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Hello amazing CEO’s!
Rae here of Ever Rae Coaching, your personal and professional mindset coach. If we had the pleasure of meeting at the I Said Yes! to Networking event in January, hello again. If not, hello and I look forward to having you join us through this series.
Welcome back to the CEO mindset series where I provide you with tips and tricks throughout the year for making this your most successful year yet. Last quarter we discussed visualizing like a CEO and getting crystal clear on our goals.
This quarter I want to talk about setting client boundaries like a BOSS!.
The dictionary definition of boundaries is “a line that marks the limit” and that’s exactly what you’re going to internally create for yourself. By doing this you can externally communicate those limits in a confident way that still gets you book your best business.
I think the common misconception that not only business owners, but even people working within a service industry face, is that the only way to succeed is by giving your clients everything they want, how they want it, and when. And sure, this may book you tons of quick fix business. But unfortunately it won’t align with your ideal client. For instance:
When your clients don’t align with your business needs, they will ultimately lead to burnout, which leads to frustration, which leads to resentment. Further, and in worst cases, it leads to closing up shop before you’ve even gotten to the good stuff.
Well, not to sound like a broken record or anything, but it ALWAYS comes back to vision. You have got to know clearly where you want your business to go, how you want your business to run, who you want in your business, and the type of clients you want your business to attract in order to know how to start setting and establishing the proper client boundaries.
For example, if you’re in a season of life where you have a family and you don’t want to be taking calls after 4:00 pm, then a client that demands phone communication after hours isn’t going to be a good fit.
Think of it this way, if a client is not an aligned fit for you and the direction your business is going, then the whole relationship is going to feel like you’re fighting against one another. Because in reality you are. They’re ultimately not going to trust you, or worse, get frustrated with you. Which means they’re probably going to end up demanding a lot more from you and you’re going to get resentful at all the extra work you’re putting in. Plus, it’s not even an aligned price point which means you are work harder for less money.
Instead, I want you to hold out for your aligned clients. I know, I know. This can look super scary when you’re looking at leaving money on the table by saying no. But trust me, you will thank yourself down the line, THEY will thank you down the line, and that new bigger and better and aligned opportunity that you now have room for will thank you down the line as well.
This is a great place for me to remind you about the community over competition part of my talk. You may not be aligned for that client, but someone else in your field might be. And it’s awesome to refer over to them. Not only will that NO client feel like they left the conversation with a good taste in their mouth for you, but something they can still use and information they can walk away with, and you’re giving back to your industry as a whole. Now that person who you referred knows that the line of referral is open to refer back to you. So get to know your fellow industry folks, dont just go chasing the planners and venues. There’s no reason we should be undercutting or taking clients from one another. A rising tide lifts all boats.
I always ask my potential clients this one question during our consultations:
“What are your expectations when working with a planner, both during the planning process and on the wedding day?”
How they answer this question will immediately tell me if we are a good fit.
For instance, if they say they’re looking to be super hands on during the whole process, need weekly communication and updates, don’t like reviewing spreadsheets and need to have final say on all things before I make moves – then without a doubt we are not a good fit.
I will say “thank you so much, but I dont think we will be aligned in this process, but Im happy to refer you to someone who I think would be.”
Next, if they say they’re busy professionals who want to hire a planner that they trust to get their vision and execute it, presents them with their options in a spreadsheet manner so it’s black and white, and they can be hands off and just be present in their wedding day. Then absolutely they’re an aligned fit!
If your company process, systems, how you WANT to work, etc. does not line up with the expectations that the client is describing, then you will never, ever meet or exceed that clients expectations. Unless of course you are being inauthentic to yourself and your business, and that feels icky.
This is why we must know who we are as a business, set boundaries within our business, and set clear expectations from the beginning.
For more examples of setting boundaries within your business, I have made a boundary setting list.
For more learning opportunities about these simple yet effective mindset shifts that can propel your business forward, sign up for FAB today! This is your complete all access pass to my full library of master classes, guest interviews, hot seat coaching, and so much more. PLUS a community of business owners leveling the F up!
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