OUR BLOG

Someone from my family of origin who I was very close to growing up and trusted my whole life just isn’t that “best friend” and protector anymore. This person has betrayed my trust and behaved very badly.

Dilemma.

A client called me recently. She wasn’t sure what to do. She’d made a special offer for a complimentary session on her blog.

I have to tell one on myself.

I noticed recently that my response to suggested changes in the way we were doing things or plans we had in place had become an automatic no.

We talk a lot about living a balanced life in our newsletters. When you’re on, you’re on, workin’ smart, making good things happen. When you’re off, you’re off, enjoying life.

Unless you’re in retail or the hospitality business, the end of year is when most people take some time off to be with their families, recharge their batteries, get together with friends, and have fun. Perfect. Have a great time.

And … And … And. Before you hit the OFF button, here’s some advice.

Have you ever offended someone without meaning to? Well, read on. The screw-up in our second story today takes the cake.

Jerry Seinfeld’s a funny guy. That said, I’ll bet you could name several comedians you think are funnier.

But can you name any who are richer?

No, you can’t, because he’s by far the richest. So how did he get so rich?

Would you ever want to give someone the impression you don’t really need or want their business? Of course not!

But, could you be doing this unwittingly? Hmmm …

Now what would possibly give people the impression you’re not all that interested in serving them?

Fumbling. Bumbling.

That’s what happens when you try to go fast, and instead of gaining an advantage, you wind up in worse shape than if you’d taken your time.

And some are Maybes.

Let’s say you have someone who’s expressed interest in your professional offerings. You’ve talked with them, and they’re impressed by you and intrigued by the possibility of working together. Sure enough, they may want to hire you.

Cool. But they’re not sure. Let’s say they’re a definite “Maybe.” Never mind why exactly.

So, what do you do? Do you …

Do you know the lifetime value of your average client?

It’s a pretty simple calculation.

You take the total amount charged each individual client over the course of your work together. Add together the amounts for all the clients you’ve worked with over a certain period, and then divide by the total number of clients.

There’s nothing to it, but it does require some bookkeeping.

What good would knowing this number do for you?