Client Profile is a Powerful Tool for Boosting Sales

Everyone wants to boost sales, and an underrated tool for that is the Client Profile.  When I'm working with a client who wants to get more, and more profitable, clients, I suggest developing a client profile.

A client profile is simply a one-page document that identifies several key areas:  What your company does; the characteristics of organizations you're trying to do business with, including your typical point of entry (CEO, or Facilities Manager, or--if your product is dishwashers--Chief Bottle Washer, etc); and the problems those companies have that you're able to solve.

Developing a client profile serves two purposes.  First, it requires laser-like focus on your clients:  What distinguishes your more profitable ones from the rest, and what characteristics those more profitable ones share, so that you can do a better job of pursuing those opportunities.  You'll be amazed at what you learn.

Second, you can share the document with others who might be able to help you get more business.  This is particularly important when you're asking people in your network for referrals.  Instead of just telling people, and hoping they get it, you can also provide this document that clearly identifies what you're looking for.

Understand that this isn't a sales document.  So leave out all the sales-y stuff about how great you are, how long you've been around, the quality of your work or products.  That's about you.  If I refer you to someone who fits your client profile, I'll let you tell them that.  The client profile is mostly about your clients. 

My client profile has three headings:  Industries, Organizational Characteristics, Services Offered.  The first two take up much more of the page than the last one.  These aren't necessarily the only ones, maybe not even the best.  But, it works for me.

Interested in more business, and in businesses that are more profitable for you?  Develop a client profile.

Avoid Conflict Avoidance

As a consultant, I run into a lot of conflict avoidance.  It's out there more than you might think.  Most people just seem to shy away from conflict, and conflict avoidance causes more problems than meeting the conflict head-on.  That's why you should avoid conflict avoidance.

Many times we avoid conflict because it's downright unpleasant.  Having to tell someone they're doing something wrong just makes us uncomfortable.  We worry about the other person getting mad, making a scene, punching us out.  And so we come up with ingenious ways to address the problem, while avoiding the actual conflict.

We sugar-coat it.  And whenever we do this, the person never takes it really seriously.  Why?  Because we've made it sound like "no big deal."

Or we tell the entire group about a problem, even when we know that only one person in that group has the problem.  This approach never works because the one person who has the problem never considers that he or she is the one we're talking to.

Or we hope it will just get better.  This approach works only if you're lucky.  I mean really lucky, like win-the-lotto lucky.  And since most of us aren't that lucky, the problem gets worse, or more entrenched, making it harder to solve down the line.

What should you do?  Identify what the other person's doing that's driving you nuts.  Be very specific, and practice what you're going to say.  Be a lot more forceful than you usually are, and just tell the person.  Then hold the person accountable for doing things differently.

The first conflict we have to resolve is with ourselves, the conflict between what we know we should do--address the conflict head-on--and what we want to do, what's most comfortable--taking the easy way out.

Once you resolve that conflict within yourself, you'll be well equipped for resolving conflict with others.

Lindsey Lohan Lurks in Your Workplace

First a disclaimer.  I don't know much about Lindsey Lohan.  I've never seen her in a movie.  I couldn't have identified her in a photo lineup before this week.  Sure, I'd seen the headlines over the years, but it was only this week that I actually clicked on a headline to see what was going on. 

Lohan's explanations before the judge reminded me of what I often see in the workplace:  People who always have an excuse, and manage to shift blame away from themselves.

Lohan had plenty of excuses for missing court dates.  She was on location filming, or was stranded in Cannes.  It wasn't her fault.

Think of the judge as Lohan's boss.  When the boss tells you to be somewhere, you find a way to get there.  If you screw up, you take responsibility for it.  You don't look around for excuses.

The workplace has plenty of examples of people who play the blame game.  I didn't get the email.  Or, the other department made the mistake.  Or it's the rough economy that's responsible for my problems.

On the highway, you see signs that say "Lane Shift Ahead."  In some workplaces, with some people, the sign should say "Blame Shift Ahead," because you know they're going to shift the blame anywhere away from themselves.

If you're the leader, you don't play the blame game.  You take personal responsibility for your mistakes.  And you don't allow others to play the blame game. You confront the Lindsey Lohans of the workplace, and call them out. 

Like the judge in Lindsey Lohan's case, you let them know that THEY are responsible for their actions, and for the unpleasant consequences of those actions.