Let's meet someone special.

Let me introduce you to someone special. Let’s call them ‘A’ for simplicity.

‘A’ is generally aged between 35 and 55. They work at the managerial level in a security capacity, and sometimes feel that they aren't achieving what they could. Worse, they are frustrated by their inability to get their organisation to see their value and have even entertained thoughts of leaving the industry entirely. The problem is, they aren't sure what else they can do. They may have always worked in security or transitioned in from another role, including the uniformed services.

If they are self-employed, they live in a constant state of anxiety over their financial state and general resilience. They work all hours for penny-pinching clients who have high demands in return for giving out contracts, who often pay late and who demand deep discounts or 'added value'.

They earn between ￡40 and ￡90k and are not especially motivated by money, although financial security for themselves and their loved ones is naturally important to them. This makes their current career state much harder to accept, but they cannot see a way out of it.

They own their own house (with a moderate mortgage outstanding) and drive a mid-level executive style car that is a couple of years old. They do not allow either of these facts to define them. They enjoy travel and seek out holiday locations where they can have peace and privacy.

They come from a working-class background. They might have a degree or a certification or two. If they do not have a formal education, they are not hostile to the idea of getting one. They do not take the accomplishments of others as a personal attack on them.

They focus on what is within their ability without worrying about what others are doing, or 'should' be doing. They mind their own business in this regard. They remain on the topic of a conversation and can think critically about it without making it about something else. They are not especially religious and do not invoke it as a means for judging, advising, blaming or crediting anyone or anything else. They have no problem with other people being religious but prefer that they keep it to themselves.

They value knowledge, competence and straight-talk. They are comfortable with tough love and a direct approach to conflict. They believe in merit and that the quality of a person's character is more important than any other characteristic that may define them. They are impossible to offend because they are in full control of their emotional state. They tend to be private people rather than those who post every misfortune that befalls them on social media for ‘engagement’. They have fierce integrity and are comfortable with others who do too.

They are willing to invest in those who have expertise and realise the value of building relationships with such people. They make commitments to themselves that they keep above any other. If 'their word is their bond', 'their word to themselves' is the primary promise they keep. They recognise that they are accountable for their own lives and are comfortable shouldering the responsibility for their decisions without complaint.?They perform brilliantly when they have a clear goal but can drift and lose focus without the occasional reorientation. They believe in contribution as a core metric for their own value and are unconcerned with how this is considered by others. They are pragmatic and believe that they have a duty to dissent rather than meekly going along with the herd because this is expected of them. They prefer to focus on value and results.

They are comfortable in their own company, and being the focus of their own thoughts. They are neither happy nor unhappy with their lives; knowing that neither are relevant, and both are transitory. They are fully present when they are with loved ones, rather than being distracted by lesser concerns. They have a darker sense of humour and can find humour in almost all situations. They especially enjoy irony as a reminder of how ridiculous our world is.

They love food, and because of this, they need to look after themselves physically. They know that this is essential to any other success in their lives because it IS their life. They got out of shape over the last few years and are working hard to remedy the mistake. As a result, they eat out perhaps once per month and have a small number of core places that they enjoy. They love a good steak and perhaps a nice glass of Merlot. They like a good whisky but are far from a connoisseur.

They do not follow team sports and prefer to engage directly in pastimes themselves, often where they are in competition with themselves. They do not turn on a TV unless it is to enjoy a box-set or a specific movie. They enjoy crime movies and comedies, as well as a strong character-driven story. Whatever they watch as entertainment, they want social politics kept out of it. They like a wide range of music, especially rock from the '90's. They read widely but are very selective in their choice of the author because the time they get to read is too precious to waste. They enjoy nature and prefer wide-open spaces.

This is because they love peace and quiet, stillness and being ‘in the moment’. They hate unnecessary noise, attention-seeking and a lack of consideration. They believe that society is worth protecting and that it is more important than any one individual or group. In broader terms, they believe that security as an occupation chose them, and they are comfortable with a life in service of that aim. As a result, they are willing to commit time, money and effort to becoming as good at it as they can be.

?So, that was 'A'. How do they sound? A lot of detail there, right? Took me quite a while to find them.

?'A' is my ideal client, and I would consider them one of my most valued connections.

Of course, You can take everything I said about A and create another avatar called ‘B’. B is the exact opposite of A, and someone I absolutely do not want to do business with. There is no amount of money that would make me work with them. I turn down a lot of work from B's as a result, and my life is a lot better as a result.

The point of all this?

Know your ideal clients. Know everything you can about them. That will make them easier to find, won’t it?

I am building out TWO new 1-1 coaching programmes for security management practitioners who sound a lot like A. One is for security executives, one is for self-employed security consultants. Both will launch next year. Get in touch today to learn more.