Working with clients that aren’t a great fit can feel a lot like a dysfunctional relationship. Everyone is unhappy, no one feels understood, and try as we might, things rarely ever turn out good on the first try (or second, or third…).
So, you fall back on the same old question.
The one keeping every business owner up at night.
How do I attract clients that I will actually like working with?
But guess what? It really isn’t as complicated as you might think.
Attracting your ideal client doesn’t have to be mind-boggling. With the help of 1 tool, you’ll be able to successfully attract and convert your dream clients.
It starts with the most important step…
Know Your Ideal Client
If I asked you to describe your ideal client, what would you say?
“LOT’S of money they LOVE spending on my products/services!”
Ha ha, very funny…
But in all seriousness, can you honestly answer this question in detail?
Because, if you don’t know who your ideal client is (what makes them tick, what winning looks like for them, or what their budget will look like)—it’s nearly impossible to attract them.
So, if “lots of money” is the only determining factor for your ideal client, I suggest you check out the Customer Avatar Worksheet.
This holy grail tool reviews all the essential information you need to know about your clients so you can begin to build a better relationship with them.
Use this resource to get inside your ideal client’s headspace by thinking about their goals and aspirations, challenges and pain points, possible objections, and more.
If you find yourself scratching you head, unable to answer the questions on this sheet, that’s a great indication that you need to do more research. This can mean a lot of different things, but I submit to you that the best way to get to know your ideal client is to…
…wait for it….
Talk to them!
Chances are you’ve already got 1 or 2 clients that love the services you offer. These advocates are the people you want to model your customer avatar after because with little to no effort, they’ve already fallen in love with your company. These are your ideal clients.
Remember; the foundation of any great relationship (business or otherwise) starts with getting to know someone.
Meet Your Ideal Client Where They’re At
Every client you work with is going to be unique in their needs, processes, and products they sell.
Luckily, there’s one thing all your ideal clients are bound to have in common… They’re all online.
With 2.6 billion active monthly users on Facebook, and an ungodly number of google searches per month (even though 1 million of those searches per month are, in fact, searching for “god”), your perfect client is bound to be online.
Online advertising is the most time efficient chance you have at connecting with your ideal customer. With a few Google ads and a Facebook campaign or 2, you’ll be able to drum up a fair number of leads every month.
Your Customer Avatar can help inform your ad and keyword targeting, and while it’s unlikely that every lead will fit the criteria of your ideal client, you will find some.
But, how do you create ads that resonate with and attract your ideal client?
Appeal to Their Current Situation
Above all else, people want to be heard, understood, and cared about.
Think about the last argument you got into with your friend or spouse. If you strip away all the nuance, you’ll probably find that the argument stemmed from someone feeling ignored, misunderstood, or not cared for in some way.
The same principal applies to your marketing campaigns.
Good marketing calls out to an audience and makes them feel understood, heard, and cared for.
Take, for example, the Harmon Brothers viral video ads for brands like Squatty Potty, Lume, and Poo-Pourri.
Every one of their sensational videos starts by calling out the customers before state: that is, the current problem that the customer is facing.
By detailing the situation and emotions surrounding the before state, it shows that the brand heard, understood and cared about the customer. They know the struggles their customer is going through, and they want to help!
Doing the same in your ads (and not just your video ads), will help build a strong connection between you and your ideal client.
You can use your Customer Avatar to help identify frustrations and fears that your client is experiencing.
But once you point out the before state, it’s important to show the after state.
Show Them What Winning with You Will Look Like
You’ve pointed out your client’s problems, but you shouldn’t leave them hanging too long.
This is where lots of marketers make a grave mistake: They jump right to listing out product specs or services.
Here’s the thing…
Your client doesn’t care about your product (harsh, but true). They care about what your product can do for them. The care about the transformation.
Your job isn’t to point out all the problems. Effective marketing shows how your product or service will help your customer transition from the before state to an ideal after state.
Products don’t convert clients, transformations do.
So, think about your clients ideal after state.
How will they feel once they’ve accomplished their goal using your services? What will their day to day look like after taking advantage of your product/service? What will they have time to do now that you’re working with them?
What will have changed?
These are the things you want to focus on in your advertising.
If you can show your clients their ideal after state, they’ll be dying to work with you.
One more time for the people in the back… don’t sell your product, sell the transformation.
Prove Your Worth
If you’ve effectively used the before and after states in your ads, your ideal client will be primed and ready to take the next step.
So, what do you do? You show them an offer that’s easy to say yes to.
Don’t make the mistake that your amazing campaign will have your client ready to spend millions on your products… you might be good, but no one is that good.
You need to give yourself an opportunity to prove your worth to your client. The best way to do that is by asking for a micro-commitment and over performing.
This is where Lead Magnets come into play. Lead Magnets are a great way to offer immense value to your customer with little-to-no risk on their end.
The Lead Magnet shouldn’t be your main offer, but it should be the natural first step towards your main offer. It should provide a quick win.
By asking a little, and delivering a lot, you client knows that you’re aware of their problems, and you’re serious about delivering results that help them overcome these problems.
If you can get to know your customer, meet them where they are at, and show them that your product will help them transform, you won’t just attract your ideal client, you’ll convert them too.
