5 Steps to Redefining Your Ideal Client When No One Is Buying
Have you ever put together a fantastic piece of content or lead magnets for your audience, and not one single person opted-in?
Or what about those life-changing offers you stayed up until 3 am perfecting because you knew this is what your tribe was needing and waiting for, not one person signed up?
If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. I have (raises hand), and I can tell you it is the worst feeling. And I won't even go into the Jedi tricks my mind would start with like "I knew they wouldn't sign up" or "maybe you are not cut out for this."
As an entrepreneur just starting out, I lived on the deserted island between if she can do it, so can I, and desperation isle. And it didn't help that I followed every coach and guru and their coaches and gurus to what I hoped would be the promised land filled with endless paying clients but end up more like one large credit card bill and the annoying debt collectors calling me for their money.
It wasn't until I started to focus on who I wanted to serve and what they needed most. I will be completely transparent and admit that I skipped right over the part when my many coaches said I needed to drill down my target audience.
Instead, I created what I felt like they needed, and that was where I failed time and time again. But when I finally got tired of hearing crickets and decided to learn more about my ideal client, things started to change for the better.
My email list started to grow, I began converting my ideal clients into paying customers, and I finally found my tribe, who showed and was ready for all I had to offer.
So what did I do differently?
I took the time to redefine my target audience and what I found was truly mindblowing. I didn't have one ideal client; I had two.
There I was creating content with both of them in mind, and what I needed to separate them and get super clear and specific on what was offering them each of them but separately.
For example, one of my ideal clients, Janet, is in the startup phase of her business. Janet is a content writer/editor whose ideal clients are business coaches and speakers who want to write their first books. Unfortunately, Janet struggles to attract business coaches and speakers online who want to write their first book.
The content/lead magnets/offers that I would create for Janet would all be about attracting clients and list building.
My second ideal client, we will call her Lisa is in the scale-up phase. Lisa is working with paying clients, but she is on what I like to call the hamster wheel of marketing. When Lisa needs money or clients she is promoting/launching, she works with those clients. When those clients are done, she is back on that hamster wheel of promoting and launching. The way Lisa is running her business is burning her out.
The content/lead magnets/offers I would create for Lisa are marketing automation and funnels.
I learned that you could have more than one ideal client, but you cannot market to them the same way. However, when you know your ideal client(s), you can create compelling content that speaks directly to their issues, problems, and pain points.
When you know who you serve, it's so much easier to create an offer that will address their needs and make it easier for your ideal clients to understand why they should work with you.
Imagine how amazing it would be to put out valuable content that will leave your ideal clients wanting more.
If you are struggling to get clients and you hear crickets when you put out new content, a lead magnet, or an offer, there is a good chance you are not super clear on who you serve or what they want and need.
The following five steps will help you get super clear on your ideal client(s). And remember to think only about one ideal client at a time because you can have more than one.
1) Who do you serve?
How old is your Ideal Client? This can be an age range like (18 - 30 or 25 - 50, etc.).
What is the gender of your ideal client?
is your client male or female. This will make all the difference in your marketing message. The way you sell to women is different from the way you would sell to men. If you serve both men and women, be sure your marketing message speaks to both genders.
What does your ideal client do for a living? Is she/he a corporate professional? Is she a stay-at-home mom? Is she/he a small business owner?
What is your ideal client personally interested in? Does she like fashion? Is he into sports? How do they spend their time online?
2) What are your client's goals and aspirations?
What do they want more than anything? Does she want to lose weight or get healthier? Does he enjoy more personal freedom or career change?
3) What does your client secretly fear?
Is she afraid to tell her story? Is she scared of failure or success? Does he fear commitment?
4) What problems are your ideal client having?
Does she have health issues due to her being overweight? Is his relationship in jeopardy?
Will she have to get a job if her business doesn't work out?
5) Where does your ideal client hang out?
Does she spend most of her time on Facebook or Instagram? Is he mainly on LinkedIn?
6) How will you help them?
What is your solution to their problem? What can you create or maybe already have (course, program, product) to help them? The solution you provide is their big win.
Now, what can you take from or create that relates to your course, program, or product that can solve a small part of their problem quickly right now? I like to call this an instant (small) win.
An instant (small) win could be:
CheckList of healthy replacement foods to help you lose your first 5 lbs.
Rock your Facebook Livestream in 5 simple steps.
Learn how to meditate in just 5 mins per day.
The instant (small) wins are lead magnets you can use to attract your ideal client that will lead them to your offer funnel, where you will offer them the big win solution.
These quick instant wins will help show your ideal client not only that they are capable of solving their bigger problem, but it also shows them that you are the person to help them solve it.
Be sure that your instant win ties back to the big win, your solution, the course, program, and product you will sell to them.
If you feel as if you have another ideal client(s) after following the above steps, go through steps 1-6 and create your send client avatar.
Answering the above questions will help you understand your ideal client(s) better to create content, lead magnets, and offers to serve them better. Feel free to download my FREE perfect client worksheet here.
I would love to hear from you! Please leave a comment below, letting me know about your ideal client experience.