What If You Hate Your Clients?

So... what if you don't like your clients?

Whose fault is that?

Your clients aren't going to change for you. This leaves two options:

1) You can adapt to their desires and embrace the new you...

OR

2) You can formulate a plan to "actively educate" #Your20Percent as well as the 80% you did not attract.

But... doesn't that mean completely re-branding?

Yes and No.

Don't freak out. Lots of #personalbrands find themselves in the exact same boat. It's not really your fault. Maybe you believed the "lets make everyone happy" approach. Maybe you're afraid to let the real you come out. There can be any number of reasons here. What it all comes down to is you need help with your #branding.

Step 1

What you need to do is take a big step back so you can get a good look at what you're projecting. Ask yourself these questions:

1. Why am I doing this?
2. How do I achieve results?
3. What can I deliver?

Sounds simple enough. But this is just the beginning.

Step 2

Next, I want you to really consider the Why.

Why am I doing this? Does this make me happy? Is what I do important? What kind of personal beliefs do I hold sacred that are attached to the work I do?

Sounds heavy, I know. Stick with me.

Step 3

After some contemplation, you'll likely discover a very strong emotional bond to what you do. By this I mean you feel fulfilled, proud, thankful, warmed, even soothed. I'm sure you can come up with a whole bunch of additional sentiments here. The point is: what you do makes you proud and happy.

Step 4

So, you're a prideful little cuss, eh?

Good. Hold onto that pride. Don't let anyone tell you any different.

This is where the big work begins.

Step 5

Odds are you're probably pretty good at what you do. In fact, you're probably better at what you do than you even know, or are willing to admit to yourself. The danger here is that when we get to the point where we are swelling with anticipation to share what we know, to pass it on, to take the first steps to building a personal brand--it isn't long before we run face-first into a wall of self-doubt.

It's called #impostorsyndrome, and nearly every creative person in the world experiences it at some point in their career. Unless you're nuts. Crazy people don't seem to feel any self-doubt, for some reason. Not fair, man.

There's always going to be someone better than you. That's just the way of the world. I could tell you all about a book called Blue Ocean Strategy that would really help you understand why your competitors are actually your allies, but that would take us down a whole other rabbit hole. What you should glean from this is that you are good enough, what you're passionate about does have value.

Now here's the big point: you've got to hold that value up in front of you like a shield.

Well... maybe not a shield. That sounds like you're going into battle, and I hate when business analogies always shift into hunter/killer mode. That's bullshit.

After some thought, I think it would be more fitting to say you should "wear your value pinned right on your chest, like a badge of honor."

Yeah, that's better.

Step 6

Wow, I didn't realize there were going to be so many steps to this...

The How we spoke of earlier is your value. It tells the story of what it takes for you to do what you do, and that's critical to the structural integrity of your personal brand. How you do what you do is what separates you from the crowd. It's your special method, your style. I really hope that makes sense.

Step 7 (almost done)

Are you good at what you do?

Don't let that impostor syndrome thing jump back in; we've already kicked that to the curb. What I'm talking about is asking yourself a very simple but very serious question:

Are you good at what you do?

Odds are the answer is yes.

Remember, there will always be someone better. There's very likely someone out there right now who is better. So what. Doesn't change a damn thing. You're still good at what you do.

Step 8 (last one)

Stand up for yourself. Stop trying to be everything to everyone. Stop making excuses for what you believe in, for how you do things, for the choices you make. Oh, but you don't speak of these things? You keep your personal life private? This isn't about giving out your phone number and the names of all your children. This is about finding the courage to open the hell up.

Guess what? You won't explode or evaporate. You won't be viciously attacked online. You won't get so disappointed by losing customers left and right that you quit altogether.

That last part is critical.

You will lose customers, followers, friends--whatever you want to call them. In the end this is a business, and the sooner you realize that you are selling your value (and there's not a damn thing wrong with that?), and that everyone you come in contact with is a potential customer (nothing wrong here either) the happier you will be.

But... how?

80/20

Up to 80% of the people your personal brand comes into contact with will not be a fit. It's not that they won't like you, they just won't get you. They won't really feel comfortable around you, wouldn't want to hang out. They might even think your a dork.

This. Is. Ideal.

Those remaining 20% will LOVE you!

But... why?

They will love you because you will have shown them the real you. You will have let down the curtain and revealed things that really matter to you, things you hold dear, reasons why you do certain things, or make certain choices, or things you wholeheartedly believe in. You will have given them a warm and comfortable place to call home.

If you don't like your customers it's entirely your fault. But you can fix it. It's really not that hard when you find the courage to let the real you step out into the sunshine.

:)

Ted Fauster is the founder of Truly Fearless Life and a personal branding strategist focusing on the disabled and chronically ill community. If you or someone you know is disabled or chronically ill and has a gift to share with the world. please visit trulyfearlesslife.com for more information