The Old Man, the Boy and the Donkey

An old man, a boy and a donkey were going to town:  The boy rode on the donkey and the old man walked beside him.  As they went along they passed some people who remarked it was a shame the old man was walking and the boy was riding.  The man and boy thought maybe the critics were right, so they changed positions.

Later, they passed some people who remarked, "What a shame! He makes that little boy walk."  They then decided they both would walk.

Soon they passed some more people who thought they were stupid to walk when they had a decent donkey to ride.  So they both rode the donkey.  

Later, they passed some people who shamed them by saying how awful to put such a load on a poor donkey.  They boy and man said they were probably right, so they decided to carry the donkey.  As they crossed the bridge, they lost their grip on the animal, and he fell into the river and drowned.

The moral of the story?  If you try to please everyone, you might as well kiss your ass goodbye.

(An excerpt from "Book Yourself Solid", by Michael Port.)

It is IMPOSSIBLE to make 100% of people happy 100% of the time so stop trying already!!!  Below are just a few benefits of taking the time to figure out who your ideal client is.

• When you identify who your ideal client is you provide the best value possible because they are the right fit for you and your services.  
• Because you know exactly who they are it's easier to reach them, focusing and maximizing your marketing dollars.
• They value you and become raving fans.
• They refer potential clients like them...other ideal clients!
• The more focused your ideal client criteria is, the higher your sales conversion is. That means more business without increasing the number of prospects.

Simply put, you'll enjoy working with your "ideal clients" more because they're the right fit and they'll get more value from you.  A win-win, which is what it's all about!