Are You Ready to Move Up Market?

by Kendall SummerHawk

If it's time for you to look at moving "up-market," read Kendall Summerhawk's advice.

Are you working with the same level of client you were a year ago? How about the same type of client as two years ago? If the answer is "yes" then it's time to look at moving "up-market."

Moving up-market means you either offer more comprehensive (read, more expensive) services to your existing clients or you up-shift to a higher end clientele.

Why? Because the people you work with are a lot like a fish tank...and you're the fish. The bigger the tank, the bigger the fish. For you to build a bigger, higher income business means you need a bigger tank.

Here are two key up-market opportunities:

Opportunity #1 Up-market Your Service
What is it you really want to help your clients achieve? When I asked a recent HorseWise retreat client this question, she immediately blurted out an idea she'd been harboring for some time. The moment she did, we both knew her business was about to embark on a new course.

My coaching request to you? Pick a really, really big, juicy, painful problem your clients experience. Focus on solving it.

Exclusively. Charge a lot for it. Then enjoy your new up-market status.

Opportunity #2 Up-market Your Clients
Have you ever had "plate envy" at a restaurant? You know, where what the person at the table next to you is served looks a zillion times more delicious than what you ordered.

I bet you also have a touch of "client envy." Where you really want to work with a higher end clientele but something is holding you back.

My coaching request to you? Get over it and go for them! Focus 50% of your marketing time and attention on getting known within a higher-end client circle. Choose a fancier zip code or set your sites on clients with a higher income (meaning, more money to spend). The point is to choose. Now.

Moving up-market will galvanize you into a new level of thinking about your business. Sure, it can be a little scary at first.

But I guarantee that when you move up-market you'll spark fresh ideas on new and better ways to serve your clients. Up-marketing your business will also help you earn a lot more money for less work.

And after all, isn't that what moving up-market is all about?

Kendall SummerHawk is a Professional Certified Coach and the author of Brilliance Unbridled. To learn more, or sign up for her free newsletter, visit her web site at http://www.kendallsummerhawk.com.

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