Another Way To Think Before Saying Yes To A New Client

I’ve argued that there are five universal high-maintenance clients to avoid. 

But once you’ve figured out how to recognize them (or neutralize them should they slip through the net), there is a more pressing question to ask yourself before agreeing to take on a new client: what will you give up by saying yes?

You’re probably crystal clear on what you’ll gain: a chance to turn a thorny problem into a lasting transformation, a nice chunk of change to your bottom line, maybe some prestige attached to the client or the project.

But every opportunity also has a cost—which isn’t always obvious.

Once you’ve built a sustainable business—and are honing in on your vision for the revolution you’re leading—it pays to run every opportunity through a series of gates before going all in.

What resources will serving this client require? If this is the year you’ve decided to make a significant investment in expanding—like say a book, course or podcast—can you realistically do both?

And even if the answer is yes, are you prepared to make any needed adjustments in your work/life routines? What ripple effects might come back to bite you?

Does this allow you to work from your genius zone? If you’re all about strategy and this is an execution gig, you know you do yourself no favors by saying yes.

Pinpointing exactly the clients, the conditions and the transformations you’re best at midwifing allows you to optimize your impact.

How will the work for this client advance your authority in your niche? The further along you are on the road to authority, the pickier you want to be about who gets to absorb your time.

Is this client better served by someone earlier in their career or is the problem big enough that your talents are required?

Getting brutally candid on the answers to these questions will keep you focused on doing your very best work for exactly the right people.

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