Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Your best clients don't need you

Nikon D4, Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM, Sigma 2x EX DG APO Autofocus Teleconverter, ISO 640, f/5/6, 1/2000
Just the other night on the TV show Shark Tank Robert Herjavec talked about the worst thing for a startup is too much cash.

After he said this almost immediately Mark Cuban jumped in to agree. They talked about when you have a new idea you assume you know what you are doing and will throw millions into a bad idea assuming you are successful and have the cash to make it happen.

Winning football coaches are hard to get their attention, but a losing one is interested in changing their situation.

Best Clients

Your best clients are the ones that can afford your skills and pay you what you are worth. The reason they are your potentially best client is also why it is so hard to get their attention.

They are highly successful already. They are not in a crisis looking for someone to help turn their company around. Because they are so successful often this makes them in their minds experts on anything they do.

Nikon D4, 14-24mm, ISO 400, ƒ/16, 1/320, Nikon SB-900 high speed sync mode
How to get their attention

Be desirable. Just like Steve Jobs created the tablet before we even knew we wanted one we too must create work that makes people want to use us and have us on their team.

The very best way to get people to notice your skills is through a personal project. Go and do what you do best and then show it around. If your work is not just on par with everyone else, but truly different then you have a great chance of getting people's attention–even if they don't "NEED" you they will "WANT" you.

Be Authentic. If your only reason for treating someone nice is the hope of getting something from them, this is just the opposite of being authentic. Be genuinely interested in them and treat them with honor, dignity and respect.

Nikon D4, Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM, Sigma 2x EX DG APO Autofocus Teleconverter, ISO 900, f/5/6, 1/2000
Be a friend. Really try and become good friends with your clients. Listen to them and support them. Congratulate them on their success.



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