Your next 10 clients will usually be a lot like the previous 10. They will pay you a similar fee, have similar requirements and expect a similar level of service too.

That’s great news if you already attract high value, high profit clients.

It’s not such great news, if you tend to attract fee sensitive, average clients.

How to build a highly valuable client list

If you want to build a more valuable client list, start today by getting specific about the type of clients you want to work with. When you have done that, consider the following:

• What level of service do these higher quality clients expect? Do some research. Find out what they want from a provider in your industry.
• Next, build a level of service, which over-delivers on what they expect. By exceeding their expectations, you will have a vastly more powerful proposition to offer them — something that will earn their attention and interest.
• Are you prepared to execute on this strategy, in order to build a massively more valuable client base? Nothing I have mentioned so far is difficult to do. However, putting it into play requires courage. It means leaving the failing familiar.

As service providers, we have the freedom to choose who we work with. Deliberately selecting the kind of clients we want, in advance, is the key to building a highly valuable client base.

In every sense, it pays to choose wisely.