How to be the Perfect Solution for the Perfect Client
Have you ever been brought to tears by copy on a website? I have. Let me tell you about it. A few years ago, I needed a specialized tutor for one of my children. The help my then third grader needed was nuanced and specific. When I reviewed the website of one of the providers someone had referred, I teared up. I knew I found precisely the right person. Reading that copy let me know that I was in the right place and that working with them would help my child find the help they needed. That is how good content marketing works.
Anyone who owns a business knows the high-five feeling of landing a new client. There is a ton of work involved in identifying a potential client, putting together a plan to attract them, and closing the deal, no matter what service area or industry you are in. And when it works in your favor, it is definitely a moment that feels celebratory!
New clients mean more revenue and that makes it hard for business owners to pass up any new business that comes their way. This is especially true if a business owner has faced client retention problems or their business development pipeline is not comfortably full.
And believe me, as a business owner myself, I know the conflicting feelings that can come up when you have the opportunity to bring in a new client but you know that you are not the perfect solution for what they need so you have to pass. Bummer? Yes. The right call for all involved? Also, yes.
Yes, you are in business to generate revenue to fuel your business and feed your family. But you are also in business because you have something unique to offer, real value to deliver, and a deep desire to help your clients. Fit matters so that the relationship between your business and your client is mutually beneficial. And, in the long run, you are going to better fuel that business by providing the best possible service.
We have worked with clients who weren’t the right fit and let me tell you, the overwhelming frustration of our team to try and service them wasn’t worth the revenue. Plus, sooner or later, you will lose that client. Being a client and service provider “match made in heaven” is the marketing strategy we need, and here’s how to do it. We’ll break it down to four things.
1. Figure Out Your Capabilities
Your business has a set of services or products that solve a problem or make things better for your clients. Knowing exactly what you can (and frankly, cannot) do is the first step to creating perfect business to client matches. Get super clear about the capabilities of your business from an internal perspective. This process may actually reveal that there are things you think you can do, but you aren’t really set up to deliver. These are opportunities to set up your business to deliver those capabilities with competence.
2. Define Your Ideal Client
If you want to be the perfect solution for the perfect client, you have to know who that client is and isn’t. Defining your ideal client is a process that gets super granular about who would benefit from being your customer. It creates focus around everything from product or service development to your marketing strategy, and ultimately creates happier and healthier businesses and clients.
3. Market Specifically to Them
Once you know who your perfect client is, you can intentionally create marketing strategies that find and attract them to your perfect solution. Marketing is one of those things that can be overwhelming and all consuming. That’s why so many business owners seek help with marketing from agencies like Spring Insight. When you stay tuned in to who you are the perfect match for, things get more narrow and manageable. You can figure out where to find those clients and craft marketing messages that speak directly to them.
4. Say No When the Fit Isn’t Right
Here is where things get hard. You’ve done all the hard work of defining what you can do, who you can do it for, and how to speak directly to them. You’ve figured out another important marketing strategy for your business! A lot of the time, you get a great match between you and your new clients… but, sometimes you don’t. Saying no to new business feels counterintuitive, but breaking up down the line is way harder for everyone involved. If the fit isn’t right, serve yourself some real talk and say no.
But not all is lost. This scenario presents a great opportunity to leverage your network relationships through referrals. You may know someone who is the perfect solution for the one you had to let get away. Send the client their way and you’ll be doing them, and your connection, a valuable service. Which for the record, is a high-five moment, too.
Do you need help figuring out how to be the perfect solution for the perfect client? Spring Insight can help. We help business owners like you communicate your awesome-ness and win new (perfect) clients. Our marketing services extend to Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia and beyond.