Levers are one of the basic machines you may have learned about way back in high school physics. Or, if you go back even further, the see-saw on the playground provides a visceral appreciation of leverage. If you sit further from the fulcrum, your weight has more impact than if you sit close to the fulcrum.
The see-saw analogy applies well to consultants trying to get clients.
Most consultants sit too close to the middle, trying to please everyone and not repel possible prospects.
As a result, they have to do a lot of hard work with sales and marketing.
- They don’t get great referrals.
- Their websites don’t generate great leads.
- They waste a lot of time (dis)qualifying prospects, most of whom are not great fits.
- They spend a lot of time overcoming objections and negotiating over price.
Imagine a doctor who specializes in repairing hyper-mobile shoulder joints that are prone to dislocation, standing outside a hospital, asking everyone who comes in if they need shoulder surgery. Seems absurd, right? Maybe desperation would drive the surgeon offer other healthcare-related services. Even more absurd, right? Going to the surgeon’s website might list various capabilities, from shoulder surgery to kidney treatment to “anything health related”. You wouldn’t want to see this doctor, right?
So if you’re a consultant or a coach, make sure that you’re telling people exactly what you do (for your ideal client):
- In person
- In Zoom networking events
- On your website
- On LinkedIn, and/or whatever other social networking sites you’re using
If you have strong positioning, it’s like sitting on the far end of the see-saw.
You end up talking to the people you’re supposed to talk to.
Your website attracts the right visitors and lets them know they are in the right place.
You waste less time on folks who aren’t the right fit, trying to convince them that they need shoulder surgery.
I like to think of Ideal Client Profile (ICP) as the profile of the person you are best suited to help. The danger is in loosening that definition to cover Possible Client Profile (PCP– we all know PCP is a dangerous drug). This is the doctor standing outside the hospital (or on the side of the road).
Instead, get very focused on your ICP. Then, when you meet people for an actual conversation, your (M.E.G.A.) positioning has done most of the work. They already have shoulder issues. They probably need surgery. The conversations are easier. The projects are more fun. Clients are happier.
(Want to get into more details? Join my free webinar on using Positioning as a Lever on 1/18.)