3 Questions to Identify Your Ideal Client

My advice to new freelancers? Ignore all noise around finding your niche or creating a client avatar. 

Instead, I recommend that you spend time discovering your ideal client. 

This advice is based on what I learned from the book Attracting Perfect Customers: The Power of Strategic Synchronicity by Stacey Hall and Jan Brogniez. 

I realized that in order to zero in on my ideal client, I had to change my perspective altogether. 

If you’re new to the freelancing world, I recommend you work through these three questions -- and see where they lead you. 

Do you want an ideal client? 

If not, that’s ok! If so, the authors use a lighthouse analogy to describe how to use your power to attract the right clients. Rather than wading out into the water, stand still and shine bright. 

How specific should your ideal client be? 

You get to be as specific or general as you want. When you identify your unique value, then you can look for the specific clients who need the specific thing you offer. 

Where should you start when determining your ideal client? 

Right where you are. Notice who you’ve been serving and what you like/don’t like about your current clients. Then put your energies into attracting more clients like the ones you enjoy working with. If you’re new to freelancing, give yourself some time to figure out which work brings you joy. 

If you’re still feeling stuck, Hall and Brogniez share four steps to help you envision your ideal client through “strategic attraction.” 

• What specific traits would I like my ideal clients to have? 
• What motivates my ideal client? 
• What expectations should my client have of me? 
• What changes do I need to make to continue my relationship with my current ideal clients and attract new ones? 

I recommend this process because it’s something I used early on to stay true to my purpose and gain significant traction in my business as a hiring strategist. 

I found that when you become super clear about who you want to attract into your circle, you position yourself to grow your new freelancing business with nothing but your ideal clients. 

#TheBigShift #freelance #idealclients #businessgrowth #careeradvice