How to Define Your Ideal Client
When you are beginning this crazy ride of starting a business one of the most important things to do is figure out who exactly your ideal client is. I mean, you really cannot run a business without clients, right? But a huge problem that most people will find is that if you try to market to everyone, you will end up appealing to no one. So today we are going to put our focus back on how to define your ideal client.
I have to be totally honest with you. I dreaded this part of my business. I wanted to help everyone and I was scared to turn work down up until these last 4 months or so. But by starting to stay no to potential clients that did not align with my brand it has opened up doors to being able to say to those jobs that I adore! I cannot tell you how many times I said yes to a job that I had a bad feeling about in the beginning just to make money. It backfired every time.
Imagine these two scenarios.
You start working with Customer A. What you two are discussing does not seem like someone you would typically love to work on, but you take them on in order to bring in some extra cash. You two get along, or maybe you don’t because your personalities just clash. They don’t respect your time or your opinion, and they just want you to do things their way. You don’t look forward to working on the project and find yourself just going through the motions creating something for them just to get the job done. You also do not plan on including their project in your portfolio because it’s not something you are proud of creating.
Now image this.
You start working with Customer B. When you two start talking about the project you cannot wait to start. You find yourself daydreaming about the project all.the.time. They are willing to invest in themselves, and your products and services. They respect you, your opinions and your time. They are incredible to work with. They are always friendly and are able to communicate with you what they want or don’t want. They meet the deadlines to get you materials so that you can proceed with their project on time. They are loyal and refer to you to everyone that will listen.
Now let’s be honest. How many Customer A’s have you taken on and regretted? We all have, especially in the beginning stages. This is the time to stop. Now is the time to figure out who your ideal client is, so you stop working with Customer A and exclusively work with Customer B. It’s time to build a business that you are passionate about and that has a purpose.
BUILD THE FOUNDATION – PUTTING THE FOCUS ON YOU
First thing is first – you need to do a little background check on yourself.
- What are your values?
- Why did you start your business?
- What do you care about?
- What sets your business apart from every other business – in other words, what is your niche?
- What can people learn from you and how can you help them?
Why do you need to figure this all out? Because by figuring out why you are here and why you are working your ass off, you will be able to see the bigger picture. You will have the focus on your business and you can set realistic expectations for yourself and your business.
DEFINE YOUR IDEAL CLIENT
Now let’s focus more on your ideal client, and who they are.
- What are their values?
- What is their occupation and income level?
- What do they need help with?
- What do they worry about?
- What are their interests?
- What motivates them?
- Where do they shop?
- What blogs do they read?
- What social media platforms do they use?
Once you know who your ideal client is you can figure out how you can help them.
- What problems can you solve for them?
- How can you solve these problems?
- How do they change because of your products or services?
The more detailed in your description the more you will be able to narrow in on your ideal client and appeal to them through the tangible and intangible components of your brand. If your business does not align with your ideal client you are going to have a hard time selling to them. It’s time to finally define your ideal client so that you can market directly to them, which will ultimately draw them to you and your business allowing you to love your job and the end product.
As always if you have any questions or need any help defining your ideal client comment below, or let’s chat about how you can take your brand to the next level!
