How To Identify and Attract Your Perfect Clients
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Who you are is who you attract. As a result, your values attract people with similar values, and your beliefs, goals, and mission will be reflected in your customers’ beliefs, goals, and mission. These are the customers that will let you do your absolute best work.
Just because someone liked you and paid you money doesn’t mean they’re your ideal client. I talk to business owners all the time that end up working with clients just for the money and burn out. We’ve all had crappy clients, you know, the clients that make us cringe every time they call us. Clients that don’t appreciate your work or that simply don’t get it.
The goal of the Perfect Client Profile is to eliminate or reduce the number of bad clients, while exponentially increasing the number of good clients that allow you to do your best work.
Your Perfect Client Profile is basically the ideal client you’d like to serve and attract. Developing a clear picture of who your perfect client is is an integral part of your Epic Growth Strategy, which I cover in detail in my book the Client Acquisition Blueprint.
So how do you determine who your Perfect Client is?
Here’s a simple 2 step process that can get you started in determining who your Perfect Client is:
- If you have less than a few hundred clients: Make a list of all your clients, then grade them A, B and C. A is the most enjoyable and easy to work with and turns the highest profit. They value your work, leave you awesome reviews and tell their friends and colleagues about you. All your clients evaluate your performance anyway, now it’s your turn to evaluate whether they’re a good fit for you or not.
- If you have more than a few hundred clients: Try to create a few categories of customers and do the same thing. For example, you might have a wholesale and retail side of your business. On the wholesale side you might serve five different types of businesses. On the retail, you might see 2-3 types of people walk into your store.
- Shortcut: A faster and simpler way to do this is to simply think of your favorite client. The client or customer that makes you happy to see them. When they call, you smile. They rave about you, they bring you more business, and they seldom complain.
Once you have this done, then it’s time to trim the fat and start building an intentional business.
- Cut out the C clients. They’ll free up space and energy for bigger and better things. Don’t be afraid of revenue losses here. You’ll make them back 10x with your Perfect Clients.
- Find ways to bump the B clients to A or cut them off.
- Figure out how to get more of the A clients and seek to understand them better.
You may find that you don’t actually enjoy working with a lot of your existing customer base and it may lead you to rethink and overhaul your business. Great, otherwise your business will eventually fail.
Or you might find that you’re pretty happy with the people you’re serving and you might just add another market segment. A friend of mine owns an event venue and he also hosts his own nightlife events with different musical performances. He’s constantly evaluating which nights perform best, which side of his business produces the most revenue and which one he enjoys the most. He found out that doing corporate events were the most profitable (around $20,000 per event and very little headache) so he created a marketing campaign to attract more of those types of clients. But he has a passion for culture and music, so he still keeps that side of the business running profitably.
Once you’ve got this down, it’s time to get specific with your Perfect Client Profile. Pick a specific person in your A list and ask yourself these broader questions first:
- How did I get this A client?
- Can I get more the same way? Chances are you’re not maximizing that marketing channel.
- Where do their friends hang out?
- Do they buy similar products/services?
- How can I get around more of these A clients?
Then you can get down to the basic and specific details of that Perfect Client. Where they live, what their life is like and how they think. Some marketers call this your customer avatar, buyer persona, or broadly known as your target market. Regardless, they all do the same thing: list out your ideal customer’s qualities. The more detailed you are with these, the easier it will be to identify where they are and how you can attract them to your business.
Here’s a starting point for you: start with the basics, then get deeper into the ones that make sense for your business.
Some questions you can ask directly (“where did you go to school?”) and others you have to just observe, listen, or infer from other things they may tell you.
Some data you might not know how to use just yet, but there might be dots you can connect in the future. It’ll be insight that your competition won’t have because they simply never asked their clients. Consider gathering information about age, marital status, education, occupation, location, family size, income, and interests.
Questions like:
- Do they travel? Where’s the last place they traveled to?
- Who do they listen to for information and news?
- How do they make decisions? As a couple? Do they ask friends, do research to gather all the facts, or trust their instinct?
There are endless questions you can ask and you may wonder: why do some of these matter? They matter to your Perfect Clients. There’s a lot already influencing them so you want to know what those things are. Plus you can also get a more rounded picture of their life.
An example:
- “Do they eat at home or eat out?” This may tell you if they’re busy and always on the move, and the restaurants they visit might give you an indication of income level, as well as the car they drive.
Of course, some things you can infer pretty safely, others you can’t and you have to test your assumptions. The goal is to know them better than they might know themselves. In order to influence someone, you need to know what already influences them.
Once you've established your Perfect Client Profile, you'll have a clearer picture of who you need to target in order to do your best work.
Your Perfect Clients will share the same values, beliefs, goals, and mission as you. By asking the right questions, you will understand what impacts their lives and thus be able to effectively address their issues and needs.
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- How to design an instantly recognizable brand
- The secret to generating all the leads you could ever want - including the Not-So-Obvious questions you need to answer to attract highly qualified, easy-to-work with potential clients.
- The missing piece that can get you off the cash flow rollercoaster and allows you to scale your growth. And a whole lot more!
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Identifying Your Perfect Client Profile
No matter how good your marketing skills are, you just can’t sell tampons to guys. Okay, that was a horrible example, but you get the point, right? Not everyone can be your customer, not even if your product is as awesome as the latest iPhone! That’s because people have different interests, different desires and different income levels. So unless you want your business to stand out, don’t treat people the same way! Connect with those who matter and stop wasting resources on those who don’t!
Here’s a fun exercise to help you visualize the right customer. Today, we’re going to define your Perfect Client Profile. Treat him as someone you want to win over. She could be the pretty girl in the park that you wish to be your girlfriend, or that friend you’ve been meaning to talk to for years. Think of your Perfect Client Profile as a real person. That way, it would be easier for you to treat your customers as actual human beings, rather than restrict your relationship to just sales and boring marketing talk. Nobody loves a salesman, but everyone loves a friend. Choose to be their friend, instead of acting like an online department store!
4 Tips to create your Perfect Client Profile
- List down their demographics and basic information.
This is something that you can extract from their biodata, and LinkedIn accounts. Brainstorm as much information as you can and try to review the current statistics of your subscribers. Start off by naming your PCP. You can have more than one Perfect Client Profile if you like. Choose a gender-sensitive name such as Adam for males or Rose for females. Think of them as the main character of a book you’re supposed to write. You don’t need to be an author to do this, you just need to be imaginative with your story, backed up with facts. Here are some possible questions to help you describe your ideal customer.
- How old are they?
- What’s their civil status?
- Do they have children?
- Where do they live?
- What’s their income level?
- Are they engaged in a specific profession?
- What do they look like?
- Do they own a business? If so, who are they selling to?
2. Make it personal!
Don’t think of your Perfect Client Profile as some statistic that you’re trying to describe. Be more dedicated into connecting with your kind of people by actually assigning him/her a face. You can either grab a photo online, or request one of our expert graphic designers to do this for you!
Now that you know what he looks like, it’s time to dig into his personal details.
- What are his problems?
- What are his dreams?
- What are his financial goals?
- What are his interests, hobbies and skills?
- How many jobs does he have?
- What are his political and religious beliefs?
- Who are his friends?
- Who are his influencers?
3. Avoid being on their bad side
The worst thing you can do as a business is failing to measure up to your customer’s expectations. So don’t just find out what they like, figure out what they don’t like and try your best to avoid those. Also brainstorm ways to make it up to them if they get mad at you.
- What irritates them most?
- What are they allergic to?
- What are their worst experiences?
- What do they hate most about their job?
- What do they want to change about their lives?
- What does it take to calm them down?
- What compromise could you offer to get you back on their good side?
4. Establish the connection
This will help you plan your next marketing step. The key takeaway here is to estimate your chances and decrease the risks of losses. What do we mean by establishing a connection? It simply talks about the potential relationship between your brand and the client.
- What does the client like about your product?
- Why do you think your customer needs to buy your product or your service?
- Why should they choose you instead of your competitors?
- What problems would you solve?
- How would you better their lives?
- What does it take for him to purchase your product?
- What or who are the barriers that prevents him from buying your product?
Once you’ve established these things, the most important part is to create your story. Describe your Perfect Client Profile as if you’re telling people who your best friend is. At the end of the day, you’ll have a better understanding of your customers and how to approach them.
Need help identifying your perfect client profile? Contact us! Schedule a free consultation and learn how.
Top Acronyms Used In Social Media
Are you lost in all these social media codes? Well, you’re not the only one. It seems that the younger generation are becoming too lazy to actually spell out words, so they’ve created a new vocabulary for themselves. If you’re having a hard time figuring them out, then here’s a cheat sheet you can use to get on trend.
| Acronym | Meaning |
| OOTD | Outfit of the Day |
| TBT | Throwback Thursday |
| ATM | At The Moment |
| FOMO | Fear Of Missing Out |
| TBH | To Be Honest |
| DM | Direct Message |
| LMS | Like My Status |
| RT | Retweet |
| POTD | Photo of the Day |
| AMA | Ask Me Anything |
| OMG | Oh My Goodness |
| FYI | For Your Information |
| PM | Private Message |
| GTG | Got To Go |
| BRB | Be Right Back |
| AFAIK | As Far As I Know |
| SOV | Share of Voice |
| IMHO | In My Humble Opinion |
| IM | Instant Message |
How about those business acronyms that you just can’t understand?
| Acronym | Meaning |
| B2B | Business-to-Business |
| B2C | Business-to-Client |
| SEO | Search Engine Optimization |
| SEM | Search Engine Marketing |
| ROI | Return On Investment |
| PPC | Pay Per Click |
| CX | Customer Experience |
| CTA | Call to Action |
| CTR | Click Through Rate |
| CMS | Content Management System |
Do you know any other acronyms? What are they? How do you use them on your daily life?
Do you want to understand the acronyms, the market, and the way you should build a solid strategy for your business? We can help! Schedule a consultation and let us help you!
18-Step Guide In Creating A Website For Entrepreneurs
Whether you want to do it yourself or hire a professional, this checklist will definitely help you focus on design, and less about the technical know-how.
1.Domain
Your domain name will serve as your business name in the web. It is considered a unique piece of property that solely belongs to you. Check if your chosen domain is still available by visiting either GoDaddy or NameCheap. Once you have decided on a name, you can purchase it via the aforementioned websites.
Tip: The length of purchase for a domain name can highly influence search engine optimization so better buy a domain name for a 5-10 year period rather than renewing annually.
2. Hosting
Now that you have a business name, we need a place to display and build your website. This is what hosting companies are for, they allow you to “rent space” in the web. Choose one that has excellent reviews, great customer service and reasonable pricing.
3. Technology
Expertise is probably one of the key factors in website building. If you have them, great! If you don’t, then you would need the services of a professional. These days, anyone refers to themselves as Web Developers or Web Designers, but does not possess the skills to get the job done right. When looking for a designer, make sure to hire one who understands the language that you prefer to tackle. Most popularly used is PHP because it’s compatible with Wordpress Content Management System. But the choice is up to you, there are other web languages such as HTML5, CSS3, Javascript, etc. that are equally as important.
4. Sitemap
Navigation is important in website building. If you are to succeed in business, you must be able to successfully guide an average user through the pages of your website. Before deciding on design and other functions, pinpoint the pages you intend to integrate into your website. This will definitely take out the pain of revisions and continuous guessing.
The most commonly used pages are Home, About Us and the Contact Page. Determine whether you want to set up a blog, a page for your services or what other Categories you think is suitable for your website
5. Layout and Design
Now that you’ve figured out the sections that you want to display in your site, the next thing you have to consider is how you want it displayed. Before playing with color, consider how you want the text to be displayed in the website. Do you want to incorporate a slideshow? or a video?
This will depend on whether you want to create your web design from the ground up, or you simply want to purchase a theme or a template and improvise. Whatever your decision may be, make sure that it reflects exactly what you’ve envisioned for your brand.
Take time to brainstorm what you want the “above the fold” part of your website to look like. Above the fold is simply a term used to define the part of your website that displays at first glance, without the need to scroll down.
If you have the layout ready, then you can start deciding with your stylist the colors that you want to use, including the background images, as well as the font.
Tip: The challenge for most designers is trying to hold back and keeping it simple. Remember to always put in mind your end user instead of just thinking about expressing your creative self.
6. Fonts
I know.. I know.. You, too, were once obsessed with Comic Sans. But seriously, reminiscing your childhood won’t do much help in website building. Especially if you want your audience to take you seriously as a business. Choose fonts that are simple and professional. Font size should be large enough for a visitor to read visibly.
7. Content
With layout and design finally done, we can now concentrate on the heart of our website - the CONTENT. So what is content? Unlike its average meaning, web content can mean a lot of things. It could be in the form of articles, ebooks, videos, graphics and even podcasts. Just so we are on the same page, let us summarize content into three things:
Valuable - First and foremost, it must be valuable. It must either inform, inspire, move, motivate or spark the interest of a reader.
Drives Traffic - Content is used to drive traffic. We’re creating this to build our reputation and with the end goal of letting others know who we are.
Connects - Whether you’re selling an item, or you want to earn more subscribers, always keep in mind that your content must either have a call to action, a link, or anything that either promotes your business or services. Otherwise, your content won’t meet its purpose.
8. Images
The rise of social media sites coupled with the lack of time for reading has brought to us the era of digital artwork. For most, images is a must for websites. If you serve your customers with high quality, customized images instead of those free stock photos you see in most sites, you not only increase your credibility, but you are also able to create a brand that separates you from the rest.
Tip: When creating images for blog posts, always make sure that they are of the right measurement for social media sharing.
9. Compatibility
There are two factors you should focus on: (1) Compatibility across different browsers and (2) Compatibility across different devices.
With regards the first, one must keep in mind that not everyone has Google Chrome installed on their browsers. Some elderly people still prefer Internet Explorer or they might even be using Mozilla Firefox. Thus, it is better to be prepared than miss out on these customers.
The second talks about responsiveness - whether your website is mobile-friendly and would display properly in any type of device. Creating a responsive website is a little bit expensive, so most would create a separate mobile site instead. Whatever your decision may be, always keep in mind your customer. Mobile responsiveness is also one of Google’s mobile ranking factors, this will help you increase traffic and be much more.
10. Load Time
Is your site’s load time reasonable? Don’t make your visitors leave without even getting a glance at your site by providing them with faster load time. The ideal site comes in 100KB; if you can do it for just 60KB, it’s much better.
11. 404 Pages
Often guests would rearrange or delete a part of the URL to get to a page they want, or to a more broader page than the category they’re looking for. Be sure that your site can easily be navigated in terms of links. If you don’t have a specific page, make sure to tell your audience by creating 404 Pages or displaying a Page Not Found Notification.
12. ALT tags
One of the most important SEO concepts is optimizing your images for search engine use. This means that your images should have a alt tag or description in its code. If an image fails to load, it would display the text encoded in the alt tag instead. Not only will this help your site visitor in understanding what the image is about, it will also help search engines translate your image into a much more suitable search result.
13. Links
The essence of links is not only found in the increase of your brand’s authority, but more relevantly in the correlation between your content and other content in the web out there. We will only tackle about a few links here.
Your logo should link to your homepage. Often overlooked by webmasters, it is important for a business owner to associate his logo to the main page of the site, rather than redirect them to a new page displaying a larger view of the said image.
Another link you should consider is the structure of your internal links. Is your content interrelated? Are you making use of your blog properly? Instead of redirecting your site visitor to another website by linking to authority pages, why not redirect them to another article in your website that provides supplementary information, or a service that would very much help them in their problem?
Customize permalinks instead of the default URL provided by your webmaster. You definitely don’t want a bunch of number combinations to display in social media sites, do you? Why does it matter? Because it’s one of SEO’s most recognized concepts. How you structure your links will help you be more identical. Better start doing it now while you still have a limited number of pages, rather than having to change it later.
14. Search Function
Google prides itself with its search algorithm. It has made a name for itself because of the term SEARCH. Is your website also making use of the same concept? Can your visitors easily navigate through your pages and immediately find the information they’re looking for?
If you only have a few pages, then the search function wouldn’t be much useful. But for websites with a blogs, and other essential information, offering a search button would be very helpful for visitors.
15. Call to Action Buttons
Take control of your website by telling your visitors what you want them to do. If they’re interested in a specific section, don’t let the connection end there. Provide your audience with bright-colored call to action buttons as you guide them to a more detailed page where you can market or sell your product or services. You can either bring them to a landing page, a contact page or anywhere else in your website which you deem is relevant to his/her search.
16. Social Media
A must-have for every website aiming for high traffic is maintaining a social media reputation. Is your content easily shareable? Have you integrated various social media functions into your site? If not, then now is the best time to place them. You can also create customized social media buttons if you want your website to be more cohesive when it comes to design.
17. Other Website Functions
The best websites know that there is a balance between design and function. If you are a membership site, how do you set up registration? Do you simply let your audience fill up a form, or do you have a separate page that you’d like to give them access to once they’ve signed up?
Other functions would include downloading certain files, email subscription, etc.
Tip: If you’re a Wordpress user, check out the various plugins that will help you achieve your goal.
18. Analytics
Lastly, let’s not forget measurement. Yes, design and function are important, but analytics tells us exactly how effective are our marketing strategies. We have to ensure growth, and how our website is involved in that growth. Making sales just isn’t enough, we also must consider other factors such as SEO. Analytics will also help us identify the areas where we need to improve in and can lead us to a path towards development.
Do you need an expert to set up your website? We can help! Schedule a free consultation and let us build the perfect website for your business.
The Fundamental Approach to Online Marketing
“I’m drowning, I’m drowning.”
Just a decade ago, I can still remember myself owning a Friendster account with lousy usernames such as BrokenHeartedPrincess_143. Today, Friendster barely exists anymore. That’s basically how online marketing works. If you refuse to learn how to swim, you’ll definitely drown.
What is Online Marketing?
Online marketing is a combination of art, science and strategy. There are a lot of elements attached to online marketing. Unlike traditional tactics, online marketing deals with a web-based audience. Some of the main goals include: (1) awareness, (2) communication, (3) connection, (4) service and (5) sales.
Awareness
Every meeting starts with introducing yourself. Unless you’re an established brand such as Coca-Cola, Google and Facebook, you need to get your name out there. You may have invented the cure for cancer, but if no one knows, does it necessarily make a difference?
Communication
There are a lot of ways you can communicate with potential clients, either by educating them, or sharing valuable information, you’re letting the people know who you are as a business and what you want to achieve. Why would people want to work with you? Why are you the best?
Connection
Connection is all about building authority. Now that you met your audience, you have to build your reputation. What are the ways that you could get in touch with them? How do you increase the chances of them visiting your site again?
Service
Probably the most overlooked, but essentially crucial part of marketing is service. While not necessarily the fun part, service includes being responsible, answering questions, helping the customer with basic instructions, giving a refund when needed.
Sales
Of course you didn’t do all of this for nothing, right? While your humanitarian acts may be heartwarming, everyone needs to thrive. To complete the puzzle piece, we all aim in an increase of sales.
Online Marketing Strategies
As the web evolved, so did our marketers. There are a thousand strategies out there that will get your site more traffic and more clients. Here’s a list of the most commonly used techniques.
Online Advertising
In the real world, they’re called billboards, posters and other forms of hard printed material. But in the virtual community, they come in the form of banners, pop ups, audio ads, videos and several others.
Search Engine Marketing
This broadly involves researching, paid ads, as well as the careful study of your website’s position in search engines. It mostly deals with how your website can get more traffic through the use of search engine websites such as Yahoo, Google and Bing!
Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization is a part of SMM. It deals with structuring your website to become more readily understandable by search engine algorithms. SEO alone requires strategy building, SEO tools and elements.
Email Marketing
Email is one the most fundamental ways of communicating through the web, and still is one of the most used tools in list building. There are a lot of ways to boost your content through email. Mailchimp, Infusionsoft and Aweber are among the best email marketing tools in the web.
Social Media
The playing field just got switched as smaller businesses are learning to use social media to compete with big companies. With Facebook advertising costing from 0 to just $100, people have found a way to make a voice online without spending too much. Other popular social media channels include Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram and Google Plus.
Content Marketing
Blogging, Article Writing, Video Compilations. Call them whatever you want, but in the web, it’s generally described as content. It’s what keeps search engines alive. Without information, the web would simply be just a collection of websites who I doubt anyone could visit without the help of Google.
Web Analytics
Figures are what keeps us on track. Web analytics to be specific help us predict the movement or activities of our target audience. It helps us measure our progress and the return in our investments. Remember that SEO and most elements are intangible assets, and are therefore quantifiable only if we get results.
Online Public Relations
To succeed, you must learn to network with other virtual entrepreneurs. PR marketing is one way of connecting with other business owners and helping each other out to get more traffic. Being in the computer all the time can get a little lonely, so interact with others and share your experiences!
Mobile Marketing
Do you know why Google changed their logo’s font? To become more responsive to mobile users of course. After breaking search record history last 2014, with the number of mobile searches exceeding more than half of traditional search, lots mobile apps have emerged in the market.
There is no success formula to online marketing. It will entail a lot of risk, research and serious analytical data. The trick is to not to overwhelm yourself with all these elements. In this case, if you don’t know all these things, then delegate. It’s about choosing what works best for you instead of getting washed away in a sea of information.
If you don’t know how to swim, buy yourself a boat ticket! Schedule a free consultation and get started on building a solid online marketing foundation for your company!
3 Keys Every Website Should Focus On
Do you know the key reason why most startups fail? Because they don’t know how to keep it simple.
There’s a lot of available information about SEO out there and that type of knowledge can be overwhelming, leaving most entrepreneurs either discouraged, confused and bound for failure. But here’s what most marketing agencies, SEO companies and gurus won’t tell you. For small businesses to succeed online, there are just three basic factors for you to consider when it comes to your website. If you master these, then it will ensure you growth.
Social
Connecting with your audience through social media is one of the most popular techniques in the book, but it’s not always the easiest to master. Going social demands consistency, a daily dose of creativity and thorough research. Maintaining your reputation as a brand can be difficult, especially with strong competition and a lot of distractions in the market. But social networks have given businesses an opportunity to build a following and their own customized audience that they can enrich everyday with their products and services. Content may be king, but if you have no one to share it to, then it’s as good as a legendary book stuck in a 100-year old shelf.
Another competitive advantage brought by social media is the ability to build your reputation. Businesses with a strong social audience are said to be more credible than those who only have a few reviews, or worst, bad reviews. This is also an avenue to make use of photos and graphics! Your audience can only give you less than a second to entice him, so be sure to make the experience worthwhile. In establishing your brand, always take the time to consider cohesiveness between all of your social media profiles. You can also add quote images and several other covers to make your profile stand out.
Lastly, social media is probably one of the cheapest forms of advertising out there! So why not make the most of it?
Local
It’s not just about the location, it’s about the reason why your audience is in that place and what his reasons are. These are just some of the factors that one must consider when studying local marketing. This trend deals with the relevance of products and some of the limited aspects of ecommerce. While we all want to go global, success doesn’t necessarily mean the entire world for everyone. Often, an increase in sales means offering products and services in your area.
Geo-targeting and local keywords have been a great hit in SEO! Google has also given Local Businesses big advantages by carrying out results that are more targeted to a specific place or area. If you wish to be part of Google’s Map, then all you need to do is create a Business Page in Google Plus. Ask your clients to fill out some online reviews. This will dramatically increase your chances of getting found in just a short period of time.
Mobile
Ever since the iPad was released, things were never the same again. It’s now considered as the third wave of the revolution. The first was PCs, the second was the Internet, and now we have mobile devices and gadgets. Google confirmed this trend by officially making Mobile-responsiveness as a ranking factor, blowing out large websites such as Reddit among many others.
People are also becoming more accustomed to their mobile phones, with more 50% of new searches done through mobile devices instead of the traditional search routine (laptops, PCs). This revolution will certainly make a long-lasting stay in the industry. If you don’t keep up, then you’ll definitely be left behind.
These three powerful combination are what experts call the SoLoMo. It has been around for quite some time now and is still proven to be the basic foundation of a good marketing plan. So instead of wasting your efforts trying to cover every basic principle written in the book, learn how to simplify and focus on the things that really matter! That way, you’ll get things done more easily and more productively.
Do you want to create the best possible SoLoMo strategy for your business? We can help! Schedule a free consultation and get started on building a solid foundation for your company!
