Knowing your clients is critical to your business success. Successful marketing and getting clients start with your ability to put yourself in your clients’ shoes – to truly understand who they are and what they need.
The truth is: knowing your clients really well, is the beginning of an upward spiral: the better you know them, the better you can tailor your marketing message, the better clients will relate to it, making it easier for you to attract them and convert them into paying clients.
To help you create this positive upward spiral in your business, here are a couple of things to know about your clients:
1) Who are they? Everyone talks about the importance of defining a target audience…your ideal client…yet very few businesses actually do it. However, the clearer you are about who you work with, the easier it will be to identify places to find them.
2) Where do they spend their time? Knowing where they spend their time, helps you to also be present – either in person or via your marketing materials.
3) What do they struggle with? Every business has a number of frustrations and struggles that they want to get rid of. What are those struggles for your clients as it pertains to what you do? Knowing what they struggle with can help you position your business to become their problem solver.
4) Why are they struggling with it? There is always a reason why people struggle with something. E.g. do they have these struggles due to time constraints or lack of specific knowledge and skills or lack of technology and equipment? Finding the reasons can help you tailor your marketing message.
5) Why would they work with you? Do you stand out from your competitors? What will be the deciding factor to help your clients decide that you are the one to work with?
6) When do they need your services? Understanding when a client needs your services means that you can approach him at the right moment to maximize the chance of a sale, e.g. if you provide financial services you can start advertising your tax related expertise during the start of tax season increasing the likelihood of attracting clients searching for tax help and advice.
7) What do they expect when working with you? Understanding client expectations means you can encourage a positive customer experience from the start and maximize the chance of repeat business. E.g. when you know they expect to be kept in the loop about the project, you can bring that into your very first client conversation to put them at ease about working with you. Then ensure you do that to retain their business.
8) What are their top 3-5 priorities? The more information you have on what your clients’ top priorities are, the better you will know how to speak to them and understand how you can help them.
Knowing your clients is a powerful way to propel your business forward. It allows you to make positive changes in your own business to accommodate their unique and varied needs. This helps you stand out and makes you much more client attractive.
