Some clients are just a dream to work with:
They show up on time, they do the work, they say “Ok, how?” instead of “Yes, but”, and coaching or consulting them is fun and effortless.
Others are a pain: they argue for their limitations, they sabotage their efforts, or they blame everybody but themselves.
Or, they constantly put up a fight, trying to convince you of why their wrong ideas are right.
Would be nice to know, before they hire you, which of the two kinds a new buyer is…
But how can you tell?
After all, very often, you don’t discover a client’s true nature and manner of operating, until you’ve started the process of working together.
So here’s a simple filter, a question to ask:
Do they have battlescars?
As in: Is this their first business?
If not, are they new to the game of being an entrepreneur – are they just starting out?
Because if they are, and they’re all excited and motivated and naïve to the realities of being in business, you might be in for a long and arduous struggle in trying to get them to success and results.
A salty dog however, a seasoned business owner with failures and challenges and struggles behind them, that’s usually a far more workable type of individual.
They bring humility, a student’s mindset – and they tend to work with you, instead of against you.
So if you want better clients and get more results for them, ask yourself:
This new buyer I’m talking to…
Is this their first rodeo?
Do they have battlescars?
