Seventh Article in the Series:
Making Work Play
If you participated in last week’s message, you are now ready for the last step in your work on your Ideal Client.
Pull out your worksheet and look afresh at that list of clients that provide 80% of your revenue. To help you see common linkages between the clients, add columns to your spreadsheet to identify various characteristics. The following column headings will give you a start:
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Industry
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Profession
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Business Owner
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Employee
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Number of Employees
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Role in Firm
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Homemaker
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Retired
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Special Interests
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Hobbies
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How client was acquired (referral, networking group, son’s baseball team, etc.)
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Date of Birth
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Age
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Gender
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Reason they hired you
Get specific around your service. Look for those characteristics that reflect a common thread. What do you see here? You may want to calculate some percentages or use similar analytics to see what the data reveal.
You may be surprised at the common threads that are emerging. When we are so busy on our hamster wheel, it is difficult for us to take the time to step back and look at our business. When we do we are often surprised, sometimes dismayed, at what we learn.
What came out of your analysis? Do you serve a particular industry or professional very well? Is it a personal theme, clients that have similar backgrounds or experiences? Is a networking or community group providing many of your clients? Get to know what has already contributed to your success in order to replicate it.
What this exercise reveals is the type of clients you have already attracted, likely without much forethought or a specific marketing plan. That is a-okay! For the clients you serve best, those who know, like and trust you are the ones you want to replicate.
From the analysis you’ve completed, write a detailed description of your Ideal Client. Don’t skip this! You need this reference point — this touchstone — to keep your energies and effort focused on who you serve best.
Note: For most people, identifying your Ideal Client and building a business or career around that does not occur simply from a bit of reading and a few exercises. These last few messages are meant to encourage you to take a much closer look at your client base in order to begin building a business that provides for you to do what you do best, serving clients that value and appreciate what you do. If you would like to learn more about building an Ideal Client base, please contact me at 713-705-3815 or barbara@acceluspartners.com.