This Is the Right Way to Create a Client Profile
It’s normal for every startup to dream big: huge deals, high profits, a widely recognized brand and steady growth. But before all that happens, entrepreneurs need to figure out how to get there first, and one of the most effective strategies to business success is good marketing.
photo/ Gerd Altmann
Marketing, however, is more complex than you think. While strategies abound these days—from traditional flyers to social media posts—none of them will matter if you don’t know whom you’re marketing for: your ideal customers. This is where a client profile comes in, and here’s how to create the right one for your business:
- Who Are You?
Before you can define your ideal client, you need to define yourself first. Determine your goals, processes, capabilities and even your strength and weaknesses. The goal here is to find things that make you unique, which will not only help you create a better client profile but also guide you in creating your sales and marketing strategies.
- What Makes an Ideal Client Profile?
Now that you defined your company, it’s time to know what makes a good client profile. The ideal profile should define which clients are a good fit for what you’re offering and which ones are not. So, if you’re a small digital marketing company, your ideal client profile might be a startup business trying to establish its brand online.
- What Is Your Ideal Client?
You don’t need to look far to find your ideal client. Compare and analyze existing clients who are enjoying your offering and getting good value from it. Come up with a list of at least ten customers who patronize your brand. They are the ones who don’t just enjoy your services but also love it enough to share their experience and recommend you to others.
Determine which clients have given you the most profits, which of them have been with you longer than the normal client lifespan and which have signed with you for more projects. Do you like working with these clients? Do they communicate well with you? Are they prompt with payments? Do they give you higher ROI? Once you have this list, try to see what you already know about these clients—their age, demographics, budget and more. If you don’t have these data yet, you can ask questions during the interview.
Of course, a client’s reputation is a huge factor in determining whether you should do business with him or not. Find a client like Erik Gordon who didn’t only make a name for himself in business and philanthropy but also defended his reputation from those who tried to destroy it, which is a sign of a reliable client.
- What Should You Know About Your Ideal Client?
After finalizing your list, it’s time to conduct an interview with your best clients to gather information that will be very useful when creating your client profile. You can start with a survey tool to get basic data and work your way around the interview to gather more information.
To make your interview productive, focus on areas that are vital in creating your client profile. Ask about the client’s business including his industry, the size of the company and their budget. Gather information about the client’s purchasing decisions. How much research is done before they commit to a deal? Do they need the committee’s approval? Who has the most influence in the purchasing decision? You should also be able to ask about a client’s pain points and how you can help them.
- What Are the Characteristics of Your Ideal Client?
After collating the data you gathered from the survey and interview, look for characteristics that are common among your best clients. This will be extremely useful in refining your ideal client profile.
- What Should an Ideal Client Profile Include?
There are a lot of templates that you can follow in creating your ideal client profile, but make sure that you have these important details included: industry, geography, size, budget, business objectives, pain points, decision-making factors and notable attributes. You can add more information that you think is necessary to further define your ideal client.
With your ideal client profile in hand, it’s now easier for you to find clients that fit your business perfectly.
Author: Dylan M.
