To build a successful service-based business, you need a steady stream of ideal clients who really benefit from your work together and who you love working with every day. But when you’re trying to attract clients to your business, especially when you’re starting out, it can be tempting to try and appeal to too many people. You’re scared of turning people away and missing out on business.
I’ll admit this was something that I struggled with in the beginning. I live my life to the full. I definitely have FOMO (fear of missing out syndrome) and it carried across to my fledgling business. I knew there were so many different ways that I could help so many different businesses. So, I used to go to networking meetings and say simply “I’m a freelance communications consultant”, then cross my fingers that people would hire me.
The audience would smile politely but I could see them thinking, “Well that’s interesting and she seems quite nice but I’ve absolutely no idea how she can help me”. And guess what? I met some lovely people but absolutely no one used to come and talk to me afterwards about work. Nothing I was saying really resonated with anyone.
If you’re trying to appeal to everyone, you won’t appeal to anyone, let alone the people you really want to work with
Once you have a crystal clear idea of your ideal client, you’ll find it so much easier to speak and write about your business because you’ll have one person in mind. Attracting your ideal clients will no longer feel like selling because the service you’re offering genuinely meets a need or solves a problem that they have. When they come across you, they’ll be so grateful to meet someone that understands them and can help.
To work out who your ideal clients are, follow these simple steps
Grab a notebook and take a few minutes to think about the following questions:
- Who are your favourite clients that you’re working with now, or you’ve worked with in the past?
- Why did you like working with these people?
- Where did you find these people or how did they come to you?
- Describe your ideal clients. The more specific you can be, the better. Use your favourite clients as a starting point and add any extra criteria. Think beyond age, gender, income and location.
- Now really get to know and understand these people.
- Where do they shop?
- What do they read?
- What social media do they use?
- How do they spend their free time?
- Then visualise this person. Draw pictures of them, cut out photos from a magazine of someone who looks like them. Do whatever you can to make them as real as possible.
This exercise will help you whether you’re currently looking for new clients or not. It’ll help you to keep the ideal clients that you already have and to get more of them coming to work with you in the future.
So who are your dream clients? I’d love to know. Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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Till next time.
Lucy
Photo credit: Clare Nomen via Unsplash
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