Who’s Your Ideal Client?

Are you working with your ideal clients? If not, you’re probably frustrated with the current state of your business. It’s ok to admit to, we’ve all been there.

So what’s an ideal client?

Think about all of the people you’ve done business with. Do you remember working with someone where everything just seemed to click? There was an almost immediate simpatico and you enjoyed working together. There was a mutual respect.

And then, at some point, you said to yourself, “I wish everyone was like that”.

That’s your ideal client.

Why You Need to Focus on the Ideal Client

At first this may seem counter-intuitive, but the best thing for your business is to have a narrow focus on the kind of person that is a perfect fit for you, your services and your products.

When I re-defined my ideal client, I made a number of changes to what I had been doing with my marketing. All of the decisions I was making was around whether or not what I was doing would appeal to “Betty”, my ideal client. Almost immediately,  I started attracting more of the kind of people that I wanted to work with and who wanted to work with me.

Most of the frustration suffered by so many solo entrepreneurs is because they haven’t identified their ideal client. Or, if they do have a definition, it’s still too vague.

• They try to appeal to everyone and end up watering down their messages and attracting no one.
• They try to be everywhere looking for clients.
• They’re copying their competition and not creating their own voice.
• They’re afraid to turn away business and end up losing money because the client nickels and dimes them during the project.

Ideal clients not only buy from you, but they are passionate about your products and services. They respect and value you. They sing your praises to all of their friends and associates.

Your ideal customers actually helps you build a community of raving fans that help you grow your business.

Who is Your Ideal Client

The easiest way to identify your ideal customer is to start with your current list of customers. Make a list of the ones you’ve enjoyed working with the most. Include the customers who have spent the most with you. The ones who appreciated you and have been willing to make referrals for you.

Building Your Ideal Client Profile

Whenever I do this exercise with my clients, they are somewhat resistant to creating such a narrow focus. They’re afraid that this will  lose them potential business. Actually, the opposite is true. When you focus your attention on attracting ideal clients, you’ll automatically attract “nearly ideal clients”.

Here’s the good news. What you won’t be doing is attracting or spending a lot of time with clients that are not ideal for you, wasting your time and resources.

The next step is to, identify some common characteristics and interests of the people on this list.

1. Demographics

The first step is to look at demographics of the people on your list. Demographics deal with things like; age, sex, income and education to name a few. 

2. Psychographics

Next, you need to dig a little deeper and look at their psychographics. Quite simply, psychographics relates to their personality, values, attitudes, interests, or lifestyle. These help define your customers motivations and feelings and why they would be attracted to you and your products.

3. Create a Picture of Your Ideal Client

Now it’s time to be creative and have a little fun.

Take the information you’ve put together and create a bio about your ideal client. Give her or him a name. Write a story about their life. Create a little history about them, like where they grew up and went to school. Be creative. Include details about what they like to do each day and how they spend their free time.

Make this a real person to you because they’re going to become your best friend in business.

Speaking to the ONE person means you’ll never describe your audience as being: “women, 27-39, single, educated, income of over $40,000 and who like eating chocolate” ever again. Peter Vogopoulos

What’s Next

Now that you have a good picture in your mind about your ideal client, it’s time for you to take a look at what you’re doing today in your business to attract this person. Are you on target?