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Make It Real October 2008
News and Views from Clarity to Business, LLC
Discover what you love. Build your business. Prosper. | |
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Greetings!
Yay Halloween! It's my favorite holiday because I get to pretend I'm someone else. This year I'm going as a (dead) prom queen. How about you?
While we're both pretending to be someone else, the Puppet and I want you to think about whether you're happy with the way you're ending 2008 in your business. If you'd like to do something bigger, different, or perhaps more challenging and scary in 2009, call me to set up a complimentary coaching session.
Below, I talk about how to find your perfect clients. Next month, I'll help you choose three marketing activities to focus on in the coming year. In December, I'll show you how to take inventory of the good and not-so-good in 2008, so you can make changes in 2009.
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Picture Perfect Clients
There are two parts to working with your perfect clients. First, you have to know who they are. Then you have to know how and where to find them. Let's talk about getting to know who your perfect clients really are.
It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking we can serve everyone. Take my business, for instance. Everyone needs a business coach, right? I may think so, but it's not true. Okay, it's true that everyone needs a coach. But not everyone wants one.
 My perfect clients are deeply committed to their businesses, have 0 to 10 employees, are ready to change, need help figuring out their marketing programs, want someone to be accountable to and to help them understand and use their business numbers, and can afford me. (And likes puppets!" adds the Puppet, who's very proud of her ghost costume [see photo].)
So how do I find these perfect clients?
There are two kinds of information in the above description of my perfect clients: demographic, and psychographic. Demographic information gets reported in the U. S. Census and in other government reports--objective data such as address, zip code, income, type of business, and in my case, the number of employees the business has. I could get a list of every business that has 0-10 employees in any zip code in the U.S., for under fifty cents per name and phone number. You can go to InfoUSA or Zapdata to purchase this demographic information about your prospective clients.
Psychographic data describes how the client (or prospect) feels, if they're ready for change, and want someone to be accountable to. This type of data also shows what's important to the client, what they expect when they do business with you, etc. Psychographic data is a lot harder to get and more expensive (with a few exceptions) because the researcher has to interview people directly.
Have you ever answered the phone either at your business or at home and allowed the person on the other end to ask you detailed survey questions about your preferences for a specific kind of food or bank or entertainment? That was a market research firm gathering your psychographic data.
If this data is so expensive, how do you get it? Ask your existing clients.
I went to a seminar recently put on by a company called Maximum Business Advantage. The company gave us a list of some provocative questions to ask our customers. You can get the whole list by going to their website, but here are two that will get you started:
1. What is important to you, our customer?
2. What do you value about us/our business?
If you don't have customers yet, (or those you have aren't perfect customers), or if you're not sure who your perfect customer is, check out Attracting Perfect Customers by Stacey Hall and Jan Brogniez.
This book is heavy on the law of attraction and other concepts you may find a bit woo-woo, but the part about envisioning your perfect client is useful. The book also forces you to think about the types of psychographic data your perfect customers care about, and to describe your version of the perfect client.
If you haven't ever sat down and analyzed who your perfect customers are, now is the time. Call me at (602) 561-8499 if you need help. |
| Tip of the Month
Try this: Call your two best clients and ask them questions one and two, above. If you're feeling really strong and confident, ask them this question as well: "What one thing would you change to improve your experience with us?" (Credit goes to Maximum Business Advantage for this question too). This will give you insight into what is important to your perfect clients.
Warning: If you get feedback about things your perfect clients want you to change, act on it. Nothing destroys trust faster than getting feedback from someone important to you, that you ignore.
Email me your experiences and I'll incorporate them in future newsletters. | |
Meet Lynne C. White, a general contractor in Seattle, WA. Lynne builds beautiful homes that are a work of art. A rare combination of artist and contractor, she brings a creative sensibility to every house she builds or remodels. Although most of my newsletter subscribers don't live in Seattle, I'm spotlighting Lynne because she's another example of someone earning a living doing the work she loves.
If I lived in Seattle, I would buy this project she just finished. If you're lucky enough to live there, this might be your dream house! Check out the photos.
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