When I was in graduate school my classmates and I were continuously interviewing for jobs with corporate recruiters that visited our campus. Nearly everyday we had to don the suit and heels to make that great first impression. It seemed the focus of the MBA program was landing the perfect corporate gig rather than learning the curriculum to make profitable business decisions.
As expected, with multiple interviews comes a landslide of rejections. I’d see my classmates confidence plummet when they were rejected by yet another company. My response to them was always the same. “Be grateful. That company saw something you didn’t see in yourself that indicated you weren’t a good fit for them. They saved you time, frustration and helped your earning potential by not hiring you.” My point was this. Who wants to go to the next round of interviews only to be told no after you’ve put in several more hours of preparation? I don’t like being strung along. Who wants to land their dream job, only to find a month or even a year into it, that this company isn’t for you and you have to start all over again? Not me!
The same is true in your small business. When a potential client doesn’t choose you, you have an opportunity to be grateful. That client realized you weren’t a good fit for their needs before you did. They saved you time, frustration, heartache and money! Instead of wasting hours trying to be who they want you to be, producing products you hope they will buy and delivering a level of service that isn’t what they need, they saved you the time to spend with clients who DO appreciate you.
Next time you’re told ‘no’ by a potential client, try being grateful. They realized something before you did. Then take a moment to reflect on why you weren’t a good fit.
Here are a few reasons why you’re not attracting the right clients:
1) You didn’t establish enough value in your products and services to make price a non-issue. What makes you different? Why should someone pay more for you than the low-cost provider? Work that into your sales pitch.
2) You weren’t right for their needs. Do a proper needs analysis to determine what each client is looking for. If you truly didn’t have what they were looking for (you don’t offer that product or service), then it just wasn’t meant to be. Move on!
3) You didn’t communicate that you were right fortheir needs. If you did have what they needed, then speak to those needs with your product and service offerings. Talk about the benefits of what you offer, not the features.
4) You don’t have the experience they desire. Maybe they are looking for an upscale experience and your location doesn’t deliver. You can’t be all things to all people. Find what you do best and communicate the heck out of it. You’ll attract the clients who love you and appreciate what you do.
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