The other night on the TV show Shark Tank, Robert Herjavec talked about the worst thing for a startup: too much cash.

After he said this almost immediately, Mark Cuban jumped in to agree. They talked about when you have a new idea; you assume you know what you are doing and will throw millions into a bad idea, assuming you are successful and have the cash to make it happen.

Winning football coaches are hard to get their attention, but a losing one is interested in changing their situation.

Best Clients

Your best clients are the ones that can afford your skills and pay you what you are worth. But, unfortunately, the reason they are your potentially best client is also why it is so hard to get their attention.

They are highly successful already. The best clients are not in a crisis and are looking for someone to help turn their company around. Because they are so successful often, they are experts on anything they do in their minds.

Nikon D4, 14-24mm, ISO 400, ƒ/16, 1/320, Nikon SB-900 high-speed sync mode

How to get their attention

Be desirable. Just like Steve Jobs created the tablet before we knew we wanted one, we, too, must create work that makes people want to use us and have us on their team.

A personal project is the best way to get people to notice your skills. Go and do what you do best and then show it around. If your work is not just on par with everyone else but genuinely different, you have a great chance of getting people’s attention–even if they don’t “NEED” you, they will “WANT” you.

Be Authentic. If your only reason for treating someone nice is the hope of getting something from them, this is just the opposite of being authentic. Instead, be genuinely interested in them and treat them with honor, dignity, and respect.

Nikon D4, Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM, Sigma 2x EX DG APO Autofocus Teleconverter, ISO 900, f/5/6, 1/2000

Be a friend. Try and become good friends with your clients. Listen to them and support them. Congratulate them on their success.