A Business Book That’s Not Lame
The final feature for my series of book recommendations this month is one that the universe has been practically begging me to read, called Attracting Perfect Customers: The Power of Strategic Synchronicity by Stacey Hall and Jan Brogniez. And honestly? I may have saved the best for last.
A friend recommended it to me, but I was a little weary of the word “perfect” in the title. As a recovering perfectionist, it’s a word I try to avoid since I’ve learned it’s not all that attainable. So, I did what any recovering perfectionist would do… I ignored the recommendation.
But my friend kept forgetting she told me about it. A few weeks later, we’d have another conversation about business, and it would come up again. “Have you heard of Attracting Perfect Customers?” she’d say. “I think you’d really like it.”
“Right… I’ve heard of it,” I’d respond with a laugh.
I’ve totally been in her shoes, where I consume some incredible piece of literature or watch an inspiring movie that I become obsessed with, so much so that I forget who I’ve recommended it to and how many times. It’s all I can do to not talk about it. Has this ever happened to you? Please tell me I’m not alone.
Anyway, she must have recommended it five times before I finally realized, Wow, I really need to read this book! I figured there must be something in it that I had to hear and learn.
After picking up the book, I didn’t feel encouraged right away. This book was written nearly 20 years ago… It looks a little dated, and other business books I’ve read from the ‘90s with tips about fax machines and pagers didn’t age so well.
I soon learned, though, that the principles in Attracting Perfect Customers are absolutely applicable and timeless, even if the cover art isn’t so much. But you know what they say about judging books...
To my surprise and delight, the authors addressed what they meant by “perfect.” They’re all about helping readers attract ideal, amazing clients and teams that are unique to each individual. The perfect fit for me! And for you.
One of the biggest takeaways that I want to mention right away is that Attracting Perfect Customers isn’t just for business owners or entrepreneurs trying to sell something. It’s truly for everyone in all walks of business.
Whether you lead, manage, sell, coach, develop or innovate, you influence those around you at work. This book teaches you how to influence effectively and attract empowering, collaborative people into your circle.
The most powerful part for me was envisioning what my perfect client is like and what they expect from me. Defining this for myself was the ultimate act of freedom.
“When we value ourselves and our business, potential customers are also able to see the value. For your business to be its most attractive to others, start believing in yourself. When you believe in yourself, you will attract more people who also believe in you,” the authors write.
This concept seems quite baseline—”believe in yourself”—but truly, how many of us actually believe in ourselves? Whether we’re riddled with insecurities or Imposter Syndrome or perfectionism, like a certain, um, me, these self-doubts hold us back in our work and keep us from wooing dream clients and colleagues.
This book gives you the stepping stones to overcoming self-criticism and getting clear on the vision for your ideal client. A super powerful metaphor it shares to achieve this is the idea of a lighthouse.
The purpose of a lighthouse is to stay still and steady, to be a guiding light for moving ships at sea and to bring them safely to the light at shore. In your business, are you a lighthouse? I can tell you, for the last few years, I hadn’t been.
It wasn’t until the last 3 to 4 months after I read this book that I got ultra clear and grounded. Before, I was running up and down the shore, chasing this idea or that client, and not staying still long enough for people to find me. There was no way to gain true traction because I kept deviating from my purpose.
Hall and Brogniez write, “Lighthouses do not wade out into the water looking for boats to serve. Your responsibility is to stand still and keep shining your distinctive light, to keep polishing the lens to ensure that your light has the power and brilliance to break through the darkness and attract the attention of only perfect customers.”
Now that I’ve got my lighthouse mentality turned on all the way to high, I’ve been finding more success than ever. Because I’m staying put and remaining consistent, I have found myself helping more people discover the best track for their careers than before, and regularly partnering with bloggers and online entrepreneurs to improve their teams ten-fold.
The idea of developing the ideal picture of what we want our work to look like, and then patiently and consistently showing up, digging in and attracting the best of the best—it’s absolutely genius. If you’re ready for that work, you’ve got to get your hands on this book.
Psst! If you missed my other books recommended in this series, check out this one that will help you embrace failure, and this one that will guide you toward a career and life full of purpose.
