Ninth Article in the Series:
Making Work Play
Now that you know who your Ideal Client and thus Ideal Prospect is, how do you create a message that speaks to them?
Think of the advertisements on television that get your attention, beyond the outlandish ones! The ads that cause you to stop and listen on an emotional level. They may share a story of fun and laughter with friends and family, or be a touching greeting card ad (yes, those always get me!) or how a product or service helps address a crisis. The ads connect with us on a level beyond logic, beyond facts and figures. It is on the emotional level that we make decisions.
Big decisions, such as entrusting a professional service provider with assets, sensitive information and personal dreams, come when a client believes you can help them fix, avoid or accomplish something. There is pain and emotion associated with fixing something that is not functioning correctly, avoiding something feared or accomplishing a long-held dream or other goal. What your client buys is your solution to their problem. The need to know you understand their problem and have a solution.
So how do you know what pains your ideal client and prospects? How do you know what their problems are? Pull out the analysis you completed on your client base and look at your ideal client description. It is not quite complete until you have identified why this client seeks your services. You can look back in the analysis and see why they hired you. That will likely give you a good clue as to what was bothering them. You may also learn more by looking at how the client was acquired (referral, networking group, etc.) See if you can identify 3 to 5 pain points from the analysis. Examples might be:
- Fear of making a mistake
- Overwhelm by the sheer number of decisions
- Lack of knowledge (and fear of admitting this)
- Inability to see how goals can be reached
- Fear of loss
- Unaware of possible solutions to their problem
These are generalized pain points. Be specific as to what pains your client.
Facts and figures will factor into decision-making on some level. More often than not, they give us a reason to say “no” to certain options if we are faced with choices. Therefore, your message and your deliverables need to speak to how you address or relieve the pain or problem your client faces. You want to have the opportunity for a potential client to know you beyond facts and figures and they will want to know you if they think you can solve a problem or help them reach a goal.