When I first started my business I wanted to help everyone. Narrowing down who I helped and what I helped them with sounded like I would be limiting my business growth and success. In reality, narrowing down my IDEAL client and what I want to help them with has made my business grow and become MORE successful! Who your IDEAL client is may not jump out at you immediately when starting your business. Here are a few things to consider when you begin to narrow down.

Questions to Consider

Here are a few questions to ask yourself that will help you find out who your IDEAL client is:

• Who have you helped with the problem you are solving in the past? This could be before you took the leap to start your own business.

• Who did you enjoy helping the most?

• What did the people you enjoyed helping the most have in common?

As you think about and answer those questions you will begin to see the characteristics of your IDEAL client. Parents of young children? Did they all have similar personality traits? Shift workers? Maybe they all had similar careers? These are just a few questions to get you moving in the right direction!

IDEAL Client

When you start working with clients, pay attention to what you’re feeling before each session. If you are SUPER excited to work with someone, that’s a huge indicator that they are an IDEAL client. As you attend sessions with clients, keep track of the personality traits of the ones you love to work with. These are the types of clients you want to attract into your biz!

NOT an IDEAL Client?

Every person who inquires about your services or products is NOT going to be an IDEAL client. So, the faster you narrow down your IDEAL client the better! It will prevent you from needing to have some shitty conversations with clients you don’t want to continue working with. If you are a service based business, make sure to have a contract that specifies how long you will work with someone. PRO Tip: When you are starting your business, it is NOT a good idea to have LONG contracts. Stick to a short contract just in case you end up with a client who isn’t IDEAL. I recommend completing your contract with the client and then don’t extend or renew it if the business relationship has gone south. This is much easier and less painful than having a conversation about no longer wanting to work together! So, make sure that contract has a FIRM end date!

The Hard Conversation

If you don’t have a contract, or it doesn’t have a firm end date, you’ve got a difficult conversation ahead of you. It’s going to be shitty, but I encourage you to do it anyway! It is easier than months or years of working with a client you don’t love. I recommend being straight forward but gentle. Prepare ahead of time by making notes about why the client is not IDEAL and how to phrase it gently. It’s about leaving them with a CLEAR understanding that your business relationship is ending, and making sure they don’t feel like it’s their fault. The reality is that it’s you as a business owner evolving and growing! If you can, offer an introduction to someone who can support them moving forward.

Are YOU my IDEAL client? I focus on helping myself from 5-10 years ago. Stuck in a factory, working shitty shifts, and not even knowing that making money by doing what you love was even possible. That’s where I was! If this is you and you’re ready to make a change, but not sure where to start, CLICK HERE to book a FREE 30 minute Discovery Call. Find out how I can help you move forward and AWAY from that grind you hate!

-Sherry