---
title: Who You Are Is Who You Serve | The Sales Blog
description: Who you are a salesperson is in large part dictated by the clients you serve. There is a reason you need Dream Clients, those clients who perceive
image: https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Who.jpg
---

### [Now booking SKO meetings for 2026/27! Learn more](https://www.thesalesblog.com/authority)

[![Iannarino The Sales Blog](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/2021%20Website/Images/ai-logo-web.svg) ](https://www.thesalesblog.com)

- WIN AT SALES
  
    - The Sales Environment
    - [ Sales is broken ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/sales-is-broken)
    - [ Modern sales ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/revenue-growth-blueprint)
    - Sales Resources
    - [ Blog ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog)
    - [ Podcast ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/the-anthony-iannarino-show)
    - [ Live Training Events ](https://events.thesalesblog.com)
    - [ Modern Sales Methodologies for Enterprises ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/modern-sales-metholodogies)
  
  [![View Events](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/b2e09c31-23bf-4ae9-b840-9ce632f62111.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/b2e09c31-23bf-4ae9-b840-9ce632f62111)
  
  ###### Live Training Events
  
  ### Upcoming training events & workshops
  
  
  
  
  
  [![Sales Accelerator Training](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/cda2541c-e77c-44de-9752-0a68716d50e9.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/cda2541c-e77c-44de-9752-0a68716d50e9)
  
  ###### Online Training Platform
  
  ### Sales Accelerator
  
  
  
  
  
  [![Revenue Growth Blueprint](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/b2913e6b-029b-4079-96bb-20e4ad251bc6.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/b2913e6b-029b-4079-96bb-20e4ad251bc6)
  
  ###### #1 Resource
  
  ### Revenue Growth Blueprint
- [ BLOG ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog)
- [ SPEAKING ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/speaking)
- SALES TRAINING
  
    - [ Sales Accelerator + Monthly Webinars Bundle ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/sales-training-events-bundle)
    - [ For Individual Reps ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/individuals)
    - [ For Teams ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/sales-accelerator)
    - [ Events & Other Programs ](https://events.thesalesblog.com)
    - [ Hire Anthony to Speak ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/speaking)
    - [ Modern Sales Methodologies for Enterprises ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/modern-sales-metholodogies)
- [ EVENTS ](https://events.thesalesblog.com)
- [ BOOKS ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/books)
- [ ABOUT ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/anthony-iannarino)
- [ CONTACT ](https://www.thesalesblog.com/contact)
- Hit Sales Targets
  
  [![View Events](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/b2e09c31-23bf-4ae9-b840-9ce632f62111.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/b2e09c31-23bf-4ae9-b840-9ce632f62111)
  
  ###### LIVE TRAINING EVENTS
  
  ### Upcoming virtual training events & in-person workshops
  
  ###### Improve your win rates
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [![Speaking](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/2a02e2ae-517f-42dc-a8db-40ef42615279.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/2a02e2ae-517f-42dc-a8db-40ef42615279)
  
  ###### Keynotes & Workshops
  
  ### Hire Anthony to Speak @ Your Event

# Who You Are Is Who You Serve

![Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/ai-blog-profile-crop.jpg)

Post by [Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/author/anthony-iannarino)   
 August 2, 2018

There is a reason you need Dream Clients, those clients who perceive what you do as strategic, who will consider you a partner, and who will be willing to pay for the outcomes you help them generate. Who you are a salesperson is in large part dictated by the clients you serve.

If you call on prospects who don’t perceive you as being valuable, treating you and what you sell as a commodity to be purchased as a transaction and nothing more, it will be difficult for you to [create greater value](http://thesalesblog.com/2011/11/09/the-most-important-factor-in-creating-value-for-your-clients/) for them and nearly impossible to be considered a strategic partner. These clients won’t allow you to grow into something more or do the work you are capable of.

There are other clients or prospects who will be unwilling to invest more for better results. They will still want you to give them the better results, but they will refuse to make the necessary investment. Everyone wants better results, and the laws of the universe are structured so that one gets exactly what they pay for, even when they wish it were otherwise. When you are starved of the investment to produce those results, you have unhappy clients—and you must deal with their unhappiness.

The time you spend with people who don’t value you, don’t care about what you sell, want results they are unwilling to pay for, pay their bills late, are adversarial in nature, who treat you like a vendor (or something less) is time that would be better off spent with people who have the opposite attributes described here.

It isn’t easy to build a portfolio of dream clients, but it is possible to obtain enough of them over time that you can start [swapping out nightmare clients](http://thesalesblog.com/2018/04/02/attributes-of-dream-clients-and-nightmare-clients/) to improve your portfolio. Who you are as a salesperson is going to be dictated by who you serve one way or the other. If you sleep with dogs, you wake up with fleas.

Winning your dream clients is difficult and it takes time. If you are going to be selling anyway, you may as well focus on the clients that will value you as a partner.

###### Tags:

[Sales](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/sales) [2018](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/2018)

Post by [Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/author/anthony-iannarino)  on August 2, 2018

 Written and edited by human brains and human hands.

![Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/ai-blog-profile-crop.jpg)

Anthony Iannarino is an American writer. He has published daily at [thesalesblog.com](https://www.thesalesblog.com) for more than 14 years, amassing over 5,300 articles and making this platform a destination for salespeople and sales leaders. Anthony is also the author of four best-selling books documenting modern sales methodologies and a fifth book for sales leaders seeking revenue growth. His latest book for an even wider audience is titled, The Negativity Fast: Proven Techniques to Increase Positivity, Reduce Fear, and Boost Success.

Anthony speaks to sales organizations worldwide, delivering cutting-edge sales strategies and tactics that work in this ever-evolving B2B landscape. He also provides workshops and seminars.

Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn, X or Youtube. You can email Anthony at [iannarino@gmail.com](mailto:iannarino@gmail.com)

[Follow me on my website](https://www.thesalesblog.com/anthony-iannarino) [Follow me on Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/thesalesblog) [Follow me on LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/iannarino/) [Follow me on Twitter ](http://www.twitter.com/iannarino)

[![AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg?width=400&height=400&name=AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/authority) [![ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg?width=318&height=179&name=ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/free-cold-calling-video)

![salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover (1)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(1).jpg?width=768&height=994&name=salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(1).jpg)

### Free Sales eBook: Sales Call Planner

Planning your sales call improves the likelihood of making a successful call, and it demonstrates to your dream client your professionalism.

[![DOWNLOAD EBOOK](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/c9f553be-fbba-4813-9199-95c1603472e7.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/c9f553be-fbba-4813-9199-95c1603472e7)

## Are You Ready To Solve Your Sales Challenges?

![Anthony-Solve-Sales](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Anthony-Solve-Sales.png?width=290&height=221&name=Anthony-Solve-Sales.png)

Hi, I’m Anthony. I help sales teams make the changes needed to create more opportunities & crush their sales targets. What we’re doing right now **is working**, even in this challenging economy. **Would you like some help?**

[![Solve for Sales](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035)

### Join my Weekly Newsletter for Sales Tips

Join 100,000+ sales professionals in my weekly newsletter and get my *Guide to Becoming a Sales Hustler* eBook for FREE!

---

```json
{
  "@context" : "http://schema.org/",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "Anthony Iannarino"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2021-09-17T2:01:29 PM",
  "datePublished" : "2018-08-02 13:13:42",
  "description" : "Who you are a salesperson is in large part dictated by the clients you serve. There is a reason you need Dream Clients, those clients who perceive",
  "headline" : "Who You Are Is Who You Serve",
  "image" : {
    "@type" : "ImageObject",
    "height" : 16,
    "url" : "https://f.hubspotusercontent20.net/hubfs/2922376/Image/favicon.ico",
    "width" : 16
  },
  "mainEntityOfPage" : {
    "@id" : "https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/who-you-are-is-who-you-serve",
    "@type" : "WebPage"
  },
  "name" : "Who You Are Is Who You Serve",
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "height" : 24,
      "url" : "https://f.hubspotusercontent20.net/hubfs/2922376/TSB/images/TSB%20Logo%20Dark.svg",
      "width" : 228
    },
    "name" : "The Sales Blog"
  }
}
```