How Well Do You Really Know Your Ideal Client?
We’ve
all done the exercise. It’s the first thing you’re taught when you first start
your business: Create an ideal client avatar.
This
vision of your ideal client guides everything you do, including pricing (you
can’t charge that single mom as much as you can the CEO of a Fortune 500
company), pain points (mom probably isn’t worried about shareholders), and even
the color of your logo.
So
you spend a few hours considering things such as:
·
Age group
·
Income
·
Family status
·
Education
·
Lifestyle goals
·
Location
Maybe
you even write up a nice little story about your ideal client. You give her a
name, a couple of kids, a husband who just doesn’t get it, and a load of
student loans. You know quite a bit about her, you think.
But
you would be wrong, and if you stop there, you may be missing a huge piece of
the puzzle—and losing out on the best clients because of it.
Personality Mismatch
Here’s
something that’s rarely considered in the “ideal client” equation, and it’s
arguably the most important part: personality.
If
you’re snarky, sarcastic, fun-loving and loud, then a quiet, middle-aged mom
who spends her time volunteering at the church is probably not a good fit for
you. Sure, she might need your help, and she might love your products, but for
one-on-one coaching, this match-up is a disaster. Either she will be
uncomfortable with your style, or you’ll be miserable trying to reign in your
natural exuberance.
Better
to pass mom on to a coach who is a better fit for her personality wise.
Drive Determines
Success
This
one can be difficult to calculate from the start, but once you recognize it (or
the lack thereof) it’s worth paying attention to. The client without the drive
to succeed will—more often than not—only end up frustrating you both.
Better
to end your relationship as soon as you see the signs of this than to waste
your time going over the same material and exercises again and again with
someone who simply won’t do the work.
If
you look at your current and past coaching clients, you’ll begin to see
patterns. You can easily look back and see what made some clients a joy to work
with, while others were a struggle. Think about what those differences are, and
add them to your ideal client profile. Then compare any new potential clients
to this ideal profile, and you’ll never again sign on with a less-than-perfect
client.
No comments:
Post a Comment