Debbie LaChusa

Have you ever worked with a client you absolutely loved working with? A client who truly appreciated what you had to offer. Who listened to your recommendations, and not only that, but acted on them, too! A client who respected your knowledge and experience ... who turned to you for your advice and expertise. A client who willingly paid you on time for your services. A client who was so happy with your work that they referred you to their colleagues and friends.

THIS is your ideal client. And your job as a marketer is to understand who this person is so you can go out and find more people just like him. But what do most new business owners tend to do? Unfortunately, because they're usually hungry for business, they tend to take on anyone who appears to be looking for their services. Often they don't screen new clients very well and the only criteria that seems to matter is if the client wants to work with them. Speaking from personal experience I can tell you this is NOT the way to build a successful business.

A few years ago, one of my business partners and I took on a client that had been referred to us by one of our favorite clients. We thought that was enough of a reason to take on this new client. Even though we both had an uneasy feeling after our first meeting. Even though we weren't sure this new client really understood and appreciated what we had to offer, we chose to take him on as a client because he had been referred. And we very soon came to regret that decision. The relationship was rocky. The client was very difficult to work with and was never really happy with the work we provided (mostly because he didn't really understand or appreciate it). And getting him to pay on time was like pulling teeth. Needless to say, the relationship didn't last.

I encourage you to take a look at your clients. Identify those you absolutely LOVE working with and set out to find more just like them. Then start to weed out the others. You will definitely create a more successful and fulfilling business this way.