Nearly every client I have says their perfect client is “everyone” because “I can help everyone” or “My book can help everyone.”
That might be wonderful but it is bad business. You can’t afford to market to “everyone.” And “everyone” doesn’t want you. They want to work with someone who specializes in “them,” not in everyone.
That’s why I was delighted when I signed a new coaching client who works with lawyers who are in a certain transition point in their careers and must make career and life choices. How cool is that!
If you are still struggling to find the perfect client – and we all suffer from this because we really do want to help as many people as possible – I suggest you use three guidelines which I created and hereby trademark as “Dan Janal’s Rules For Finding the Ideal Client.”
- Pay you. Yes, you could help the world, but executive women have more money to spend on coaches than women who are at the beginning of their careers – unless that’s the market you want to help.
- Understand each other. You work with them because you’ve been there, done that and proven it. They know that you know. And you know what they need to know.
- Get excited about working with them. All clients’ problems being equal, wouldn’t you want to work with someone you click with, someone who you really like and who really likes you? Shouldn’t business – and coaching – be fun? You can probably tell me horror stories about bad outcomes when you hated going to work or working with certain people. Didn’t we start our businesses so we could avoid that?
If you ask yourself those three questions, you might just find your ideal client.
Then you’ll know what to write about in articles, press releases, blogs and tweets. You’ll know how to position your website and your marketing material. Your audience will find you. At least that’s what happened when I realized I needed to focus on my ideal client.
If you think I could help coach you to find your ideal client, send me an email or go to http://www.PublicityLeadstoProfits.com . I’m available for one-time coaching as well as longer-term coaching that is personalized to meet your needs.
2012 Marketing and Publicity Trends Predictions
I’ve been correctly predicting Internet marketing trends since 1994 when I wrote one of the first books on Internet Marketing. I’ve been right before so there’s no reason to think I won’t be right again. You can bet the farm on most of these trends and get even money on the others.
1. Mobile marketing will take off in ways you never imagined.
2. People will be saying, “Visit my app,” in addition to – or instead of - “Visit my website.” The app will be the brochure, website, and starting point of interactivity.
3. Small businesses on Main Street will have apps that provide basic info and coupons – even if they don’t have a website.
4. Doctors, dentists and other appointment-based businesses will rely on text messages and other mobile communications to confirm appointments so they don’t lose money on no shows.
5. Your prospects will think all types of written or spoken intellectual property –ezines, books, articles, webinars, teleseminars – ought to be free.
6. You will think that all information ought to be free – except your information, of course.
7. It will be harder and harder to convince people to pay for intellectual property that is available online. They will pay for customized services specifically for them. Start planning your services menu accordingly.
8. Entrepreneurs will finally heed Michael Gerber’s mantra to work on the business, not in the business. But they will take action by HIRING outside professionals who can do the work for them instead of waiting to do the work themselves. Productivity and profits will increase while procrastination will decrease.
9. This phrase will be on everyone’s lips and t-shirts: “If you get something for free, then you aren’t the customer. You are the product.” I didn’t make this up. I wish I did. Think about it. We aren’t Google’s customer, or Facebook’s customer. We are the products they are selling to advertisers. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like being considered an “eyeballs.”
10. Spam will invade social media sites in overt and covert ways, making visits to those sites less enjoyable.
11. There will be more people showing you how to sell speaking services than there will be companies who can hire speakers. Okay, that one was low. <g>
What are your predictions?