe is wrong or right.  You need to keep extending your 'self' physically, emotionally, mentally and emotionally to prevent standing still and staying imprisoned by your comfort zones. 

All obstacles are only that -- they're barriers.   They can barely stop a bike, yet they stop large sixteen wheelers.  The wall is much more psychological than real.  So are the barriers for your personal development.  They can prevent you, but they can not keep you unless you let them.  Simply acknowledge them and proceed.  Personal growth is a choice and it is an active procedure.  To ensure a happy and fulfilled life that's full of joy and appreciation you need to always grow and expand your 'self'.