Some people have little difficulty attracting and maintaining
clients who have higher discretionary funds to spend for
solutions. Others can't get to first base. If you are one of
those and want clients that can pay more and you currently
aren't attracting them, here is a list of 10 barriers that might
be interfering.
Higher paying clients are easier to work with, appreciate your
work more, pay quicker and are more profitable.
Whenever I am asked by a independent profession how to get a
client to pay more money, the first answer tends to be "you
can't." It is very difficult to raise your rates with your
existing clients. You generally need to find new, higher- paying
clients.
1. Equal stature. People usually take the time to listen to
people who are just as important as they are. Are you on their
listening level? Dress the way they do, even if you deal with
them only over the phone. Speak in their language. Show the same
type of authority and posture. Avoid jargon and words they
aren't familiar with, yet use ones that they are. Talk across or
equal not down or up. Take control of the relationship. This may
seem to aggressive, however, this is the way you raise yourself
to their equal.
2. Thoroughly know their challenges and what solutions your
service/product provides.If you can't relate to their "world"
then they will not let you in. They are proud of their "world"
because they made it so.
3. Be friendly with all those that surround them. Administrative
secretary, receptionist, any of their gatekeepers. Yes, they
will report about you on your behavior.
4. The higher the ladder you go, the more likely they will be a
visionary. This means they are more concerned about the future
and will talk and think in those terms. Visionaries are not
price sensitive so don't even place that on your radar screen
with them. Know what their visions are, support those visions in
any way you can. If you have a product or service that can make
their business better, you will have a sale. Remember though,
it's their perspective of "better" and not yours.
5. The higher you go, the more they expect in great service and
additional services outside the scope of what you provide
everyone else.
6. ALWAYS keep your promises before an after the sale and they
will keep the relationship. Break it once, yes, usually just
once and you're history.
7. Don't brown nose. They smell it a mile away. They will either
quickly turn you away or play you for entertainment and then
toss you away. Once you get this label you can almost hang it up
in their circle unless you fess up to your inappropriate
behavior.
8. They don't have the word "mistake" in their vocabulary.
Everything to them is a "learning lesson" and is connected to a
price tag. If you are even harboring some person beliefs of
making mistakes, they will sense this as fear. And since fear
has a special energy/vibration they have keen senses for it.
9. Their first response to your proposal will always be "how can
they do it in house themselves." Expect to be able to
demonstrate the specialness and if you can particular show how
it can be completed in-house, the more brownie points you earn.
The higher your expertise or specialities the less chance they
can "create it inhouse." This is because higher paying clients
tend to gravitate to specialists.
10. The higher the clientele, the better their leveraging skills
are. If they can figure out how to leverage it better and
cheaper, you will lose. This isn't always true, most times if
they have too much on their plate already and don't want to
spend their focus time away AND they like you, you can get the
sale.
11. "No" is a test. Don't take anything for granted. Flexibility
and diversity are important in riding out the storm.
12. Find clients to whom your work is not only valuable, but
essential to their goals.
13. Know your worth and stand by it.
14. Remove the "underearner" mindset behind.
15. Make it easy for them to work with you. Remove any hoops or
extra steps that take up their time.
16. Decide in advance what you're going todo if they don't
accept your higher fee.
17. Presentation level needs to be on their level or perceived
to be there.
18. Rely more on referrals for this market.
19. Be confident and know you can attract them. Feel and allow
the possibility without question -- 100%. Remove any doubt.
About the author:
About Author :
: Catherine Franz is a 30-year marketing
industry veteran, Internet Marketing InfoGuru, a Certified
Business Coach, CertifiedTeleclass Leader and Trainer, speaker,
author, and Master Attraction Practitioner. For marketing tips
and eNewsletters visit: http://www.AbundanceCenter.com,
mailto:catherine@abundancecenter.com or 703-671-5677.
