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And other times… IT IS AWFUL! Your clients are needy and frustrating, you do not seem to be speaking the same language and you end the transaction questioning the career choices you have made.
“Everyone” is not your ideal customer. When you try to appeal to everyone, you appeal to no one!
I wrote a book several years ago that is now out for print called A Guide to Getting It: Branding & Marketing Mastery with a few other business coaches. My chapter was titled Mass Appeal is No Appeal.
Trying to appeal to everyone, not only makes marketing tougher, it can also make working a drag. And let’s face it, we spend too many hours in our day dreading having to call that client or having to meet with that person that does nothing but complain.
So, how do you find your ideal client?
There are entire books and seminars on this exact topic. Planning any marketing campaign should always start asking this question “Who do I want this to appeal to?” Here are a few tips to begin to identity who your ideal client is.
First, think about who you have liked working with in the past. How old were they? Are they male or female? What hobbies do they enjoy? What profession do they have? Take some time to list everything you know about them, and then think about other clients you have liked working with. Do you see any similarities between them?
Next, think about those clients that have made you want to quit! List everything about those difficult clients on another list. Again, it is good to look for patterns and not rule out all accountants because of one horrible client. However, if you have worked with 3 different people, who are all accountants, and it has been a negative experience each time… this might not be the type of prospect you want to attract more of.
It is important to not come to conclusions about this list with too little data. Look for patterns. Do not single our individual characteristics and jump to conclusions that all people who like to ride motorcycles are awful to work with. Having a larger data sampling will give you better results.
Also think about who you like to spend time with outside of work. What are their qualities and characteristics? Do any of the things on this list support our previous findings?
After taking the time to do this, you will be able to build an Ideal Client Profile. We have done this for our company. We even named her. That way, when we write marketing copy, we can make sure it is written to appeal to her, and not to the masses or to someone who is not that ideal client.
Do not worry about losing people by being specific. You won’t. Plus, it is better to concentrate on attracting that ideal client you love, rather than worrying about getting another awful client that just might push you over the edge into changing careers. That kind of client is just not worth it.
If you have questions about finding your ideal client, contact me for a free 20 minute call and I can help!