I want to introduce you to Schelli Whitehouse (left). She wrote a most interesting blog post on how to Attract the Perfect Clients with Authenticity and Leadership which had me nodding along, laughing (especially at the horse-eating plastic bag, lol!), and giving her points some deep thought. Particularly on the point of my business being a reflection of myself…

If you run a service-based business, or work directly with clients or customers of any kind, you’ll find this interesting. Schelli talks about dealing with refunds, demanding or slow-paying clients, and the stress of raising prices. All of which relates back to us, and our mindset.

It’s a short post (a quick read) but will leave you with plenty to think about. I’ve often confessed at how many hurdles I overcame along the way, personal hurdles, to bring my business to where it is today. Everything from pricing, to dealing with the negatives to managing my business.

None of that came naturally for me. I went into business with no previous experience and no college education. And plenty of personal issues.

Looking back I can say that the one thing I wish I had done sooner was to get help. I don’t mean therapy, though that probably wouldn’t have hurt (lol). I mean getting a coach, getting involved with a mastermind group, or aligning myself with other successful people that I could learn from.

I would love to hear the one thing you took away from Shelli’s post.

For me it was being aligned with my objectives. I realize that sometimes my thoughts and feelings are not in line with my goals, and those goals are rarely met. It helps to know the “why” behind your goal, and to be 100% attached to that why.

I also loved the example of the horses getting spooked, and what that says about focus. The fact that they waste no time over the details, but rather get right back to work the minute they recognize the situation for what it is.

Like I said, it’s a quick read – but very powerful. As we head into the new year, and a new decade even, now is a good time to analyze where you are with your business – and what changes you would like to make. If you are not moving forward, and enjoying every minute of your business, now would be a good time to explore the reasons behind that. Is it your business – or is it you?

I know for a long time it was me. I can admit that.

What holds you back? What part of your business do you love, and which part do you dread dealing with? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Maybe we can get Schelli to weigh in on some of it with us.

Also, Schelli has just launched a scholarship essay contest for people interested in participating her my upcoming 10-month program. You could win a spot in her program just for entering! You can get details and enter at this link. The contest ends on January 11th, so you’ll want to enter soon if you’re interested!

Best,

Disclosure: this post was sponsored by The Next Highest Version of You

Ever had an idea that couldn’t miss?

You took immediate action, created the perfect warm-up content, the best launch strategy, and the perfect offer . . . .

And then it totally failed.

So yeah, the film Purple Rain contains the consummate lesson on this one.

No, really.

The Lesson of Lake Minnetonka

Upon mature reflection, the album Purple Rain is a work of genius, while the film . . . not so much. But any true Prince fan loves it anyway.

And as a teenage boy in 1985, the fact that a diminutive man sporting a Jheri curl and a ruffled shirt could score with gorgeous women was rather encouraging, you know?

One memorable scene involves Prince giving bombshell Appolonia Kotero a motorcycle ride through rural Minnesota. As he pulls up to the shoreline, Prince lets her know she has to prove herself.

“You have to purify yourself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka,” Prince says mysteriously. Then he says it again.

Next, fulfilling every teenage boy’s as yet unimagined wish, Appolonia strips down to her thong and jumps in the lake.

The freezing water provides an immediate shock. But the cruel surprise comes from a half-apologetic Prince.

“That ain’t Lake Minnetonka.”

Did You Jump in the Wrong Lake?

Often, you do everything right, except for the first thing.

You start with an otherwise great product and mistakenly try to sell it to the wrong people.

This isn’t always fatal, but it’s definitely frustrating. And it’s because you focused on what you want rather than who you’re trying to serve. You jumped right in without understanding all the critical facts.

While it may sound a bit kumbaya, understanding who you can help helps you. It’s the key to the kind of outstanding success that alludes those who don’t understand why the take, take, take strategy doesn’t work.

It’s really give, give, give to win. But only if you give the right things to the right people.

Missing the true needs and desires of your market is like jumping in the wrong lake.

You simply end up like Appolonia — cold, wet, and disappointed.

Start With the People, Not the Product

So where do online marketers go wrong?

There’s an old saying . . . start with the prospect, not the product. It keeps you from trying to sell stuff to the wrong people.

Even better, it keeps you from selling stuff nobody wants.

That truly unfortunate event happens when someone has an idea they think, for example, every small business owner should embrace. But it isn’t something the small business market wants to embrace.

It’s like trying to sell asparagus to kids because it’s good for them. If you’re competing against the jingle of the ice cream truck down the street, you’re not likely to get the results you want, because there’s simply no market for your offer.

In this sad case, the analogy is more Matrix than Purple Rain:

Do not think that the lake is cold . . . that’s impossible.

The truth is, there is no lake.

Ouch.

It’s About Them, Silly

You’ve heard it all before. But do you get it?

Wealthy entrepreneurs are essentially highly-compensated servants to their chosen market. And yet the benefits are way better than the numerable perks Alfred gets from the bat cave.

Wow, three film references in one post . . . did it work?

If you’re trying to make a match between your market and the right offer, subscribe to Copyblogger’s free newsletter on Internet Marketing. It starts with a 20-lesson tutorial on the four keys to building a sustainable business (one of which is finding the right product or service for your people).

About the Author: Brian Clark is founder of Copyblogger and co-founder of DIY Themes, creator of the innovative Thesis Theme for WordPress. Get more from Brian on Twitter.