Working with one of my new clients this month has been inspiring. You could say she is my ideal customer.
Reflecting on this, I want to share some strategies to use to develop an ideal client profile and the benefits it will have on your business. This measuring tool will help you obtain complementary business relationships with your clients and help you enjoy your work more.
Use your thoughts, emotions, and actions to develop this profile then use it as an assessment in your initial contact with customers to determine your compatibility. Start by making a list of all the characteristics you appreciate about the clients you enjoy working with. If you are just starting your business, use colleagues, friends, and other alliances that you benefit from knowing. Thinking about these qualities will help you become clear about the personalities that are a match to you.
Another criterion to look for is finding what you enjoy. For example, I enjoy listening to Hay House radio. The clients and colleagues I now meet also know about Hay House, or are familiar with their authors and radio programs. This criterion helps me choose similar groups to participate in at one of the professional and social online networks (such as, LinkedIn).
Another way to create your list is to use the polar opposite (a description I learned from James Arthur Ray) to find your work personality match. James Ray says, that “if you only know what you don’t like list those items. Next, create a second column and write the reverse of those traits which are the polar opposites.” This will help you become clear about which traits you are compatible with.
Writing these characteristics down will help you subconsciously present them when you are around others and consciously recognize them faster when you meet others that reflect these qualities.
The benefit of creating a profile form is so you will have more compatible business collaborations. You and your customers will work well together, your conversations will be effortless, and you will inspire each other to do more.
Seeing a client’s number show up on your caller ID, or an email, will feel (emotions) good instead of the “ugh” or “I am not in the mood for them right now” feelings normally associated with an incompatible client or customer.
Another benefit is that you will now develop a routine (actions) with the way you interact with new clients and that will attract more like-minded customers, which will increase your business.
You’ll notice your business streamline and stressful working relationships will easily diminish when choosing to accept clients that match your profile criteria. Although this may seem limiting in the beginning the long-term effects are worth the time it takes to build happy, healthy, and inspiring business-to-business relationships.
My Bottom Line
Take the time to decide what character types serve you in your business. Once you have become clear about the traits that balance with your working style, use your profile form when engaging in initial contacts with customers to determine if you are a match.
My suggestion is to choose to work with clients that meet your criterion before you accept a client based on money. Money doesn’t always lead to happiness, but choosing to use your mindful thoughts, emotions, and actions does lead you to happy success; professionally and personally.
About the Author
Electra Ford is founder the virtual assistant (VA) practice, Virtual Office Center. She works with professionals and businesses sharing useful techniques that improve human circumstances, helping coaches, holistic practitioners and internet marketers expand their businesses on the internet through internet marketing, social media and ecommerce solutions.
