Communication, Strategy
We know the phrase, “the customer is always right” all too well. But what if that’s not always the case? What if the client isn’t right for your business? It’s naïve to think that every customer that comes along is a perfect fit for you and your company. (Although it would be amazing if that were the case!) It’s tempting to try to make it work with every client, but doing so could hurt your business in the long run.
So, how do you identify your ideal client?
Before you identify your ideal client, you need to get to know your company first. Sit down with all the top dogs and discuss these questions:
- What does your company value?
- What is your business’ style?
- What is your company’s tone of voice?
- What kind of work do you want to be associated with?
Make strategy, not war
Once you know what your business is all about, invite your client to a strategy session. Sit down together and review everything your client is looking for. Listen closely and ask a lot of questions. The client may be vague about some things, so it’s important to understand what you are getting yourself into. If a red flag comes up, whether it be a difference in opinion on a topic or a lack of understanding on how much time something will take, bring it up and talk it out. It is better to put everything on the table from the get-go so that there are no surprises down the road.
If you’re completing a specific project or deliverable for them, figure out every aspect that will need to go into the project and make sure it’s something your firm can handle. It’s important to understand the vision and style the client imagines so you both will be happy with the result.
But Money…
If you’re just starting out, it’s hard to not let money be a factor in deciding who you do or don’t work with. Even if your company has been around for a while, this still may be a factor. Try your hardest to not money make your decision for you. If your goals and values do not match up, then don’t take on the project. You want to be free to pursue and take on clients that are closer to your ideal.
Even if everything check outs on paper and it seems your partnership will work, something still might pop up that will force you to reassess. It’s okay to periodically step back and look at the bigger picture. In fact, you should be scheduling regular review sessions to ensure that everyone is on the same page. It is easy to get lost in the weeds and lose sight of the goal.
The bottom line
Unfortunately, your clients will not have ‘wrong’ or ‘right’ stamped on their forehead. There are certain signs you can pick up on to help realize when it might not work:
- They aren’t respectful towards you and your coworkers.
Some clients are easy to dismiss: those that are blatantly rude or overly-critical. This also includes calling you or demanding your attention at inappropriate times, ignoring your recommendations in favor of less effective measures, or even not being up front about budget and project costs.
- You’re not enjoying the work.
This is a major red flag that should set off alarm bells. Do you procrastinate on this project, but are an eager beaver on others? Take some time to figure out what is stressing you about this client. Is it a factor that is within your control, or theirs?
- They eat away at your finite resources.
We only have so many hours in a day, so much money in the budget, and so much patience and courtesy. If your client is taking up more than their share of these resources, it’s time for a frank discussion.
Letting these behaviors go on can result in a lack of productivity, bad reviews of your work, and a loss of employee trust. Is this really how you want to run your business?
Always trust your gut. If you have a bad feeling about a client, it’s okay to politely tell them it won’t work out. There are more clients out there waiting for you to make magic for them.
Communication, Marketing
Have you ever played a game with a child? If not, I highly recommend it. I have a 3-year-old at home and playing games with her never ceases to be entertaining. The best time is when we play games that she comes up with herself. It doesn’t take a kid very long to figure out that winning is fun and losing is not so much fun. Amazingly enough, as we play the game that she has created, the rules suddenly change mid-game so she emerges the victor.
Working with your search engine optimization (SEO) on your website can feel a little bit like that sometimes. Just when you think you have it figured out, the rules suddenly change mid-game and you are sitting there wondering what happened.
Search engines are continuously changing the rules – the algorithms that they use to calculate page-rankings are constantly being altered and updated. What does that mean for you? That you also have to constantly alter and update your website so it consistently shows up on page one when your target market does a search online. That way you emerge the victor over other companies that are doing the same thing.
Here are some tips you can do right now to help you enhance your website’s SEO:
- Is your website mobile-friendly? Google is ranking mobile-friendly websites more highly than those formatted just for desktop reading. As more and more users search the internet on their phones, this is becoming more and more important.
- Does your website contain the content they are searching for? It’s not just enough anymore to have a have a few key words or search phrases here and there. Now, you need to have interesting and relevant content, and lots of it. For example, if you sell apples – you should talk about apples on several pages and in great detail. The more relevant content you have surrounding a search term or phrase, the higher your page will be ranked.
- Is your website design user-friendly? Can people find the information that they are looking for when they get there? What is your average user’s experience? Clicks and time spent on your website still matter.
- How is your website security? Are your plug-ins up-to-date and is your website free of malware? Security issues will affect your page ranking.
If all of this seems too complicated or overwhelming for you, considering bringing in some professionals to help you keep up with the constant changes in the Google search game. With help, you can continuously update your content so that you emerge the victor over your competitors in online searches.
Communication
Looking for the Holy Grail of web content? You know, the blog post people can find through a quick Google search and leaves them happy they took time to read it. The article that they will want to share with a friend. Writing that instills trust, shows authority, and leads them to take action. It’s attainable. Really, it is!
Write it with Your English Teacher in Mind
What will writing full of errors say about your company? Nothing much, that’s for sure! Does this mean that you need to be a career writer to write articles, blog posts or marketing messages? By all means, no. But you do need fundamentals like using solid grammar, writing concise statements, and having a logical flow of ideas. Need help? Useful online tools include the Grammarly plugin and the Hemingway app. If you are still struggling, don’t be too proud to call in help.
Keep it Audience-Focused
To take clean writing to the next level, it needs to be audience-focused. Start with the utmost basic questions:
- What information does your intended reader want and need?
- How do they want and need to receive said information?
There’s a big difference in writing for an audience that wants a top 5 list with loads of pictures an one that is relying on data and case studies. That said, make sure you are asking plenty of questions to get on the right track. The more customized the writing for your intended audience, the more likely they will be delighted and keep coming back. So don’t settle with the starter questions – getting to know your audience well is not only a must-do if you want to write well for them but it will also lead to all kinds of other discoveries.
Make it Useful to the Reader
Few of us these days have the time or patience to dig through articles looking for the information we need. In all seriousness, haven’t we all clicked the promising headline only to find out the underlying content is utterly useless? That’s a frustrating feeling; don’t pass it on to your readers. Deliver on your promised content. It’s what is going to seal the deal when it comes to earning your readers’ trust. Here’s a pro tip especially for those writing on a topic they know in-depth: use a proof reader with less familiarity. Does their take away match what you intended? Kudos if it does. If it doesn’t, get moving on some revisions.
Optimize it for Search
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a broad field with ever-changing techniques. There is a tremendous amount of information to learn before considering yourself a master, but don’t let that stop you from implementing the basics. Start with brainstorming a list of words and phrases people will use to find you online. Compare those to the writing on your own website pages. Do they match? If so, give yourself a high-five. If not, see how you can edit your content to weave in those words and phrases but do so in a natural tone, make sure to write for people, not robots. Get bonus points with SEO if you can implement these things in the first paragraph of text, titles, and headers.
In general, don’t write for someone in a way you would not speak to them. It does get noticed and not in a way that is in your favor. Put in the time and effort and you’ll be rewarded with increased web traffic, leads, and sales.
