Do you have an ideal client?
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could pick and choose who your clients were? Well why cant you? Knowing who your ideal clients are can make that happen.
Although it has taken me some time, and many revisions, I now have a clear idea of what characteristics my ideal clients need to possess.
My ideal clients need to:
1. Understand the concept of working with a VA – now this does not mean they need to have heard of what a VA is, but I am not going to waste my time having to explain over and over what it is that I do and the value of my services.
2. Understand that I do not work for them, but rather with them.
3. Know where they want their business to go. I only work with those who have a vision for their business.
4. Have a passion about what it is they do. I can’t believe in, nor help to support a client if they don’t truly believe in themselves and the service(s) they offer.
5. Have a thriving business. I will not work with new, start-up companies. There are VAs that work exclusively with new companies. If you are one of them, and are interested in their services, please let me know and I can put you in contact with them.
6. Be able to delegate – my ideal clients are those that don’t necessarily care how the tasks get done as long as they are done to the specifications that are requested.
7. Have more than one-time tasks needing done. I do not provide “project work”. I work on retainer basis only.
8. Understand that my VA practice is based on a Christian faith. Although my clients do not need to have the same faith as I, their needs to be a respect and understanding of from both parties.
To get started on creating your own target market or ideal client specifications, you may find it easier to write down the characteristics of people you don’t want to work with. That is what I had to do. I knew I didn’t want to work with people just starting out in their business, people who need to “watch over my shoulder” all of the time, and people who couldn’t understand that I am a business owner, just like them and that I am not just their secretary.
One thing you need to keep in mind is that this is a list in progress, and it is definitely not set in stone. From time to time, I have come across someone that appealed to me for one reason or another, but they didn’t fit into my ideal client specifications. I go with my gut when that happens. As I grow, and my clients grow, my ideal client specifications grow as well.
Once I was able to get a clear idea of they types of people I wanted to work with, my business took off. And more importantly, I can tell almost right away when talking with a potential client if I want to work with them or not. This has saved me a lot of hassle in the long run and it will for you as well.
