Who are you looking for? Five ways to appeal to the right kind of clients.

We all know what it’s like to work with the perfect client; they’re easy to communicate with, have similar values, and your services match their business needs perfectly. Bliss.

However, working with a less than perfect client is exhausting, and no one wants that. So, how do you find clients that are a joy to work with, or better still, how can you encourage them to find you? Here are five ways to ensure the right businesses seek you out.

1. Conduct a client audit.

Internal and external client audits will help you understand what motivated your current clients to work with you.

For your external audit, ask current clients that are a good fit why they chose you and not your competition; uncover their perceptions of your service and your approach to business. If they’re worth their salt, they’ll wholly support your questions and take the time to answer.?

Internally, revisit?the scenarios that brought those current clients to your door. Which of those work well and which don’t? Look for patterns in how they came to you, and use this knowledge to attract more of what you want.

You can also look to your?own values, attitudes and mindset. Are there similarities between your qualities and those of your ‘A star’ clients? If you had to describe those clients, what would you say? And finally, involve your team. What are their values? Which clients work for them? And are their answers aligned with yours? If not, you’ve got a problem.

2. Build in a screening process.

Use your client audit results to develop a front-end screening process or ideal client profile that all prospects have to undergo or meet before you work with them. You could use an online survey quizzing the client about their motivation, mindset or business needs, or it could be a simple conversation over coffee to get a feel for the business and the results they’re looking for.

Whatever you use, be guided by it every time you encounter a new prospect; if they don’t fit, don’t take them on.

3. Conduct a marketing audit.

Analyse and critically assess your previous marketing efforts and digital footprint to discover what worked and what didn’t. Are you explicit enough in who you want to work with? Does your advertising evoke the right sector, the perfect business size or individuals with the ideal mindset? Take a look at your website, too. Are you providing sufficient clues to visitors to show who you want to talk with?

If your comms and website aren’t aimed at the right audience, you’ve little chance of attracting the right prospects. And don’t forget to look for the obvious. We don’t want to hear, “we get our best clients from Facebook. They’re normally spot on, although we tend not to advertise there”. Knowing where you get your best clients is valuable information; use it to your advantage.

4. Be pitch-perfect.

Do you ever feel unprepared when a prospect calls and asks, “why should I choose you?” If so, the likelihood is you’ll stumble over your words, won’t make a good job of selling yourself, or imply something that’s just not you. However, if you have a ready-prepared answer, you have a decent foundation for getting a good client. If what you say resonates with them, great! If not, even if you’ve delivered your answer clearly and confidently, they’re not for you.

5. Referrals and testimonials.

Encourage your favourite clients to refer you but be clear about why you chose them in the first place so they can vet the referral themselves too; whether it’s the services they require, their sector, or their business outlook, they may know others in a similar position to themselves.

And finally, request testimonials from clients who fit your ideal. Ask specific questions to ensure you receive answers that particularly appeal to your ideal prospect. This means you can control the profile you display.

At Insight101, we can help you attract your ideal clients by building your branding and marketing strategy around them. Want to know more? Complete our contact form, email us, or call us on 01278 393970.?