My Client Went to Someone Else
Nothing can stress a small business owner more than losing clients to a competitor. We have all been there and walked through that experience. It can hurt your ego and yes, it does sting initially but how you handle it is what is of utmost importance. Do you go on social media and pitch a fit or complain to your girlfriends? What if we stopped doing that and looked at it as a way to grow our business. Sounds crazy right?!
The Best Thing That Could Happen
One of the best things that can happen to a small business owner is to loose a client. Why? Loosing a client teaches us and allows us to grow. If things were always smooth sailing in our business then we would never grow strong. Difficulties in life and business serve to teach us and make us assess what we are doing and why. When a previous client of mine went and booked with another photographer, I had to assess why. If you are loosing clients to other competitors, here are some areas to assess:
- Experience – are you providing your clients with an amazing experience that they will rave about and want to come back for more? Are you spoiling them and treating them the way that you would want to be treated?
- Price – are you priced appropriately for what you are offering? This is often hard when our emotions are tied to what we are creating.
- Ideal Client – who your ideal client is will change throughout the life of your business. When you are first starting out, you may find that as you raise your prices, you loose some clients and that is ok. As you start to target your ideal client, you will build brand loyalty and those that love you will stay with you.
You Can’t Be Everything
You can’t be everything to everyone and that is ok. You shouldn’t try to be. I recently had a sweet friend go to another photographer for a cake smash session. Initially, I was surprised but then I realized, that is not what I do. I don’t offer that genre of photography. Those that are successful in their industry know that they can’t be a jack of all trades, doing every style of photography out there, or they will be a master of none. I want to be a master at my craft but I realize in doing that, I have to be ok with not shooting every single session that my past clients want. If you want to grow and succeed in the business that you are creating for yourself then you have to be ok with not everyone picking you. There are enough people out there wanting what you have to offer. You will be OK!
Business Growth | The Restart Specialist
