Are you struggling to commit to just one ideal client?
You may be afraid of missing out on potential opportunities if you are too specific or fear there is not enough business.
Or maybe you feel guilty excluding people or boxed in when narrowing down your options.
Something doesn’t seem quite right. You have blurred boundaries, no longer having clarity on exactly who you are helping.
There are many reasons this may be challenging, and it is common to face resistance.
After all, how do you know if they are the one?
Perhaps you don’t even know where to begin.
If you feel paralyzed when trying to clarify your ideal client and are not making enough sales, this article is for you.
So why do this in the first place?
Understanding your ideal client is imperative to your success as a business owner. Gaining this clarity will help you better understand your client’s needs, desires, and pain points, allowing you to help solve their most profound challenges with your unique offer. Intimately knowing your client will enable you to create a brand strategy that resonates, turning prospects into paying clients.
It may seem counterintuitive but, the more specific your niche, the more clients you will have.
If you are talking to everyone, you are talking to no one.
As a quick example, imagine what you may say to a woman trying to improve her health because of a recent health scare versus a woman trying to get into shape to look good in her wedding dress.
How would you speak to each differently?
Be assured that your niche may change over time. It is perfectly normal that as your business grows, your ideal client may change as well.
It is common to want to help everyone when starting your business. Start broader if needed. Remember, it’s better to get started than not take any action at all. As you gain experience, you will become more aware of the best fit, noticing which clients you like working with, helping define your niche further with time.
So how do you know who to help?
An ideal relationship is an intersection of your unique talents or skills, the client’s challenges or aspirations, and the benefits of working together.
And, of course, it’s essential to enjoy the journey along the way.
Step 1: Who do you love?
You may feel so focused on specifying your ideal client that you forget the importance of enjoying your work together. It’s essential to connect to people you genuinely want to interact with and create an offer that lights you up inside. The more you enjoy working with your ideal client, the better your experience.
So how do you think about this?
Simply put, what type of people do you love being around? Reflect on who inspires you or brings out the best in you.
Who would you love to spend time with even if you were not getting paid?
Are there specific clients that you enjoy helping?
Consider if you have loved the experience of working with anyone now or in the past. Does someone come to mind?
What qualities do they have that distinguish them from others? What do you love about them?
Is it their personality? Perhaps they have a great sense of humor. Or is it their consistent work ethic? Do they have integrity? Do they have out-of-the-box ideas, or maybe you love their structure? Or perhaps it’s their view on the world?
Tap into what makes them stand out from others and write down all of the qualities this person possesses.
Conversely, are there clients or people that you dislike being around?
What qualities do they have that you want to avoid?
Sometimes being aware of what you don’t wish to have, brings you closer to what you want.
Step 2: What do you love doing?
Once you have outlined qualities you love about your ideal client, ask yourself what elements of your business you enjoy the most. Make a list of what you love doing.
Is there something you are doing now that stands out? What do you feel passionate about helping people with? What would you gladly do all day for free? What expertise do you have that you would enjoy using with clients?
Imagine showing up every day and doing something meaningful to you. What problem are you solving for your client that you love to solve?
It can also be helpful to reflect on parts of your work that you do not love. Are there areas in your career you wish to avoid?
Imagine framing your day doing what you love instead. What would you create if anything were possible?
Step 3: How are you unique?
Your unique talents and gifts can significantly benefit your clients. Identifying your skillset and strengths is the first step to standing out in the marketplace.
What comes naturally to you? Is there special knowledge, talents, or skills that you do well or differently from others? A great way to determine this is to reflect on what value others consistently seek from you. Evaluating this will be an excellent indicator of where you add the most value to others.
What makes you who you are?
Make a list of your unique character traits, strengths, skills, and talents. What is your superpower?
What are you currently working on that may be a topic you can pursue with others?
Next, reflect on your own story. What have you overcome in your life that you can now help others overcome? Is there a story that got you to where you are today that you can share? What problems do you currently solve in your business?
Pro Tip: It is common to downplay your expertise as you may not understand that it is a gift if it comes naturally. Ask five people you know what makes you great at your work already. What talents and skills do they feel you possess? You may be surprised!
And remember, just because you are good at something does not mean you love it.
In the spirit of step two, also reflect on if you love doing this. It is essential to enjoy your work as well.
Step 4: Get to know each other
Conducting Market Research as a brief client interview can help you gain more accurate feedback and a deeper understanding of your client’s challenges. As a bonus, it can also give you the exact language to use in your messaging.
Interview past clients to find out why they chose to work with you, what challenges they struggled with and overcame during the working relationship, and what was helpful or not helpful for them to achieve the results. What results do people gain from working with you?
It also may be interesting to ask them to describe what you do.
Additionally, talk to new potential ideal clients to gain more clarity and insight into their character if possible. Keeping detailed notes will help you with your authentic messaging later on.
Some points that may be helpful:
- Sex, age, ethnicity, education, location
- Marital status, relationships, kids
- Type of business & income
- Where and how do they spend their free time
- What is their most significant pain point?
- Fears and frustrations
- Aspirations, wants, desires, dreams
- The most critical factor when choosing a service provider
Step 5: What are your non-negotiables?
It’s essential to recognize that this is a relationship between you and your client, and not everyone is for you.
Take time to review your notes and reflect on what would work best for you. Outline your ideal client’s qualities based on what you would like to create.
After you have identified the qualities of the people you love to work with, what you love to do, and your unique value, ask yourself, will these people pay you money for your services?
Keep in mind that if someone is of a lower income, it does not mean that they cannot pay you. There are many ways to create an offer that works well for you and your ideal client.
Last, ask yourself, out of all the qualities listed, what are my three non-negotiables?
Sit down and think about three non-negotiables every client needs to have. In the future, this list will help you decide immediately if the client is right for you.
Example of non-negotiables:
- Proven experience and expertise in the field chosen
- Be open to new perspectives, feedback and ready to see results
- Be heart-centered with a deeper purpose to make a positive impact
Recap:
Establishing your ideal client profile is essential to your business success. It will create a better understanding of your client’s needs, desires, and pain points to allow you to create a strategy that works, turning prospects into paying clients.
Step 1: Who do you love?
Step 2: What do you love doing?
Step 3: How are you unique?
Step 4: Get to know each other
Step 5: What are your non-negotiables?
If you would like help defining your ideal client profile, creating an impactful offer, and executing a business action plan that works, Book a Free Discovery Call Here.
I am looking forward to hearing from you!
Michele x
