New customers help a business increase revenue. Having consistent sales in a business can help reduce stress, avoid burnout, and create more security. Often, business leaders assume that any customer willing to pay would be a good for their business.
That’s not the case.
If you have been a business leader for any amount of time, there’s no doubt you have had customers you regretted taking on as clients. They want more than they paid for, they’re always complaining about the little things, they derail your focus, and they take up too much of your valuable time.
If you’re going to experience growth this year and beyond, don’t onboard just any clients. Make sure you’re building your customer base with ideal clients that understand the value of what you offer and that respect your business.
Better Clients
No matter what kind of business leader you are, working with your ideal target customer will make what you do feel easier.
You’ll be excited about calls, you’ll feel challenged mentally, and your business will flourish because you’ll be spending your time doing what brings you fulfillment. It will help you get in touch with your vision and purpose for being a business leader.
Ideal customers pay more and understand the value of what you offer. They don’t try to nickel and dime you.
To fill your client list with ideal customers, it requires clarity on your part. You have to know who your ideal customer is and have a clear understanding of what makes them the right fit for your business.
It’s knowing who would make the best partner for your value, goals, vision, purpose, and the mission statement of your business.
Client Acquisition
It’s not uncommon to see consumers looking to get products or services for ridiculously low prices. The creation of Fiverr, Canva, Upwork, and other freelance platforms has business leaders thinking they can get premium services for next to nothing.
For you, as a business leader providing these types of products and services, it can be deeply frustrating. You want to be paid for the value you provide. The issue is that you’re looking for business in the wrong places.
Your goal should be to reach potential customers that understand the value of what you provide. You should be targeting a customer base in which you are creating awareness for them.
Online, everybody knows everything and they think they can get it done for close to free. Too many businesses are making money but not building anything real, or lasting. They don’t understand the value of investing back into what they’re building.
Strategies such as personal development are not prioritized, even though they should be. Graphics, websites, sales copy, and common business necessities such as liability insurance, an attorney, an accountant (and so on) aren’t utilized by a majority of entrepreneurs.
These are all essential in a solid business, but they’re not seen as a necessity. The type of people who have this philosophy are not your ideal clients. The person whose first question is, “How much will it cost?” would not make a great customer.
A Different Path
Stop chasing customers who don’t get it. Don’t get involved with clients who think the concept of R.O.I. is simply a dollar amount they can get back from working with you.
Target your ideal customer base to create awareness of what you do and why it’s important. When you create awareness and offer a solution to the awareness you’ve created, you’re reaching the best type of client.
You do this through the content you publish on social media, on your blog, through your email list, in media appearances, and by showing up in your local community.
This is permission-based marketing done well. You’re adding value, building trust, and showing expertise in the places that bring consumers to you — instead of you chasing them.
Get Specific
If you don’t know who your ideal target customer is, figure out:
- Who they are.
- What they do.
- What their pain points are.
- Where they do business.
- Where they spend time online.
- How they speak.
The clarity helps you map out a strategy to reach your ideal customers, in the places they are, and in the way they’ll respond. It will make them feel like you’re talking directly to them.
Don’t worry about excluding those who are not the right fit. Your goal should be to become a big fish in a little pond, and a little research will show you where better potential customers are.
Building a business is about more than numbers. Your goal should be to build something you enjoy and attract customers you enjoy working with. Don’t spend any of your time hustling to prove your worth to clients that aren’t the right fit. Save your energy for the ones who deserve you.