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Finding your ideal client – part deux
You may recall a post on the blog where I ranted and railed against using physical appearance to determine your ideal client. I’m very much against doing so, and I was pretty vocal about it. (Like I am with most things. Vocal is “my bag” you know.)
We have the second installment (of four) over on the Thriving Business Blog by Yvonne Weld dealing with finding your ideal client. I was relieved, it has nothing to do with checking out what kind of shoes they are wearing or how scuffed they are.
She actually talks about my very favorite part of the client finding process. “The Art of Conversation” – it is, of course, my favorite part because oh…do I conversate! (Yes I said conversate, and I did it on purpose. Cringe, english teachers of the world, cringe!)
I think this post is dead on with some beginner tips to really being able to have a conversation that goes beyond the “how many kids do YOU have?” banter that people can feel good about, but isn’t powerful enough to form an emotional connection (and an emotional connection closes deals, my friends.)
One of the questions (What, did you think I was just going to repost it? You are all closet plagarists.)
“Is there a lifestyle that is important for your ideal client to possess?”
So once you’ve chosen your target based on part one, now you’re going to talk to them. This, in my opinion, is where most people make the big mistakes. They stand and nod and wait for the right time to give the elevator speech, not realizing that the bonding process that happens through asking questions and learning more about someone (and letting them talk about themselves, of course!) is the true way to get them involved and engaged in what you have to sell…yes, before they even know what you do.
I think my favorite part of Yvonne’s blog post is the clarity of purpose. You don’t just ask rapid fire questions, and it’s not even necessary to if you would rather…
…get the same result by simply carrying on a conversation and learning about them and their lifestyle.
Finding clients isn’t as difficult as you might think. Especially if you are in an industry or niche where your job helps the business owner you work with make more money.
- Virtual Assistants take mundane tasks off the plate of the business owner – allowing them to get more clients and make more money.
- Marketers sell the concept or idea of the business to others, bring in more prospects for the business owner, and the business owner can then close those deals and make more money.
- Graphic Designers create online or offline ads or pleasing web graphics that make the business owner look good and raise the odds that the prospect will call and become a client.
I cannot think of one B2B service based industry that could not use this reasoning to close more deals. (Feel free to correct me if you think of one.)
Even if you turn out to be master of the deal, and close everyone you talk to…all you’re doing is creating the biggest headache of your life if you haven’t screened them for being a decent fit for you and your business.
Technorati Tags: yvonne weld, thriving business blog, blog conversation, conversation, ideal client, service industry, getting clients
