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How to find and attract dream clients

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How to find and attract dream clients 2

From early childhood, how we develop as individuals has much to do with choosing the right company - the people we elect to hang out with.

The company we keep impacts our levels of enjoyment; the speed and intensity of our person-al development and can dramatically influence both how we connect with the world and how the world sees us.

Over the following few pages I aim to demonstrate how the same is true of the company we keep in our business.

Through case histories, exploration and challenges I’ll show you the very tangible benefits of viewing the people you work with as carefully selected, ‘Dream Clients’ and clarify the distinc-tion between them and plain old clients or customers.

What’s more, I’ll detail how any solo or micro business owner can enjoy greater prosperity and success by fully embracing this simple and powerful concept.

As you’ll read, identifying who your Dream Clients are and attracting them towards you, should be a crucial part of your game plan...and it’s never too late to start the process.

So let’s get started!

Robert Gerrish, Founder, Flying Solo

For more great reports, please consider joining the community at Flying Solo. Membership is FREE, just head to: www.flyingsolo.com.au/join


Client MagnetHow to find and attract your dream clients

Client Magnet - How to find and attract dream clients 22

Client MagnetHow to find and attract dream clients

Where so many businesses go wrong All too often, business owners are totally indiscriminate about who they work with and put little or no thought into who they really want as a client or customer. In such cases the thoughts of any ‘target market’ can only be in terms of broad sectors or generalised groups of people.

When quizzed along the lines of ‘who is a dream client?’, it’s my experience that too many respond with phrases like: ‘anyone who wants my services’, or worse, ‘anyone who’ll pay me!’

Now this way of talking and thinking may well raise a few smiles and is a viable strategy for what I’ll refer to as the ‘business lite’ brigade, but for the more serious it’s simply not good enough.

As we’ll see, such broad descriptors will do little to assist in the development of a sustainable, enjoyable and successful business.

In the same way that we’re more likely to find a life partner by getting clear on precisely the kind of person we’re looking for, in business we’re more likely to succeed if we know a great deal about who we are pursuing and why.

Anyway, before I get too far ahead of myself let’s look at a snapshot of how having a clear picture of your Dream Client can be so astoundingly good for business.

Seven compelling reasons to fully grasp this topic

1. Your marketing suddenly gets easier

When you have a clear picture it sharpens your marketing style. You are able to spot the attributes and optimum type of person to spend time with, so you get to wave goodbye to the frustrations of time wasters. When you encounter people who suit your profile you quickly discover the most precise and informative answers to their questions because you know this type of person inside out.

You know what keeps them awake at nights - their ‘hot buttons’ or ‘burning issues’ - and so can cut to the chase when it comes to showing understanding and building rapport.

2. Your confidence and networking skills are enhanced

With the right person in front of you, you are able to talk about your particular skills with ease. This, in turn, enhances your networking skills as you can succinctly describe your target audience to others in a way that is much more meaningful and memorable.

The impact of this can be quite profound as it allows you to be truly heard. Over the page, I’ll share a story with you to better demonstrate the point.



Client MagnetHow to find and attract dream clients

Where so many businesses go wrong All too often, business owners are totally indiscriminate about who they work with and put little or no thought into who they really want as a client or customer. In such cases the thoughts of any ‘target market’ can only be in terms of broad sectors or generalised groups of people.

When quizzed along the lines of ‘who is a dream client?’, it’s my experience that too many respond with phrases like: ‘anyone who wants my services’, or worse, ‘anyone who’ll pay me!’

Now this way of talking and thinking may well raise a few smiles and is a viable strategy for what I’ll refer to as the ‘business lite’ brigade, but for the more serious it’s simply not good enough.

As we’ll see, such broad descriptors will do little to assist in the development of a sustainable, enjoyable and successful business.

In the same way that we’re more likely to find a life partner by getting clear on precisely the kind of person we’re looking for, in business we’re more likely to succeed if we know a great deal about who we are pursuing and why.

Anyway, before I get too far ahead of myself let’s look at a snapshot of how having a clear picture of your Dream Client can be so astoundingly good for business.

Seven compelling reasons to fully grasp this topic

1. Your marketing suddenly gets easier

When you have a clear picture it sharpens your marketing style. You are able to spot the attributes and optimum type of person to spend time with, so you get to wave goodbye to the frustrations of time wasters. When you encounter people who suit your profile you quickly discover the most precise and informative answers to their questions because you know this type of person inside out.

You know what keeps them awake at nights - their ‘hot buttons’ or ‘burning issues’ - and so can cut to the chase when it comes to showing understanding and building rapport.

2. Your confidence and networking skills are enhanced

With the right person in front of you, you are able to talk about your particular skills with ease. This, in turn, enhances your networking skills as you can succinctly describe your target audience to others in a way that is much more meaningful and memorable.

The impact of this can be quite profound as it allows you to be truly heard. Over the page, I’ll share a story with you to better demonstrate the point.

It’s time to get fussy

How to find and attract dream clients 4Client Magnet - How to find and attract dream clients 3

Some years ago I went on a self-defence course. The instructor talked to us about what to do if we were set upon in the street by a mugger.

“There’s no point in simply screaming out for help” he told us, because as he explained, the natural tendency of others is either to not get involved, or to assume that someone else will do the helping. Instead we were told to, in effect, ‘appoint’ a passer-by to help. Here’s what was suggested: Instead of a ‘general’ message he told us to ‘get specific’. His example was:

“Hey you, in the green shirt with the brown briefcase, help me!” By doing this - by explicitly assigning someone to the task - it was far more likely that help would be given. Of course it would! If you were the person in the green shirt are you going to walk by? I doubt it.

And this is precisely what can happen in your business when you deliver a message that talks about dream clients. You’re shifting from a generalist message that may be ignored, to a specialist proposition that is truly heard. Picture an accountant who goes to a networking function and tells people she does basic tax accounting. Chances are you can think of three of four who do precisely that. No doubt each does a good job, but not much is standing out here is it? Imagine instead an accountant who spoke about her love of small, creative businesses and how for this audience she guaranteed a reduction in their tax liabilities and an increase in profits. Compelling language along these lines stands much more chance of being heard.

Not only is your networking eased but…

3. Your word of mouth opportunities are increased

Well of course they are! Once you have something interesting to say in a way that is heard, the incidence of others passing on your message is greatly enhanced.

Think back to the accountant we just met. A few hours after meeting her you bump into a friend who is struggling with his architectural practice. Are you going to pass her details on? I suggest you are far more likely to than if she were positioned as a plain, old accountant.

4. You are seen as a specialist

And you know what specialists do? They charge a premium!

A few weeks ago in a crisp little surgery with art on the walls and James Taylor playing on the stereo a very nice man in expensive white sandals spent forty mins prodding around in my mouth. It cost me $650.


I am not really complaining; I’m merely illustrating a point: If you dedicate yourself to your area of speciality and over time, truly become a specialist you can charge a premium for your work. Premium = more money for the same (or less) work. Nice, eh?

There are many more benefits of being a specialist to do with attracting attention…we’ll explore those a little later.

5. You open doors to passive income

How many solo and micro businesses sell their own, unique products or programs? Answer: Not enough. The reason? The majority don’t think they have anything original to say or develop.

Get your head around Dream Clients and suddenly you do.

6. You save time & energy

The saving of time and energy is a delightful inevitability when others are helping you market and promote. Re-read points 1,2 & 3 if you haven’t been paying attention.

If you had more time now what would you do with it? Plenty I’ll bet.

7. You don’t just make more money, you save it too

Due to: Less marketing; improved conversion of enquiries; the probability of commanding higher fees and the likelihood of developing additional products, programs and services.

Hopefully this is starting to sound interesting. Time then to get you doing some work. I feel an exercise coming on.




Recognising Dream Clients


Preparation tips

Over the next couple of pages you’ll be asked to think about your clients in terms that may be unfamiliar to you. You may feel it’s not ‘normal business practice’ to dissect and inquire to such an extent.

You’re quite right. It’s not normal. What I can assure you though is that if you undertake this exercise with an open mind and a clear head, the results can be nothing short of transformational.

For those of you who have run a business for a while, it will help to have a list of present and past clients alongside you. Better still, will be for you to have gone through that list in advance, delineating between those you’d love to see back and those you’d avoid like the plague. Keep the good ones near to hand and think of them as you move through the questions.

For newbies without much history with clients, I suggest you view this exercise as something that will inevitably need adjustment, tinkering and updating as you move forwards. Getting ‘runs on the board’ (and cash in the bank!) is critically important when you’re in start-up mode and refinement can follow as indeed it should.

‘Dream clients’ does not mean ‘only clients’

I do not want a reputation as the man who caused you to fire 80% of your clients.

To develop a business that only accepts Dream Clients takes time, but of course it can only happen when you know who fits the bill. In the meantime it may well be prudent to hang onto a few ‘non-dream’ types.

Interestingly, non-dream clients often raise their game once they observe a change in the way your business is positioned.

So as you go through the exercise on the next two pages, try to hold an image of your ideal client in your mind. The more time you spend on this stage, the more likelihood you have of creating a business brimming with the finest clients.

Ok, let’s get writing...

How to find and attract dream clients 7Client Magnet - How to find and attract dream clients 6Client Magnet - How to find and attract dream clients 6

Recognising Dream Clients Questionnaire

1. TypesYour ideal clients might have specific income levels, sex, age or location. If you work with companies you might prefer certain industries, number of staff, turnover or business models. You may well have more than one ‘dream’ response in this section in which case make sure you capture all.

Looking through your list of current or past clients can really help. Identify who you most like dealing with and what it is about them that you like. Please give it some considered thought and write down what you discover.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Stage of life or businessHere we’re looking for a pointer towards where your Dream Clients are in their life or business. Responses may suggest a leaning towards those firmly into the development of a career, heading towards retirement perhaps or perhaps busy with a young family. You might particularly like working with start-ups or prefer established businesses and so on.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. CharacteristicsHow would you describe some of the key traits of your Dream Client? When I did this for my business coaching practice I came up with: Adventurous/Innovative/Creative/ Intelligent/Fun/Professional/High integrity, ethics & morals/Visionary/Clear & straightforward/Optimistic/Energetic. Get the picture? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. What they’re notThis is place to clarify some of the characteristics you do not want to have around. For me it was stuff like: Unstable/Highly stressed/Desperate or needy/Financially disorganised.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


5. Favourite motivationsSo why do your Dream Clients come to you? And before you respond that it’s because you’re such an awesome person – GET REAL! People do not come because of YOU, it’s what you can do for THEM. It’s the ‘what’s-in-it-for-me’ motivation we’re after, so kindly park your ego for a while!________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. How they respond How do your Dream Clients behave as clients? The responses I came up with were that my ideal clients are: Willing participants/They value my support/Grow rapidly as individuals/Keen to take action. Your turn:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. How they treat meLet’s hear about reliability – do they turn up to meetings punctually and pay their bills on time? Do they value your work and willingly spread the word to others? Do they stay with you a long time…or if it’s more ideal, a short, intensive time? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. What it’s like working with themYour responses here should act as an added reassurance that your Dream Clients are good for you as an individual, as opposed to you as a business. Again citing my own responses I concluded that my ideal clients: Inspire me and bring out my best coaching/Cause me to stretch and grow/Are fun to work with/Enhance my reputation ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Great work! Now what? Once you’ve completed this exercise - the recognising phase of this workbook, it’s time to summarise and adapt the knowledge into strategies that will assist in phase two, Attracting Dream Clients.


Summarising your responses to the Recognising Dream Clients Questionnaire

Before moving onto the Attracting Dream Clients phase of this workbook, it’s worth distilling your findings from the exercise into a succinct Dream Client Manifesto as this will enable you to reveal the key elements that can be exploited fully in the attraction process.

Following is a fairly snappy (and fictitious) manifesto with the key features underlined:

Please use the space below to jot down some notes for your own manifesto, highlighting the key features and characteristics of your ideal clients.

Ok, let’s see how we can use this heightened knowledge to attract business.

Dream Client Manifesto for Paul Gett, a personal trainer

My Dream Clients are either young professionals looking to maintain a level of fitness to support their, at times, punishing work life, or older executives keen to keep up with the youngsters and stay fit for their children.

My Dream clients take their work with me very seriously and look to me for advice and guidance in many aspects of their overall lifestyle.

They respect my time by arriving punctually; pay their bills quickly and readily refer new people my way.

What's best is that they stay with me for many months - years even. I think of many of my clients as friends and I know it's mutual.

My Dream Client Manifesto


Attracting Dream Clients


The distinctions between attraction & marketing

Unless you’ve spent the last few years in a cave, you’ll be familiar with the DVD The Secret and it’s many spin-offs and copycats.

While The Secret didn’t actually tell the world anything new, it did popularise rather cleverly (and profitably) the concept of attraction.

In a nutshell, attraction may be explained thus: When you focus on a particular topic or theme and orientate your thinking and actions towards that theme, related stuff happens.

Well that’s how I explain it anyway.

Another way of putting this is when the universe sees and hears what you stand for, individuals who think in the same way will be drawn to you along with a swag of opportunities.

Perhaps the best example of this today is the phenomenon of blogging.

Blogging is (usually) one person producing content about something they feel strongly about surrounded by an audience who feel much the same way.

The action of people coming to you is attraction. When you push more outwardly, it’s marketing.

Together marketing and attraction are a formidable team.

In solo or micro business we need marketing to raise awareness of what we’re about, in order for attraction to work it’s magic.

If you’re getting a bit baffled, stick with me as it’s all a lot simpler than it sounds and will make more sense as we move forwards and look at some examples.

Getting on a prospect’s radar

To get noticed by a prospective dream client, we have to demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of what’s important to them.

I like to imagine that every living being has an ‘Opinion-o-Meter’ in their head with a needle that swings violently when something personally noteworthy and relevant pops up.

Most of the time little causes us to stir, now and again we sit up and take note. Our job is to get the needle of our dream clients Opinion-o-Meter swinging.


Let’s consider our imaginary Personal Trainer, Paul Gett. We met him a little while back via his manifesto.

An ideal client for him you’ll remember was a young professional needing the energy to get through the grueling workday.

Let’s picture Paul and a competitive Personal Trainer colleague, Ben walking into a room full of young professionals. Paul and Ben are invited to tell the audience what they do for a living.

Ben: “Hi, I’m Ben and I’m a personal trainer. I get people fit and healthy.”

Paul: Hi, I’m Paul, I’m also a personal trainer and I know that 67%* of young professionals suffer from fatigue and burnout; that 82%* eat badly and that exercise has to be effective, convenient and fun. You can read my Energy for Life blog* at www.gettwiththeprogram.com.au* and download my free tips report.

*Don’t quote me or waste any time looking for the blog, I’m making this up!

Do you see what Paul is doing? He’s firmly registering on the audience’s radar by showing that he understands their burning issues and has the tools to help.

Using these tactics causes a busy prospect’s thinking to shift from:‘Why should I give a damn about you?’to:‘This person understands me, with his help I can learn and improve.’

Which trainer leaves the room with a following? I think we know.

This is attraction in action and the needle is certainly swinging.

Being seen (marketing) and fostering engagement (attraction)

The opportunities that exist to get on a prospective client’s radar are boundless. Let’s look at some of the most obvious and effective. 1. Writing

Whether it’s a 100 word tip, a 1,000 word article or a 200 page book, writing is a wonderful medium to share your expertise. For example:

- start a blog

This is a great way to test the waters with your writing and to find your natural style. Blogs are not expensive to set up and you can keep them offline – or with a small group of friends - until you’re happy that it’s something you enjoy doing.

- publish a newsletter

Whether email or printed, newsletters are another fine means of sharing your expertise and


have the benefit of being easily passed onto others.

Simplicity, resisting the desire to overtly promote, and staying on-topic are key considerations.

Keep frequency fluid until you’ve developed a rhythm.

- submit articles

Whether it’s local papers, inhouse newsletters, trade magazines, consumer magazines, association newsletters or other people’s email newsletters, there are masses of publications looking for good, interesting content.

So long as you concentrate on quality information and avoid droning on about how brilliant you are, getting published in this way can be surprisingly easy.

Start by researching thoroughly. Read past issues. Make sure you really understand the readership and how the publication is positioned. When you make your first approach to the editor you need to show that you’ve done your homework and are truly committed to your area of expertise.

Flaky opportunists do not get published.

- develop occasional reports or white papers

Not sure what I mean by this? Well you’re reading one right now! It’s a document that my target audience are likely to find useful.

I try to write a couple of these each year and get them out into the marketplace. You learn some new skills, I raise my profile. It’s what’s known as a win-win.

- write a book

An expert is an authority, right? And guess where ‘authority’ comes from? The word, author.There is nothing quite like being an author when it comes to raising your professional status. When our book hit the bookshelves everything went up a notch in our business. More enquiries. More speaking engagements. More clients. More media interest. More income.

More, more, more.

Sam Leader and I penned Flying Solo: How to go it alone in business in 2005 and it’s still a business bestseller.

Instant challenge!

Jot down the title of three articles/reports or white papers your Dream Clients would love to read.

1.

2.

3.


On the topics of books, I’ll let you into a little secret: Writing the book was made considerably easier as we had a library of articles and newsletters we had written previously, sitting in our archive. Every single one had a place in the finished book. Some were abbreviated into a paragraph or two. Others expanded into a chapter. The point is we started with the bulk of the content and you can do the same.

A general note about generating content

For many, the main challenge when it comes to writing is getting started and finding a style that suits. If this is how you feel, you’re not alone. Happily there are plenty of courses and books around that can help so get stuck into some research.

Also bear in mind that content can come from: - interviews with clients - case histories - quoting from books and articles that others have written - reviews of new techniques or new equipment

The point is it’s possible to get smart with writing. Staring at a blank sheet of paper isn’t much fun so don’t do it for too long!

Alternatively, if you’re really not fond of writing (and if your budget allows) get a freelance writer to interview you and do the writing on your behalf.

Presenting and talking

If there’s one activity possibly even more powerful than writing for promoting attraction, it’s presenting. Doubtless we’ve all witnessed impassioned presenters and can testify to the magnetism they exude.

In Australia we’re very fortunate to have organisations like Toastmasters and The National Speakers Association – both established to help individuals build their speaking skills and confidence. Check them out and go along to their meetings.

http://www.toastmasters.org.au/http://www.nationalspeakers.asn.au/The thing with speaking as with writing is there are masses of opportunities, in this instance, groups looking for presenters.

Initially there’s no need to approach presenting as a source of direct revenue. It could quite easily develop into this, but at the outset its value is in exposure to an audience of dream clients.

While these days I do a fair bit of professional speaking, I also still talk to a handful of groups each year for free.

A few weeks ago it was a networking group of professional businesswomen. They all run their own micro business. I didn’t get a fee for talking, but I did get:


- A couple of hundred dollars from the sale of books and CD’s - Two new clients for my coaching practice - 34 email addresses to add to Flying Solo’s newsletter database

...and I’ve have sown the seed for some word-of-mouth referrals. Not bad for an hour’s work in the company of fifty lovely women.

- start a podcast or vodcast

Most soloists enjoy talking to people and sharing knowledge and advice. If you fancy yourself as the modern day equivalent of a radio or television presenter, recording some audio or video is worthy of consideration. Indeed you may well prefer this to the notion of writing and presenting.

As with many of these ideas, some time spent researching on Google is a very useful and informative activity. Try signing up to other people’s podcasts or vodcasts and get a good taste of how it’s done.

- run inhouse groups

Another fine way to get in front of an ideal audience is to approach organisations who have a good smattering of your target market in their ranks and offer to run a small inhouse workshop for them.

Using our guinea pig, Paul Gett again, he may well have some

success with the ‘older executive’ sector by running some small events at a local golf club or sailing club, or running a little promotion for corporations with a mature Board of Directors.

- launch a seminar series

Taking things a step further, the logical extension of a program of presenting is to develop a seminar series and really get moving on a totally new income stream.

For many it’s the natural pinnacle following a period of related activities.

Hate presenting?

Be the host and get other experts to speak on relevant topics, or set up a panel and play the part of the facilitator.

Instant challenge!

Jot down five product ideas your Dream Clients would love.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.




Once you’ve got them, keep them!

14

Hopefully I have succeeded in enticing you to get right into the topic of recognising and attracting Dream Clients.

As I said early on, it can take a while to totally fill your business with such wonderful people, but it will happen…if you give the concept due focus and attention.

Finally a word or two on retention of clients. Don’t rest on you laurels once you have attracted your ideal clients, getting them is one thing, keeping them is another.

Always stay one step ahead. Constantly research and ask questions of your clients as hot buttons can and do change. Keep your Opinion-o-Meter on a ‘sensitive’ setting.

Think about the future needs of your clients: what’s coming up for them and how can you help and support.

Most of all, enjoy your clients. Have fun and they’ll have fun. We all like to spend time with those who are enjoying life.

For more information visit Flying Solo, Australia’s online community for solo & micro business. Here you’ll find a rapidly growing collection of well over 500 expert articles on starting out, marketing & more: www.flyingsolo.com.au

For more great reports, please consider joining the community at Flying Solo. Membership is FREE, just head to: www.flyingsolo.com.au/join

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