Identifying Your Ideal Client [And Passing on the Rest]
“Find your ideal client!” “Focus on your ideal client!” “Don’t stray from your ideal client!”
The concept of the ideal client is constantly thrown around among entrepreneurs. An ideal client can mean different things to different people, but I’ll tell you what it means to me.
An ideal client:
Needs a problem solved that aligns with my expertise
Has goals and values that are similar to mine
Finds incredible value in my services
Enjoys working with me and the feeling is mutual
Refers other ideal clients to me
Doesn’t try to take advantage of me
Another day, I’ll discuss more details about my own personal ideal client.
Today, I want to focus on how you can identify your ideal client and why you absolutely must pass on the rest.
Ask yourself the following questions:
Who have you genuinely enjoyed working with?
Who has genuinely enjoyed working with you?
Who do you feel that you’ve helped the most?
Who has referred other clients to you?
Who has praised you and built you up? (you know, those emails that make you smile and feel warm and fuzzy inside!)
You probably have some ideas, right? Think about that person’s demographic. Their needs. Their student’s needs. Think about how great it was to work with that person. Maybe it wasn’t always perfect, but you really enjoyed each other. You’d be happy to run into them somewhere.
Now, think about how amazing it would be if every. single. one. if your clients was like that ideal client. It would be fantastic, right? The Pareto Principle says that 80% of effects come from 20% of the causes.
Think about that in relation to the ideal client.
80% of your referrals probably come from 20% of your client base (totally true for me).
80% of your stress probably comes from 20% of your revenue. YEP.
It’s pretty obvious: you need to cut the fat on the bottom and focus on the top. Do not waste your time with the people who will cause 80% of your stress and lead to 20% of your revenue. Friend, you do NOT have time for that and you know it.
So how do you do it? It’s easy. You have to identify these people at the outset before they become your clients. You can’t be afraid to set boundaries. You can’t be afraid to tell them you’re not a good fit for their needs.
I promise: you will solve 80% of your problems by proactively choosing not to move forward with 20% of the people that want to work with you.
This can be a little uncomfortable sometimes; I understand. I have found that nobody wants to work with me more than someone with whom I have told I cannot move forward. Potential clients are used to heavy sales pitches and tend to freak out in these situations - at least mine have.
They are shocked! Confused! Unhappy!
So, it’s up to you to manage the situation effectively. Instead of writing draft upon draft of email and obsessing all night long about whether you’ve said the right thing, you’re in luck! I have a whole bundle of templates that you can use to manage difficult prospective clients right on out of your practice!