Are The Inmates Running Your Asylum?

This week I’d like to talk with you about attracting what you WANT
into your life and business, not what you NEED.

If this statement elicited a guttural, “WHUUUUT?!” from you, don’t worry.
I’m about to explain.

How many business owners or salespeople do you know who take calls from
prospects and clients all hours of the day, during work, after work, in the middle
of a meeting or family meals?

How many business owners or salespeople do you know who let their prospects
and clients beat them up on price, nickel and diming them until their profit
margins are razor thin?

How many business owners or salespeople do you know who feel they have to accept every client, that they have to take what they can get and would never dream of firing a client?

Now here’s the doozey of a question…are you one of them?

More importantly, do you want to stop being one of them?

Before we get to the “how” let’s cover the “why?”

1. Why do so many professionals focus on having LOTS of clients instead of having the RIGHT clients?
2. Why do so many professionals worry about losing referrals if they increase their prices?
3. Why do so many professionals feel they have to let their clients call the shots and walk all over them to “keep the client happy?”

Why do we as professionals put up with this? Because we’ve never known a better way.

Instead of focusing on what you NEED, I encourage you to focus on what you WANT. What’s the first step? Glad you asked. The first step is to make a list of the qualities and characteristics you want in a client. Here are a few of mine to help you get started:

• They keep their appointments.
• They trust that I have their best interests at heart.
• They already have a growing, thriving business.
• They are intelligent and demonstrate good common sense.
• They have a strong network of friends and associates to whom they refer me.
• They have a financial cushion to pay me.
• They pay on time and upfront.
• They pay my full fee.
• They plan ahead.
• They understand and demonstrate that they deserve to be successful.
• They know their mission in life.
• They make a request to become my client.
• They value my time.
• They value their time.
• They serve the needs of the community; they make a contribution to the community.
• They have clarity and focus.
• They are collaborative.
• They treat everyone like they are special.
• They are sincere.
• They are open-minded.
• They are a learner.

So what’s step 2? Concentrate your efforts, your marketing, your requests for referrals on the characteristics you’ve outlined.

And step 3? Read, absorb and use the book, “Attracting Perfect Customers.” I am and it’s working miracles for my business every day.

*Please note, I have no stake in this book’s success whatsoever. I don’t know the authors and I get no benefit at all from sharing its existence with you—other than the joy of watching you achieve the success you thought only existed in fairytales.

Remember: “If you can envision it, you can manifest it. What you sow in your thoughts, you reap in the physical world.”

Committed to your marketing success,
Lina Penalosa
May 5, 2006