Ways to Find Customers – Who are your 'Ideal Clients'

Don't sell to everybody

Many sales professionals and business owners are trying to sell to everyone they come across. While putting much time and effort into it, they forget that it's often easier and more profitable to sell to a certain and selected kind of person, or company.

By marketing yourself directly to your 'ideal clients,' you are maximizing the time and energy you spend in your business, find customers faster and therefore increasing your profits.

So let's sit down and explore who your ideal clients are.

Define your ideal client

To start the process, think about your current clients. Do you have favorites, and if so why? Are there clients that give you your desired profit without taking too much, or hardly any, of your time? Who are these people and what makes them ideal? Is there a certain industry they are in? Is location a factor? Do these people have a common character trait? What kind of positions do they hold or what is their financial situation?

Part of this exercise includes exploring the problems and challenges your clients may be facing; targeting those that your product and/or service can help or overcome. Which solutions can you offer to them? How can you be of assistance to them?

The more specific your definition, the easier it will be for you to find customers. Some people use this technique when they buy their dream home. They define exactly what they want, up to the smallest detail. They visualize it, and generally find exactly the home they were looking for.

If it works for them, it can also work for you. To help you with this exercise ask yourself the following questions:

To find customers, define your ideal ones:

· Where do they live and work?

· What hobbies and interests do they have?

· What groups or organizations do they belong to?

· What types of people do they like and mix with?

· What character traits do they possess?

· What is their financial situation?

· Where do they shop?

· What other professional services do they require?

· What do they read?

· What's their age and sex?

Also:

· What challenges do they face?

· What problems do they have?

Once you have the answer to all these points you can then go and position yourself in ways that your ideal client will find you. While it is important for you to find customers, it is as important that your customers can find you!

Be aware that your ideal client profile can change over time. So update it on a regular basis. It's very important that you visualize your target very clearly, because the clearer you can see it, the more likely you are to hit it.

I suggest you write one paragraph about your ideal client. Please spend some time on this exercise and make sure you are happy with your definition.