Women, Spirit & Money: 6 Ways to Attract and Identify Quality Clients You’ll Love to Serve – and Who Will Love You In Return

I am in the process of looking for one client. One. The magical unicorn fanciful number of one.

Metaphysically speaking, it works like this. I wind my way from my *new* corner office wearing my medieval Guinevere dress. I sit under an old oak growing from the top of a mystical mountain, and wait. Based on my uniqueness, the most magical of all mystical creatures will find me and place its head in my lap, attracted by my magnetic allure. Voila! Everything I need comes to me. Right?

Well, not quite. Though a dash of magic in our mindset doesn’t hurt a thing, in reality, there’s a certain mindset that accompanies the attraction of a quality client in our business. Here are the six criteria I use to attract and identify the quality clients I love to serve.

1. Watch for the Afford-Ability Factor

Previously in this column, we’ve looked at the negative impact the rote response “I can’t afford it” has on us personally and professionally. The truth is, if we’re poor-mouthing about being down at the heel and overextended, then we’re going to attract clients who will never be able to “afford it,” no matter the price.

For me, the question is always whether the client is the best right fit for working with me, and vice versa. Can I truly help them grow their business in specific and measurable ways? If the answer is yes, I make a high-value offer that meets (and hopefully exceeds) their expectations. Then I deliver on my promise.

Your Takeaway: Abundance in business has more to do with owning your own worth than with the potential client’s affordability factor.

2. The Something for Nothing Guarantee

I don’t do cheap. I don’t do sales. I don’t do reduced rates. And I’m not looking for clients who want a something for nothing guarantee: “I’ll pay you later if it works.” Wince.

My clients are special. They value me, and I value them in return. So I do offer specials to my established clients, gladly. When initiating relationships, my “pink spoon” products, lead generating offers, and initial strategy sessions are intended to actually help and serve whether the individual chooses to work with me in the future or not. I offer quality results and a commitment to personal excellence. So even though I often recommend advantageously priced tools when they’ll get the job done without a loss in returns, I don’t take clients whose champagne tastes need to be satisfied on a wino budget.

You shouldn’t either.

Your Takeaway: Be clear about the characteristics of your ideal client, and speak directly to him or her in all your communications. Your introductory offers should resonate at the vibration of the person you wish to attract. Remember, what you focus on grows. If you want to grow lack, focus on what you don’t want.

3. Focus On the Benefits You Deliver

Pick a primary problem you want to help your clients solve. In my case, I chose this topic because eight out of every ten requests for information I receive from the public asks what they should be doing to attract more numbers of higher quality, increased transaction value clients. From experience, I know that part of my unique brilliance is in helping my clients find the actual individuals who they feel called to serve, and to speak directly to those persons by clearly articulating the benefits they can deliver.

Your Takeaway: Know the solutions your clients need and value enough to be willing to pay you to provide. Be specific about the benefits you can deliver. Be willing to say, “I can help with that.”

4. Quality clients seek quality results

Quality results occur most frequently when you begin with the end in mind. If the strategies and tactics are out of alignment with the end results, the quality of the client experience is going to suffer. Remember that scene in the movie Bull Durham when the talented baseball rookie pitcher can’t understand why it matters if there is scum on his shower shoes? In terms of our business, quality results depend on our specific actions and perceptions of ourselves.

Your Takeaway: Make certain you understand what the client really needs, and that your solution is in service to her highest and best interests and outcomes.

5. Own Your Unique Brilliance

Over the past six months, I’ve spent a good bit of time upgrading my infrastructure so that it more accurately reflects my expertise, experience, and expectations for my future and that of my clients. When I own my unique brilliance, I attract clients who want their own unique brilliance to shine as well. Owning our uniqueness makes it possible to leverage our expertise. The fancy PR folks call that “authority marketing.”

Your Takeaway: Sing it loud, sister. “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.” Singing, like seeing, is believing. Keep singing it at the top of your lungs until you glow. No joke. Joy attracts the joyful. You are encouraged to dance while singing.

6. Offer Your Current Clients Perks

Specials, front-of-the-line privileges, news they can use, resources that make their returns higher and their lives better, increased access—in addition to quality work, these are the types of things that keep clients happy. For example, I am always on the lookout for small improvements that yield gains and value over time without adding costs. My clients like gains and value without adding costs; it makes them happy. Quality happy clients refer other quality clients, and that makes me happy.

Your Takeaway: Think about what it means to add value to your clients’ experiences. Do that.

Finally, if your unique brilliance would most benefit from an increase in the quality of clients, a growth in value of each transaction, and who cultivates awareness of self-worth while increasing net worth, it’s entirely possible you’re the one.

---

“Women, Spirit, and Money,” conscious business coaching with Sherri L. McLendon, MA, is now online at www.womenspiritandmoney.biz. Recently ranked #46 of the top 99 PR pros in her area of expertise on Linked In, Sherri’s work as a marketing public relations specialist and content strategist with Professional Moneta International can be found at www.monetamarketingpr.com.