ChicExecs Senior VP of Elevate Lydia Vargo shares how to vet clients to make sure they align with your company values on Forbes blog. Enjoy this excerpt from the feature.
Do you accept every client that comes your way? It might sound backwards, but if you want to run a happier, more profitable business, you need to be choosy about the clients you select. It’s hard turning away paying customers, but if you run a service-based business, you need to prioritize a roster of clients you love and respect.
Use these three factors to vet potential clients before you sign a contract.
Ask About Their Goals And Mission
If you specialize in social media services but a client wants blogs, your expertise and their goals aren’t a match. This is why it’s so important to understand a client’s goals before you agree to work together. It also gives you an idea of their expectations — and whether they’re reasonable or unrealistic.
Aside from their goals for this project, it is critical that you understand a potential client’s mission. What do they stand for? Why are they in business? Who are they helping? Ask these questions to get at the core of what drives them. If you’re excited about their mission, chances are good that you’ll enjoy working with them much more than a client without a compelling vision.
Research Their Values
Values, morals and ethics are an important part of anyone’s identity. With that said, new clients are generally an “unknown,” which means you risk working with some who don’t have the same moral compass as you.
For instance, if your goal is to serve businesses that strive for social justice, you want to work with clients who jibe with those values. It isn’t easy, but you can often get a sense of a client’s values by:
Checking them out online: The client’s website, Google reviews, social media posts, group memberships and online interactions will say a great deal about their values. Do a little bit of “cyber digging” to find any major red flags.
Asking for references: That’s right. You can ask clients for references! Ask them to connect you with other vendors or contractors they’ve worked with in the past. Chat with these providers to get third-party insight into your potential client.
Mentioning your values: Tell a client about your core values and see how they react. If they don’t react positively, then that’s a clear sign to move on.
Create An Ideal Client Checklist
Think about your top five clients. Why are they your favorite? What personality traits do they share? Why do you like working with them?
Create a checklist based on your favorite clients. Every time you hop on a call with a potential partner, run through this checklist to see how many boxes they tick.
Read Lydia’s entire blog here.
