i.e. does your business attract your Ideal Client?
Who is your Ideal Client?
Your Ideal Client is the ONLY person you ever want to work with in business because they are your soul mates. There's a difference between your Ideal Client and the rest of the world because these people are the ones who: like your business vibe; want precisely what your business offers; and ready to pay exactly what you are asking. It's a match made in heaven.
Forget about creating nonsense Client Avatars - your Ideal Client is simply someone who:
Knows and likes your business AND
Needs what you are offering AND
Wants to pay what you are asking
Why should you ONLY work with your Ideal Client? There will be people that contact you who don't fit the Ideal Client criteria - and trust me, they will be a giant pain in the arse to work with, so please understand that it's absolutely OK to wave them goodbye. I appreciate if you really need the cash, it's going to be tempting to say 'yes', but .. REMEMBER: you aren't doing anyone any favours by choosing to work with a giant pain in the arse because if they don't like you / don't want what you offer / can't afford you - it won't end well. Been there, done that. How do you find your Ideal Client? It's not really about you finding your Ideal Client but more about them finding you - and this can be easy when you nail the following: 1. Target Market (be clear on what you do and who you do it for) 2. Strong Brand (that represents what you do and attracts your target market) 3. Business Model (it's your business, your rules) 4. Qualifying Process (avoid time wasters and be ready to turn people away) Here we go, in more detail ..
Target Market
Your Ideal Client will come from your target market, so you need to figure out what sort of person will be attracted to your business.
Before you work out who your target market is, I suggest you get really clear on:
a) what your business does
b) what the benefits are and
c) what makes it special
THEN you will be able to identify your target market based on what you offer, rather than choosing a target market and adapting your business to give them what they want.
Capeesh? ..
1) So firstly, your business needs to be very clear on:
what it is you do (for example, I am a Web Designer)
what it is you offer (for example, I design or redesign Wix Websites)
what the benefits are (for example, get found online and make money)
2) Secondly, once you are clear on these basic details, you will then need to refine your business further (and yes, I do mean work on your niche)..
TIP: niching doesn't have to be the nightmare process it's made out to be - follow the link below and I'll explain simply what a 'niche' means, why it's worth doing and also how to EASILY do it for your business.
Here's the link with the catchy title >
3) Once you have got the above sorted, you will be able to see what type of person your business will benefit the most (i.e. your target market).
P.S. I'm very clear on who I want to work with, that I've created a post explaining why people SHOULDN'T hire me - you can read that little gem here >
Strong Brand
Your target market will be attracted by your Brand, therefore it needs to be fabulous and have some of your personality, so people can get to know and like you.
A Brand is a big deal for small business owners. It's not just your logo - it's your image and it helps you stand out from your competitors, so it needs to be unique, memorable and recognisable.
No pressure then!
Did you know that you actually have a brand, whether you've intentionally created one or not, so if you've left it to the wind it might be all over the place and you could be missing out on Ideal Clients.
But you can find out here what you need to create a Brand that represents what you do and one that will attract your target market - plus other follow-on articles that advise you how to create your own Brand from scratch >
Business Model
Once you've figured out the sort of person you're attracted to and made yourself look pretty for them - you need to be sure that they will respect you and your values.
It's a relationship, so you need to know your needs are met too.
The best piece of business advice I was given was to run my business to my values and my vibe - this makes me in control of my business.
Check that you aren't running your business to other people's expectations and ask yourself:
How many hours do your want to work per day / week?
How much money do you want to make per month?
How much do you want to charge for your products / services?
How would you like to be paid?
What are your contactable hours?
How would you prefer to be contacted?
How will you manage and plan your work?
What do you expect from your clients so you have a good relationship?
Don't be afraid to make your business, YOUR business because your work / life balance will be much more enjoyable. Tighten up your terms, procedures and qualifying process, so you work with Ideal Clients only (i.e. people who don't make you compromise on your boundaries).
Here's a reminder of how to get your foundations right, so you have a business that works for you >
Qualifying Process
Having a Qualifying Process will tell you quickly whether some is your Ideal Client or not. It's your matchmaker. You don't want to waste time chatting to someone who doesn't a) get your vibe, b) want what you offer or c) who can't afford you.
I offer everything a potential client needs to know about my business upfront - over social media and on my website - so they can make an informed decision before arranging a Discovery Chat.
It's my filter which guarantees me quality leads and a high sales conversion. No BS.
I make sure I include each of the following in my marketing, so it does the work for me:
My brand voice and message
Full details of all services I offer
The benefits of all services I offer
My process and how I work
The cost of each service and payment terms
Examples of my work in my portfolio
5 star reviews from other like minded clients (just sayin')
My expertise shared through tips and advice
When and how to contact me
It's up to them to decide:
Do they like me and my business?
Do they want what I offer?
Do they see the value?
Can they afford me?
Will they work to my terms?
Then a 20 minute Discovery Chat is all it takes to seal the deal.
If you're finding it hard to convert sales or you're compromising on how you work / your price / what you offer, then your Qualifying Process needs a bit of tightening.
You'll be grateful to know I don't have a blog post for you to read on this subject - but I hope I've given you enough to think about.