“I find the projects I’m most excited to work on are nearly always the projects that have really fantastic people associated with them.”
The above is a quote from a previous speaker we had, James Clear, author of the book Atomic Habits.
He’s EXACTLY right on this. That’s why it’s so important to clearly define for ourselves what we call an HVC (high-value client) and set about creating marketing and sales systems that filter out everyone else and specifically attract THOSE clients who we find most engaging.
Here’s my list of criteria for an HVC:
1. They have HONEST AMBITION to grow. Far too many give lip service to growth and success in business but aren’t really motivated to do what’s necessary. A good client is someone who can find a way to reach the goal, not make an excuse.
2. They LOVE sales and marketing, or at least have RESPECT for the process. No surprise here. If they lack a base level of respect for the process of crafting a campaign…a strategy…an initiative that brings in sales and new clients, we’re going nowhere. There’s a base of knowledge you have to have to make a campaign produce. If a client is so uninterested in learning sales fundamentals or the basics that go into a great campaign, they’ll abdicate it to someone on their team or half-ass the implementation. The MSPs who say they “don’t want to learn anything…we just want someone to do the marketing” are idiots. They clearly have zero understanding of what it takes to succeed in selling their services to the marketplace and of the critical role of marketing, so their project is a failure looking for someone to blame – and I’m not interested in signing up to be their scapegoat.
3. They GSD (get shit done) and REPORT BACK the good and the bad. Nothing is more frustrating than a great idea or campaign that is half-assed on the implementation, or not implemented at all. Whether it wins or fails, I want to know, learn and adjust. You can’t steer a parked car.
4. They are sharp enough to figure out basic implementation without me having to spell out every single detail. When I get questions that could EASILY be answered with a Google search or simply puzzled out with common-sense thinking, I know I’ve got someone I can’t run with.
5. They have to have a solid work ethic and professional integrity about meeting deadlines and keeping commitments. If you’re constantly “too busy,” disorganized, LATE or behind schedule on EVERYTHING, your shit’s broken and you lack professional integrity. I’m often running “hot,” but certainly NOT to the point of everything being late, unfinished or not done well. The occasional setback is understandable, but if I find myself running an adult daycare where I have to constantly remind you and follow up to ensure you don’t get “too busy” and “forget” to do what you said you would do, this won’t work. You’re not for me.
6. And probably one of the most important factors that ties into everything above is this: I can learn something from THEM. If they have honest ambition and therefore implement strategies and campaigns to grow, reporting back what’s working and what’s not, they will inevitably figure out additional nuances and ideas and share them with me so I can learn something. That’s what’s exciting when working with a truly ambitious client. They’re not excuse makers.
Finding someone who meets the above list of criteria is very, very difficult. The few who will pass the test are the most productive relationships not only for me, but for THEM.
With one page left on the proverbial calendar, you might take a minute to reassess what your HVC criteria is and make a list of strategies that will allow you to attract more clients who meet your standards. There’s nothing that sucks the life out of you more than a wrong-fit client who doesn’t have the same integrity, viewpoint and ambition for the outcome as you.
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