In a previous post I spoke about focusing on ONE thing when you’re overwhelmed and experiencing too much busyness in your life and work.
The idea of “the one thing” has more applications than only an antidote to being overwhelmed with simple tasks.
You can apply exactly the same principle to your entire market, your offer and who you’re trying to attract.
I am often asked the questions “Where do I find new leads?” or “What is the best strategy for lead generation?”.
When people ask this question they assume they’ve got a MARKETING problem.
So they THINK the answer to the problem is “do more marketing”.
In fact, they don’t have a marketing problem.
They’re solving the WRONG PROBLEM.
And by trying to solve the wrong problem, they’re making the REAL problem worse.
Often with the consequence of attracting the “wrong kind” of prospective clients.
However, when they shift to solving the REAL problem, they attract not only enough clients, but better clients.
Which is worth the effort … as when you can attract the right clients, you can choose your future.
Here’s how and why:
The real problem
The two biggest obstacles which make it harder to find new clients are; a lack of clear understanding of the market, and lack of a clear message.
Having a clear message allows your clients to see your offer and feel that it will solve a problem they’re experiencing.
So… why do people struggle so much to a to identify a particular audience?
The solution
In order for you to have the 1stF – financial security – you need to answer to the following question:
How many clients do you need for the service that you provide?
For most people, the answer is usually a relatively small number.
Then ask yourself; what is it that those clients really want? What is the problem they encounter that you want to solve?
Once you know this, you have the clarity to create the message to magnetically attract your ideal clients. You become a specialist in your field rather than a generalist.
This idea nearly always faces resistance. After all, it seems natural to believe “if I specialise in something I’ll be turning away other clients who I could help.”
It may be a natural thought, but it’s flawed thinking, as specialists will confirm time and time again. Being a generalist is NOT attractive to prospective clients.
When you offer different services for different people, it dilutes what you do, dilutes your message and distracts from the certainty position: “This is what I stand for and this is my specialism”.
When you only need a (relatively) small number of clients, why expend so much energy trying to attract different audiences for different services?
When you do one thing brilliantly, you will become a master of that activity and you’ll deliver the results your clients want.
And this is the essential ingredient for an easy business future … deliver results for your clients.
In other words, be good … be REALLY good.
In practice
Firstly, identify who the few clients are and what they look like?
Who are the few clients that you really want to work with? In other words … identify and call out your IDEAL market.
When you identify your ideal client you’ll begin to find them (and they, you), and you’ll end up working together. Which is exactly the future you want to create.
There’s no need to work with people who are hard work or want your services as cheap as possible … yes, you’re serving them, but only on your terms. Difficult or unreasonable clients won’t serve you!
When you build your reputation in your specialism, you’ll have more freedom to choose to decline working the energy sappers.
The result
When you are known for the one thing, you will do a whole lot less than you’ve been doing.
So … narrow your focus.
Do less.
Become focused on the one thing, and the one type of audience.
When you choose your audience … you choose your future.