Have you ever had a client/customer that was more trouble than they were worth? Maybe they were always late to pay, or didn't do what they said they'd do. Maybe you just had a personality clash, or they expected more than you were able to offer. Whatever situation, chances are you had an inkling when you first met that client...a tiny voice that you didn't listen to, that was probably overshadowed by bigger voice that said, "Hey, it's business; I'll take it!"

Learn to say no to those clients, before they start draining your energy! The key to being able to do this is understanding Your Ideal Client. Once you know how to recognize who is ideal and who is not, you can practice turning down business from latter. If you have trouble saying no, you'll need to learn this critical business skill...and what to do to get rid of problem clients you already have; see resources at bottom of this article. If you have a coach, ask them to help you complete Ideal Client exercise, or to role-play those "saying no" conversations.

How to discover YOUR Ideal Client There are many ways to approach Ideal Client/Customer Profile. You can sit down and imagine best, most wonderful client you could have...whether that is an abstract entity, a celebrity (what writer wouldn't want Oprah as a customer, for example), or a specific demographic profile. If your customers are more likely to be companies, you could look at your current client list, and pick company that gives you most business, most joy, least heartburn.

The Ideal Client Profile Whoever you pick, start a profile matrix with two columns: "My Ideal Client Is:" on left; "My Ideal Client is Not:", on right. In column on left, list all characteristics of that type of person or company. Use questions below as prompts to get you thinking about all different aspects that client might have.

Then, either think of opposite of all those aspects, or pick "client from hell" and fill in corresponding traits in right-hand column. Be really honest with this exercise! If you'd rather only have clients who make over $500,000, put that down! Your clients who don't fit your Ideal characteristics, whether you write them down or not, will eventually "know it. May as well get that over with early!

Prompts: Consider these aspects of your Ideal Customer or Client:

Take a look at yourself - inside and out. Where do you live, what job do you have, how do you relate to your friends and family? What interests do you pursue, what adventures do you have?

What do you truly want from life? Do you want wealth and success, happiness and peace of mind? Do you want a family and a yard, a yacht or a sports car? Where are you going? Do you have a particular goal or are you just wandering through life?

You can accomplish anything you want in life - that's true. Once you have a particular goal, you can fulfill that desire by straightforward commitment and total conviction.

But what if you don't know what you want? Maybe your goals are small ones - like losing some weight, or buying a new car. Maybe getting a promotion or finding a mate. Whether you want a bigger apartment or want to be a corporation president, any avenue of prosperity and achievement is open to you if it is truly what you want.

No goal is too small; no dream is too big. And even if you aren't clear on your desires, you can tap into your subconscious mind to get answers and to find paths to success.

Can you change your life - do you want to? Can you picture yourself as your most perfect image of accomplishment? How does it feel? If you have desire to attain goals, commitment to follow through and ability to creatively imagine yourself in position you dream of, you are more than halfway there.

The most successful leaders and artists throughout history have followed specific paths and attained their hearts' desires. Keep an open mind and a hopeful outlook - then change your thinking. Put on clothes of success. Act as though you already have accomplished your desires. Then let reality catch up.

WHAT DO YOU WANT?

Take a choice: money, health, physical energy, beauty, power, recognition, adventure, contentment, achievement, authority, self-expression, love, peace of mind, enlightenment. Would you like any of these? If you are like most people today, you probably want ALL of these.

But if you search your true desires, you might find that there are a few things you want more than others. And, if you keep going in your search, you'll find one desire that has been with you your whole lifetime and is one path you need to follow.