What is an Ideal Client and How to Define Yours

A client is a client, right? Not so fast. Not every client is right for every business. While it may be appealing to accept any business that comes your way, this can ultimately come at a greater cost to your business if that client isn’t the right fit. This is why so many business owners focus on finding and marketing to their “ideal client.”

Today, we are going to talk more about what an ideal client really is, as well as sharing a few tips for finding yours. 

What is an ideal client?

Think of your ideal client as a person or company that is perfectly suited for your offerings. For most business owners, an ideal client is also one who provides lifetime value and is easy to work with. 

The importance of finding your ideal client can vary from business to business. For example, if you own a clothing shop, any person who spends money in your store can be a great client. But what if your store attracted clients who were consistently looking for exactly what your store had to offer? That means they are more likely to make more purchases and provide greater value to your company.

Now let’s say you’re an entrepreneur who provides a service to clients, rather than a physical product. For example, you’re a health coach and you focus on stress management and improving sleep for your clients. In that case, your ideal client, for starters, would be someone who is struggling with sleep and stress.

Defining your ideal client

There are a number of other ways to define your ideal client beyond their need for your services. 

Part of determining who your ideal client is means creating a client persona. You get to know this non-existent person as though they are your closest friend. When you generate their persona, you are able to keep all of those qualities and characteristics in mind to market to them effectively. 

Here are a few questions to ask yourself to start defining your ideal client:

• How old is my ideal client?
• What does my ideal client do? 
• What are their biggest pain points?
• How much do they want to spend on my products/service?
• Where does my client live?
• How often do they need my service?
• What are my ideal client’s other interests?
• What is their age, education, and financial system?
• Which online forums or groups do they participate in?
• Which social media platforms, if any, do they utilize?
• How will this person benefit from my product or service?
• What are my ideal customer’s goals and priorities?
• How does my ideal customer want to feel?
• What other brands or businesses does this person like/buy from?

What’s next?

Pretty detailed, right? But this level of detail is incredibly important if you want to market to your ideal client. Work on creating the profile of your ideal client, and then focus your marketing efforts on them. 

Looking for help targeting the right people for the magical offerings and gifts your business provides? I promise you, these people are out there and they are waiting for what you have to offer! Contact me to learn about my coaching services and how we can help you find them.