“Give Me Ambiguity or Give Me Something Else!!”
A client comes to you with a problem. The person you meet is your perfect “work soulmate,” but for some reason you don’t get the job. Why is that?
Could it be that you’re ambiguous?
When it comes to hiring people, we want to know exactly who they and what they promise unequivocally. We also want to know what they won’t do.
That’s why it’s critical when someone says, “What do you do?” You have a strong and interesting answer that invites them in to ask you more.
I say, “I help companies and individuals develop irresistible offers (products/services) that attract customers.”
Shama Heyder says, “I help service professionals built a long-term plan to get more clients.”
Chris Brogan says, “I use social media and technology to show businesses, organizations, and individuals how to build authentic conversations between coworkers, customers, and even competitors.”
Do we all do more than that? Of course we do, but we’re umambiguous about where our focus is. People know who to go to for which thing.
Get Unambiguous and Get More Customers
Here are some ways to get you closer to unambiguous.
- Choose the client you want to work with most. We can’t work with everyone. Not everyone is a good fit with our skill set or our personalities. The time we spend trying to make a bad match work good be better invested in finding a great client. choose group that talks to each other and can afford to pay you.
- Think about what you do well and why you like doing it. What skills do people often ask you to help them with? What have people already paid you for? Those are a place to start.
- Make a list of what exactly you can do. Assign that list a monetary value.
- Prepare a story to explain how what you do takes a continuing problem off the desk of your chosen client group. Explain how you can do the work easier, more efficiently, in less time, and still make them look like a hero.
- Stick to the list for a month or two. Talk to the folks who can use the service you’ve outlined about their goals. When you hear a way you might help, tell them what you offer.
Do the above steps and suddenly, you’ll not only know what you do. But you’ll also know what you don’t do too. You’ll feel unambiguous.
It’s much more fun to know who we are and sitting across the table with something to offer.
How might you get on the road to unambiguous today?
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!
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“Not everyone is a good fit with our skill set or our personalities.”
That bit stood out to me. Too often I think people don’t want to work with me because of something I lack, something that is wrong with me But your words are more true–sometimes it just isn’t meant to be and that’s ok. It’s probably for the best of both parties.
Having tons of clients doesn’t necessarily mean a business person is successful (such a subjective word!). Having a handful of clients that really values what I can offer would be more rewarding–more fun as you say, but also more satisfying! Thanks for the insight, Liz 🙂
oops! Could you close my em tag up there Liz? Forgot the < on the end. Thanks!
Hi LaurenMarie!
Sometimes we’re the wrong size. Sometimes they are. Sometimes their goals and our goals just aren’t going in the same direction. To work hard to bring them, convincing ourselves and them that it’s a good thing . . . well, I’ve done that. The work that results is really work and both of us are never really happy with the result.
It doesn’t make sense to swim up a waterfall. 🙂
You are very wise, Liz, and I love how you don’t flaunt it in the least.