Everyone is Not Your Client And That’s a GOOD Thing!

As business owners, we may have our idea of a perfect client; and if we don’t, it’s in our best interest to figure that out asap. I don’t mean to say, “Look at your list of clients and pick one,” not necessarily.

When I was at Dreamforce 2015 in San Francisco, Jessica Alba was one of the guests on stage and she mentioned her daughter, who had an entrepreneurial spirit and wanted to start a business. When Jessica Alba asked her daughter who her clients would be, her daughter said, “Everyone.” At that moment the crowd chuckled, including Jessica Alba.

Everyone is Not Your Client

You see, not everyone can be your client. If you think you would be limiting your options by excluding potential clients, the truth is, you have to narrow it down. For instance, let’s say you run a bakery. In this case, you’d want to focus on people who have a sweet tooth or need pastries for certain occasions and so forth. So if you’re spending money online marketing to people who are not really into sweets, you are wasting your resources. Instead, you’d have to target people who would love to go to your bakery. Choosing a general demographic would not work in your favor. Get specific!

Characteristics & Interests

What group of people think you’re special? What do they have in common? Where do they hang out (online and offline)? Your goal is to find people who need an answer to the problem you can solve. People who think like you and who would believe what you believe.

Identify Your Purpose

Why do you do what you do? Really get to the heart of the matter. Create your company mission. What is your purpose? What are your values? Once you identify these, embody what you and your company stands for and this will help attract clientele that believe what you believe. Also, when you establish your company voice, you will need to start using it in your marketing efforts. I’m talking about the content you use to sell and display your products and services. Be authentic in your voice and seek clients who can connect with what you can offer. Dig deep!

Always listen to what your customers need and provide services that fit their needs. It’s ok to adjust your business model and you may (probably will) discover something incredible when you listen to your customers. Also, make sure not to lose yourself in the process. Always be authentic to yourself and others.