How to Clarify Your Ideal Consulting Client [Behind-the-Scenes Tutorial]

Do you know who your ideal consulting client is?

Some people think of an ideal consulting client as someone who would simply be willing to buy their products and services.

Here's the thing: You can do decent work with a lot of different leaders. But you can do AMAZING transformative work with a select few who connect with you to the point that they don't just your products and services. They want your advice, guidance and strategic partnership.

Pinpointing your ideal client and joining the conversation that is inside their heads is the foundational key that will unlock your marketing effective, close rates, per contract and client fees, your client impact and the joy you experience in your business.

This tutorial will show you how to choose the ideal consulting client that represents your most profitable niche and deeply understand why they need a consultant just like you. 

Transcript

What to Expect in This Tutorial [00:00]

Betsy Jordyn: Today's quick win is all around, "How do you clarify your ideal client and how do you start joining the conversation that's going on in their heads?"

And in today's quick win, I want to really just give you an exercise that you can use to start imagining who that person is and how you create value for that individual.

So to get into the deets on this one, I am going to share my screen. So we are clarifying your ideal client. We're not necessarily pinpointing who that person is, but clarifying a lot more around how they are seeing the world. So we want to help you dial into the heart and mind of those clients, the people that you love to help, and how you start understanding their challenges from their perspective.

Recap on Choosing An Ideal Client [00:55]

Just as a quick recap, if you haven't seen this in other videos before, I want to be clear is your ideal client represents the object of your passion, meaning not what you love, but what you can't stand. There are people out there who have problems that you think just should not be. So you really want to focus on who that person is and what is the context that your help is needed, meaning, what is the problem that they have, that you are absolutely motivated to help them solve and that you know, that something's gotta be different.

So what you really want to do with your business, to set it up for longterm success is really clarify first who then what you want to build your consulting business and your brand on who you serve. So you want to be clear on the demographics, for sure. Like what kinds of things that you could use. Like, let's say you're doing a LinkedIn search. If you're going to do a Facebook ad, you need to get the demographics so you can target them properly.

But you really want to dial into the psychographics - what's going on in their heart, what's going on in their minds, what is the conversation that's going on in their head?

This is what's going to be able to help you write really awesome, copy, create smart strategies, frame up your products and services the right way. This is how you're going to figure out what do you write about, how what kinds of content do you curate and put in front of them. All of that is so super important. And from a passion standpoint, when you dial into this, when you dial into that why this is where your fear is going to be eradicated in an instant, because you're going to not care about it.

Sure, you're worried about money. We all are. Of course, you're human. You need to make sure that you have an ability to provide for yourself and for your family as a high achiever, you take this responsibility extremely seriously. So that's really important that you can't run your business based on that. Your money fears are horrible strategists. They're the worst copywriter in the world. And so you really want to get beyond that.

And just as a quick reminder, your superpowers are unleashed when you know who you want to serve.

Setting the Stage for Understanding Your Ideal Consulting Client [02:49]

So here's what I want you to do. I want you to first think through all the people who come to you for help and all the people that you are naturally motivated to help. I want you to imagine those people and just take one of them.

And I want you to close your eyes and just walk through that person's day.

I want you to imagine what they are thinking about when they wake up in the morning.

Are they excited about their day or are they dreading their day?

When they're getting ready and they're taking shower and then that conversation that's going on, what are they thinking about?

As they, they get ready to go to work, or maybe they're not going to work because something has happened to their job. What are they thinking about?

What are they feeling? What's on their heart? What's on their mind?

Think through that as they're at the office or if they're at their home office or if they're not working at all, what's their day like? How are they experiencing their day?

When they get home, what is like?  When they're sitting at dinner or they're trying to spend time with their loved ones, what's that like?

Most importantly, what's happening at night for them? What are their biggest dreams that they dream about while trying to sleep and what are their nightmares that keeps them up at night? What is it that's about that person and how do you visualize what their day is like?

The Storyboard Exercise [04:02] 

And here's my storyboard exercise. So here's my easy exercise that I would love for you to try out and get creative around this one.

So now you have this person in her mind, start drawing it out and think through, you know, what does it trigger event that would make them seek out help...ideally you?

So what would be the trigger event? What would be the thing that would get them to go on a Google search and find your consulting or coaching?

Or what would be the trigger event that would make them go to their network and say, "Hey, anyone know anyone who has X, Y, Z skill or as an expert in this?" Or what would make them, you know, do some sort of online searches on their own in terms of specific topics or whatever it is?  What would make them sign up for our training or webinar? What is that trigger event?

And then I want you to draw out that transformation. So thinking about the pain point that they start with, what's the transformation at the end? Draw a picture around what that looks like.

And then start to imagine you.

Let's say you were brought on the scene. Draw what it would look like if they found someone like you. What would they be looking for and how, what would convince them to work with you?

What would you do with your client to solve their problem from their vantage point? And what else would you do?

And try to get this whole storyboard together around the experience that your client is going to have with you.

And once you get that clear, this is how you know you have enough clarity on your ideal client: If you were going to film a movie about your ideal client and you were the, let's say you were going to be the movie director...take the movie director test.

Does the casting director, the person who is going to film a movie about this, would they have enough clarity that they would know what type of person to audition for the role of this particular ideal client?

Would the scriptwriter have enough insight that they could write dialogue for this client? Can the director stage scenes of this person's life?

If you didn't have enough to even know what you would put in those boxes, this is where it's an opportunity for you to improve your business by getting more clarity around this. How does working with you help that person become the hero and would a director, be able to stage that experience between you and them. And then if not, you know, what else can you do?

So that is my movie director test that I would love for you to try. So if you are still struggling with clarity on your ideal client, if you cannot visualize what is the challenge that gets them up in the morning and what would motivate them to find a consultant or coach, like you definitely reach out to me.

I have tons of amazing tools and hacks that I love that will get you to this insight very quickly. But if you're also struggling with you and what is your role and how do you encapsulate what you do and how you're different and how you can create value...Definitely let's talk!

My messaging and positioning service is exactly what would help your client get clear around why working with you makes so much sense and why they would be crazy not to partner with you because you have the solution that they've been looking for. So we need to make sure we get that clarity out there in the market so you are not the world's best-kept secret.

So hopefully this exercise is going to help you out and let me know how it works. Definitely drop me an email at [email protected] and let me know how it went. And if you have any additional questions, talk to you soon.