Hi there, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas season and today was bright for you.

Have you been hearing these two words singing in your ears left, right n’ center in life and online – ideal client – ideal client? If you’re like me, you might not necessarily gravitate towards buzzwords (or movies for that matter) when they first hit the press – enough to check them out. But these words directly relate to your business life, wellness and approach to something as simple as answering the phone or replying to an e-mail.

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The mobile phone would ring and the name would show up on caller id every six months or so, and each time, I found myself first taking a deep breath to stay cool while fighting the urge to pelt the phone to the farthest corner of the earth. This was the first flag ’cause it takes a whole lot to get me agitated.

A polite answer…and then the ‘compliments’ began. They were calling because I was ‘the best’ at this vocal service and oh how they couldn’t wait to hear the harmonies etc. The standard well-rehearsed intro was clearly intended to get to my head and incite me to drop my fee to their figure of the day, which was always lower than what I advise my students to charge as their starting fee.

At times, if it was a slow season I’d eventually concede and go to the appointment after agreeing to record a specific amount of tracks and each time was asked on-the-spot to do twice as many tracks for more time, at a hugely discounted rate. I’d return home exhausted and the client would disappear for half a year, only to resume the procedure with more confidence next time around.

Each time, however, they started getting more snappy when I reminded them of my actual fee at the start of the conversation. ‘I can get somebody do the vocals for me fuh $100. y’know.’ (Yep, it wasn’t cute.)

It eventually got so bad that I’d physically flinch when their name came up on the phone and would sometimes get a huge headache by the end of what felt like a haggling session for what was and is a specialized service. Thankfully, those days are over and I’ve worked with several fabulous clients before and beyond that.

Save yourself a headache by taking the time to visualize and identify what a fulfilled business life looks like for you, and who the ideal clients for your service or product are.

Connecting And Communicating With Your Ideal Client

Think about the environment you’re in when you serve best. What would you love your clients or customers to say about the service or product they received through your business? With that in mind, how can you tweak your approach to doing business in a way that aligns with the people you enjoy interacting with?

The sale of a product or booking of services shouldn’t cost you a challenge with your health.

Not every interaction is sweet and seamless, but it is possible (and enjoyable) to work alongside many clients with various personalities in a harmonious and productive way.

 

Things to consider:

• your personality (be honest, alright?)
• how your product or service helps/educates/adds value
• best business hours and means of communication (e-mail, phone, fb mssgr, text)
• the prefered method timeline regarding payment
• your willingness to do your best with every job request

On the bright side, here’s this week’s client who sent a message inquiring about my vocal coaching service, politely pitched a few questions to find out if the service and coach were a good fit and matched the fee quoted, sent an enthusiastic confirmation by text an hour before showing up 15 minutes early, for an evaluation and paid cash – all this, just 3 hours after sending the initial WhatsApp message.

Or the happily married couple who enrolled their talented teen daughter in a workshop called to see if the coach’s teaching approach, musical background and fee aligned, came a week before to pay cash in full, showed up early once a week for 3 months, then took me out for a fancy lunch and ice cream at Limegrove Lifestyle Centre to celebrate and watch their daughter shine onstage.

Sometimes it takes an encounter with a less-than-ideal client to know who your ideal client is

Every job request and customer experience brings a lesson. Take notes, and assess yourself as well as your team members, and identify whom you’d love to work with and for – and why. This doesn’t mean entrepreneurship and client relations will always be a cool breeze, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

We learn and have opportunities to grow through challenging moments too.

Things like miscommunication, bloopers, and other variables can come up from time to time in everyday life and business. We’re not always at our best, and our clients have their own intricacies as well, but knowing our best traits and being honest about our triggers and ways of resolving issues gives us clues to re-design our business in alignment with those whom our gifts are designed to serve.

Have any funny stories to share about a less-than-ideal client or a bright highlight related to having connected with your more-than-ideal clients?

Stay tuned for the video with a light overview of Business Clarity Map and feel free to connect to request it as a seminar module or to book your one-on-one coaching session.

 

A gentle reminder, if you’re a believer you agree that by grace you’ll receive beyond what you ask or imagine, so identify your ideal client – yes, but both your business and clients can surpass your brightest hopes and biggest aspirations…

Connecting And Communicating With Your Ideal Client – Why That Matters & How It Relates To Your Wellness by indra