It’s surprising how many prospective clients tell us they can’t really afford to drive more business, that they have all the work they can handle right now. I say this is baloney, and I know what I’m talking about. I’m talking about a little hole-in-the-wall sandwich shop and deli in downtown Seattle called Salumi. The place is tiny, famous and perfect. Old Mr. Batali, whose son is Mario on the Food Channel, gets up weekdays and, with his crew, preps all the different breads, sausages, cheeses and salamis for the day. When he’s ready to start selling, he opens the doors. When everything’s gone, he closes them. More business simply lengthens his day.
Everyone else in business needs more prospects, but only the right kind of prospects--the ones who are profitable and who recommend you to their friends and associates. You could fire the most irksome 10% of your clients, add an additional 10% in the sweet spot of your business, and have a superior year, without much additional effort at all. And by doing this year after year, you could pretty much stop competing on price altogether.