How to Create POWERFUL Ideal Client Profiles
Part 1 of our Ideal Client Profiles series: How to Get More Out of Your Ideal Client Profiles
Whether you’ve been in business for a while or you’re just starting out, you’ve heard repeatedly that you need create an ideal client profile. But let’s talk real for a moment - chances are you’ve done the exercise but never looked at it again.
You’ve heard from just about anyone and everyone - Forbes, your best friend, the stranger in the Acai bowl line this morning - how important it is to identify your ideal client. You find the time to commit and google “how to identify your ideal clients”, download an ideal client workbook, fill it all out - demographics, personal behaviours, hopes & dreams - and then…
You never look at it again. What was the point of all that?
It’s true - it is extremely important to identify your ideal clients, but only if you actually fill it out with information that is useful. We often see it as an exercise where we just casually fill out all the questions and prompts in the work books without actively trying to go a level deeper. But when we hear “Why aren’t people booking sessions with me?”, “Do I really need social media (because quite frankly, I hate it)?”, “How do I sell, but not in a salesy way?” from our clients, it’s because they haven’t gone in depth to discover their ideal clients.
We see this happen a lot. Don’t let your hard work go to waste! We’ve laid out some tips to help you encourage you to create more powerful ideal client profiles that will actually serve its purpose and help you connect with your ideal client better.
Find a photo of your ideal client first
Do you ever feel bad about judging someone simply by the way they look?
Well, this is your chance to do it – guilt-free!
We often fill out the profile, then find a photo and call it a day. However, you should do the reverse! Find a photo of your ideal client first, then write out everything you know about them.
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, so having the visual aid will help ground your thinking and even give you inspo as to what their deepest thoughts may be! If you’re struggling to find a photo, you can use free photography resources like Unsplash or Pexels.
Create more than one profile
Most businesses we’ve worked with will say they have done an ideal client exercise… but created only one profile.
You already know that not all your clients look the same, so just one profile simply isn’t enough! Even if you think your ideal client is pretty specific, i.e. athletes with ankle issues, there is still a lot of variety! For example, athletes can be further differentiated by sport type, age, and sports lifestage. Creating more profiles pushes you to dig deeper and unearth more insights that will be useful.
We recommend creating at least three profiles. This will be especially important when we share actionable tips on how to use your ideal client profiles.
Base your client profile on a real person
Often when we’re writing out our profiles, it is a theoretical person that we dream up. The problem is that we run the risk of not checking our biases and / or creating something unrealistic.
To ground ourselves, we can build out the profile for a real person. Find a person on social media or in your life that is your dream client and fill out your profiles based on them. Use their specifics to fill out demographic information and infer their inner psychographics.
Who knows, by using them for this exercise, you might even identify a clear way to connect with them - then they’ll transform from being a dream to an actual client!
Write your clients’ story arc
What is a story arc, exactly? Well, it is essentially writing your client’s biography - starting with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Chronicle their story, make it engaging, and craft a good read!
Ask questions like - What were they doing before needing your business (beginning), What do they struggle or deal with (middle), How was their experience and why would they come back (end)? Go deep into the protagonist’s inner turmoil, aka the stuff that you don’t see on the surface.
It really helps you to understand the genesis of how someone came to be, and by extension, how they would come to find out about your business and want to connect with you.
Client example: The beginnings of Amy’s story arc.
Photo by cottonbro studio via Pexel
Following these tips will lead you to create profiles with deep understanding of your client’s internal wiring - this is what makes the profiles useful for your business and, ultimately, to finding more clients! Once you’re done, check out our Part 2 where we share actionable tips to using your ideal client profiles.
We know that between running your business, doing what you love, and doing the things you need to do (aka admin work), it can be overwhelming! Use our client workbook if you just need a little boost and guidance when creating your profiles.
If you find yourself needing a little extra support, I’d love to chat. We cover the ideal client profiles in our brand strategy work and would love to help. Book a complimentary call where we can talk about your business, concerns, goals and let’s get started!
Hey there,
I’m Lorena!
I’m a brand designer, illustrator, strategist & cat mom. Spending time with my little one + partner and feline friends fills my soul.
I help purpose-driven business owners invested in helping the world change, build amazing brand strategies and identity – so that their branding can tell their mission and story for them.
Feeling like you’re ready to invest in your brand? Fill out an inquiry form to book a free call and let’s begin our journey together!