I always ask a new coaching client to spend a little time jotting down the things that would make a client their ‘ideal’ client.
Their list tends to start with all sorts of descriptive information like what the client does and where they are. If it’s an individual, this includes age, whether they’re male or female and how well off they are. If it’s a business, how big it is, how many staff, the likely turnover and so on.
At this point, I then ask them to think of an actual person an individual client or someone within a client company that they love working with … someone who in fact they would say is their ‘ideal client’ or customer.
Feel free to play along here … take a minute or two to think about this.
Ok, now what is it about that person that makes them your ideal client? Picture them and imagine a typical interaction with them.
Now we’re getting somewhere.
As we shift our awareness in this way, I’m betting you’re now thinking more about how that person behaves, how they treat you and others, what it feels like to be with them. Do you look forward to your meetings, do they challenge you in a good way? Do they have similar social interests or do you have views and opinions in common?
Attitudes, values and behaviours contribute far more to whether our client is ‘ideal’ or not than, say, the business sector they are in or their professional, or any other demographic.
So, consciously including these in your vision of your ideal client is key.
Do this, commit it to paper and revisit it often.
Then see how quickly your ‘ideal’ clients start to turn up … until you reach the point where you are only working with those who are truly the best match for you.
So, tell me, who is your ideal client?
