Masquerading as your next client...

Masquerade: to assume the appearance one is not.

Sometimes we confuse what people appear to be with what they actually are.
Like many other things, what people are is subject to perspective.

For example...
Most people would consider a person in the market to buy a small boat to be a potential client to any boat salesmen.

I am not convinced.
And you shouldn’t be either.

Not everyone in the market to buy a boat will be considered a potential client for every boat salesmen.
At first glance, this may sound ridiculous.
Why would a person in the market to buy a small boat not be considered a potential client to every boat salesmen?
Who would pass up a chance to make a sale?
The professional sales person with specific price points in mind, that is who.
Because some people will masquerade as your clients when you have no business making them your client.

A salesperson who is not wanting to be a one of many salespeople for consumers to pick out of a hat must be able to know how to quickly identify their appropriate clients.
As a salesperson you have to draw lines in the sand if your goal is anything other than being an  Amazon merchant of salespeople.
On amazon there are sometimes thousands of merchants selling the same item and the one we buy from is more a matter of luck for the merchant than anything skillful they provided us.
That does not speak to anything remarkable about the amazon merchant does it?
There is nothing memorable about the experience of going online and buying from the merchant with the most reviewed 5 stars.
This is why you should only consider a person a client if the client’s needs align with your specific goals as a professional. 

You are not an amazon merchant.
You can become remarkable in the eyes of your specific clients.
A sales professional in the service business provides something that is far more personal than the amazon merchant can.
A salesperson who has selected a very specific target client audience can be considered phenomenal because knowing your client incredibly well makes a client feel incredibly special.

It does not matter if your goal is to sell to people with small budgets or large budgets.
The point is to pick your price point, stay close to it and cater to the individuals in that price point magnificently.
To be the best at selling to your price point you need to focus on staying true to it.
If you do not market yourself as a very specific professional salesperson then you will never be the go to person in any circle of consumers.
If a salesperson wants to been seen as a brand that sells to anyone in the market to buy any boat, then yes all people in the market to buy a boat will be a potential client.
But when your goal is to sell to all price points you will likely not be sought out by everyone from any group.

In a world full of choices it is best to be the only choice for a smaller group than one of many other sales people to pick from by a larger group.

People in the market for $700,000 boats usually refer their friends to the person they bought their boat from if they are satisfied with the service.
People with $700,000 boat budgets also statistically tend to be friends with other people who are able to afford $700,000 boats.

On the other side of the proverbial coin will be people in the market for $25,000 boats.
Statistically these individuals also have friends with similar budgets who are in the market for boats...

In both scenarios the boat salesperson stands to make a 6% commission on the boat sale.
In this way, people in the market for a boat can be masquerading as potential clients when they are not.
People should not be considered your potential client if working with them will prevent what you consider the ideal clients from seeing you as the go to person to sell them a boat.
It does not matter what kind of boats you sell.
A person with a team who sells thousands of $25,000 boats can be just as successful as the salesperson selling far fewer $700,000 boats on their own.

It does not matter what the price tag is of the service or item you sell professionally.
The point is to figure out what price range is your goal as a sales person to target.
Then you go market yourself as the person to buy from in that price point.
Build a solid referral network of salespeople in other price ranges and refer to them the consumers that do not fit your price point.
Cooperate with your competition with the sound knowledge that their being in a different price point ensures they are not in fact your competition at all.

There is world of consumers are out there.
They are all masquerading and tempting you to take them all in as good clients to work with.

Don't be so convinced.
See beyond the mask and find out if their demand fits your niche.