I have been very lucky to have some awesome like-minded clients & colleagues over the years. Awesome Martha is one of them – nothing better than having clients who are at least as cool as you are!
A massive challenge I have helped hundreds personally overcome is working out / clearly defining ones most high value profitable clients. I often get approached by people asking something like “Edward, how do I get more Clients ASAP?”
My response is that it isn’t so much about getting more clients, it’s always getting the “Right, High Value and Profitable Clients” in a Win / Win manner.
After all, none of us want to be working hard whilst barely being able to make a living or even worse – spending hours on a client that lies, cheats & steals to get out of paying your invoices. Although it may sound like I am being a bit harsh here – it’s totally true. Almost any business owner I know has many stories of people ripping them off on their products or services.
If you are not 100% on who your ideal client is, I trust these tips help you get some clarity here and helping you focus your Marketing & Sales efforts:
1) Look at your best clients already: You may be able to answer this question already by looking at your current clients. Who are the ones that love you, are a pleasure, value your work and you look forward to selling to them / working with them? My best ones for example have full integrity as do I, are kind, believe in hard work and appreciate success takes time.
2) Look at the bad / shonky clients you have had: One of my awesome clients / colleagues once told me that “In business the sharks never go away – you just get better in spotting them”. Your worst clients probably have common traits. I have learned over time that my bad ones are those that are lazy, back-stabbers and don’t like taking responsibility.
3) Think about the type of person that loves your services: It’s great to think through from a client’s viewpoint the nature of your products & services so you “Get” how they are used. If for example you are a high end Business Consultant – you may realize your skills aren’t that valuable to a single person operator, but if someone manages say 10 x staff your ideas are perfect. It may guide you to target these characters!
4) Think about key parameters / demographics: Female 30 to 55+, Businesses of at least 5 staff, people within 15km of Parramatta / Your City – try and put some guidelines in to help you really focus on them.
5) Don’t feel like you have to target everyone: It can be a bit of a mistake thinking you have to “Target Everyone”. For example, I work great with Service Industries, Salons, Consultants and the like – but poorly with Tradesmen & Real Estate Agents. As I know that, I can stay away from what doesn’t click and focus on what clicks.
6) Think about what you like: Don’t just work with whoever – you want to work with people you love so it’s a true win / win. For example, I am not a massive fan of Corporates but I love Mid-Tier and Entrepreneurs – so I target them.
7) Aim at people you know have money and like paying you! Goes without saying, target people with money that will gladly give it to you for the awesome services you provide.
Once you have this all figured out, the next step is to align your Sales & Marketing in the right direction. You need to make sure you are “Fishing in the right pond” after all!
Love your work, thank you for the read and of course drop me a line if you need a hand!
About the Persian Author:
Edward Zia is a Marketing Mentor & Business Commentator who totally loves helping small business owners & entrepreneurs. He has helped many overcome challenges on anything from Marketing Strategy to getting the Sales detail right to help them get more profitable clients. If you like what you see, check out Edward’s Premium Home Study Course full of Top Sales & Marketing Strategies “The Awesome Marketing Vault” >> Right Here!
The Awesome Marketing Vault by Edward Zia! Plenty of Great Ideas in my Home Study Course – Right Here!
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