By the end of my coaching calls, usually both my client and I have big smiles on our faces. 🌟 Successes celebrated! Challenges addressed! Game plans created! 🌟
I know I am fortunate. I look forward to every meeting or call and enjoy these interactions with clients who often have become good friends.
It hasn’t always been sunshine, unicorns and roses. I have had clients in the past who were difficult to work with – who weren’t prepared or weren’t committed enough to do the work that was necessary to grow their businesses.
Over the years, I’ve gotten much better at recognizing who will be a good fit and bring me joy. I like to think I do the same for them.
What’s the key to attracting clients who are the perfect fit?
Step One: Create and maintain an energetic prospect/outreach list.
This simple and effective list becomes energetic by WHO you add to it. Many business professionals don’t create or maintain such a list. Without clear direction on your prospects, you are less likely to attract and acquire new clients you love!
How the list is maintained is not important. Use a CRM, spreadsheet or basic legal pad – it really doesn’t matter. The fact that you’ve created your ideal client list is what’s critical.
Note that my suggestions for creating this list are tailored for service-based business professionals who have direct and regular contact with their clients or customers. Also, I’m also going to assume you already have an idea of who your ideal client is – your “client avatar”, if you will. If you don’t, I recommend you take time soon to get very clear on the characteristics that make up your ideal client – whether it’s a consumer or business.
To create your powerful list, consider each of these categories and brainstorm who should be added.
- Past Clients/Customers – Professionals miss out on a goldmine of revenue by not keeping in contact with their existing biggest fans. These are people you already have helped in the past. Start with the people who already love you and the ones you really loved working with. Don’t even consider putting people on this list you didn’t enjoy or have a good experience with.
- Past Prospects – Who has been interested in working with you in the past but for one reason or another did not move forward with you at the time? So often if you go back to these people for a conversation, they will be open to it. Sometimes they’re embarrassed to contact you because they didn’t hire you the first time. On your end, don’t take it personally that they didn’t hire you. Often the timing just isn’t right.
- The “A” Listers – Who do you know that you really like and know you’d like to work with? It’s as simple as this. Sometimes people just need to be invited to a conversation. They need you and your services but are too busy, too distracted, or hesitant to admit they need help. Here’s where you can get creative! Think about people you come across in all aspects of your life – not just business, but maybe with your kids, in your social groups, or acquaintances you share hobbies with. I’ve met so many people through my hiking group!
- Networking Contacts – Think about people who already work with your ideal client. Who are people in YOUR business sphere who might refer business to you if they knew you better. Who could YOU refer your clients to? Add those people to your list. Set up 1:1 conversations with these contacts. People who network expect those connection requests and usually are open to a good connection call.
An example to get you thinking: I work with many small business owners. There are often times when they need legal advice, a good accountant, or a social media marketing expert. I know the basics in these areas, but it’s important to me to also know experts in these fields. I want to be a valuable resource to my clients in numerous ways. So – I have a bunch of contacts in my back pocket to refer clients to, should the right situation arise. By getting your name out there and networking, others will refer their clients (your ideal client) to YOU!
- Your Ideal Client’s Hangouts – Don’t stop at individuals. Think of groups where your ideal client or customer or potential referral partner (as I just described) hang out. Do your research. Even if you think you have the pulse on your local business groups and associations, new groups pop up all the time. Existing groups can change drastically with new leadership. Consider online opportunities. Think beyond business to identify those potential groups:
- Alumni associations
- Amateur sports groups
- Special interest gatherings
đź’• There is your Clients-You-Love List Strategy! đź’•
Now CREATE THE LIST! Give yourself an hour to work on it. You’d be surprised how fast the names come to mind. I sat down recently to work on my list and came up with 50 names in 20 minutes. All of whom made me smile when I thought about working with them.
For immediate impact, once you have your list, highlight the top 10 people you know you’d love to work with and contact them within the next week!
Need help with how to reach out and what to say? I’ll be sharing those tips in Step Two for attracting clients you love in my next blog post. Stay tuned!
I recently discussed Step One in a Live for my private Facebook group, Streamlined Business Strategies. Here’s the recording if you’d like to give it a watch: 3 Keys to Attracting Clients You Love – Part 1: Outreach