I left my career at the end of 2014 to pursue speaking and coaching full-time. Every course I purchased, and there were quite a few, stated how important it was that I identify my ideal client.
The typical exercise proposed in these programs: Think about your favorite clients, the ones you love working with. What are their characteristics? Do they drink Starbucks or Dunkin? Etc. Etc.
But I was in a pivot and I knew that the clients I'd worked with from 2009-2014 were not the clients I wanted to be working with going forward.
In 2017, soon after my first book was released, I started to get an answer to this “ideal client” question.
Although, to be honest, they found ME way before I recognized THEM.
I told my friend and mentor Dorie Clark that I was going to pilot an online program. Her prophecy? “You're going to learn a lot.”
Truer words have never been spoken.
Despite a sales page that was written to attract the wrong kind of clients, my ideal clients showed up to be part of my pilot group coaching program.
They knew me personally and knew I had skills they could learn from (at the time writing sales pages was not one of those skills).
Before I launched the second cohort a few months later, I made changes to the sales page, incorporating video testimonials from pilot members.
Still having no sense who my “ideal clients” were.
Despite 250 people clicking to check out my sales page (I'm good at marketing that's for sure), no one clicked to schedule a call with me.
While that was happening, five people (who I would later realize were my ideal clients) reached out for help launching a podcast, launching a book, and with business growth strategy.
Like I said, I couldn't see it.
Finally, I realized that all the people who took my pilot and reached out for coaching had some things in common:
1) I liked working with them.
2) I could help them.
3) They were all going through a transition in their business (launching a book/podcast, looking to create their first one-to-many offer, starting a business after leaving corporate, looking to speak more frequently, etc.)
And…
They were all entrepreneurial women in their 50s.
When I get asked why entrepreneurial women in their 50s and beyond are my ideal clients, I usually just say “They found me.”
But I know there's more to it than that and I appreciate that they see me as someone they can trust.
Perhaps it's because one of my very first blog posts and podcast episodes was “When Will Women Win the Right to Pockets?” LOL
But seriously, once I recognized this was true, I reached out to a few of the women and after months of trying, easily filled the spots for my second cohort.
And that’s why my masterminds, including the one I’m currently filling for next year, have always been specifically for entrepreneurial women in their 50s and beyond.
Your Challenge For This Week
Watch my free masterclass “Discover Your Ideal Client” and ask yourself these questions:
Is there a type of person that keeps asking you for support?
Is there something everyone goes to you for your advice?
It’s really hard to know yourself without taking into account how others see us.
Pay attention to these trends and when you can, notice the patterns.
Within those patterns is really valuable information that can help you grow your business.
Try this and let me know how it goes!
Business Growth Strategist & Business Coach
As a relationship-based business growth strategist, I work directly with a limited number of self-employed professionals, aka solopreneurs.
WHO YOU ARE:
You want to have a greater impact and increased income. The problem is that there are so many options for how to build your business that you can feel stuck, overwhelmed, and like you’re running out of time.
The reason options are overwhelming is that you’re looking at them as a series of disconnected steps, when to make the most of your time, you need a strategy that connects only the most important and highest impact ones.
You know that if you try to do everything, you’ll accomplish nothing. This means, to achieve your goal, you have to invest in a strategy to put time on your side.
What’s Included:
As a relationship-based business growth strategist, I will work with you to design a year-long plan that consists of three 12-week sprints, each followed by 4 weeks of reflection/assessment, rejuvenation/vacation, and strategic planning. This will allow you to sequence your goals, create momentum, and leverage your limited time.
We can build your plan through a half-day strategy session, a coaching engagement, or a mastermind program.
These are not right for everyone; they’re personalized offerings and are priced accordingly.
What might you work on?
In my coaching work with entrepreneurs and solopreneurs, we focus on the areas where you’d like to grow, which may include:
- Creating a strong sales conversation framework
- Building your referral network
- Lead generation through a relationships
- Growing your visibility in your industry
- Increasing your ability to attract the right kind of clients
- Identifying and launching a minimally viable offer
- Breaking through whatever bottleneck is holding you back from getting the results you want and deserve
- Becoming a published author and marketing your book successfully
- Improving your virtual presentation skills
Learn more about the different ways we can work together – deep dive 3-hour session, private 1:1 coaching, and masterminds. I’m excited to support you in reaching or exceeding your goals.
Stay Connected:
- Connect with me on LinkedIn to see the content I share.
- New to my website? Start here
- Listen to my On the Schmooze podcast – weekly since July 2016.
