In 2016, it seemed like you couldn’t turn on the TV, listen to the radio, or read the newspaper without there being some story of a person being killed, assaulted or victimized because of their race. I hope that it not the case for 2017, but it’s yet to be seen. The whole issue related to profiling and in particular racial profiling stems around using it to single out members of a particular group and target them for. . . well, you name it.
What would happen if you took profiling and used it for good? What if you used this method of singling out groups of people for some type of punishment or retribution, turned it on its head and used it to help you grow your business? You can do that by revamping profiling and turning it into Ideal Client Recognition (ICR).
How does ICR work?
The premise behind profiling groups of people is to help recognize shared characteristics and habits so they can be set apart from the crowd and recognized easily and immediately. Of course, there are more detailed explanations than what I’ve presented here, but this will suffice, for the purpose of this article.
As I said, let’s turn the darkness of profiling into a tool you can use to recognize your ideal prospects who you can convert into your ideal clients quickly and easily. I’ll lay out the exact steps you need to follow to make this happen.
In my forthcoming book, UN-Market Your Business; 10 Ways for Savvy Entrepreneurs to Stand Out, Stop Struggling, and Start Profiting, I do a deep dive into how to find and engage with your ideal prospect. For now, let’s go over a couple of the points you need to get started. Think in terms of a single person, not necessarily a group of people. In fact, develop a visual of this ideal client; similar to an avatar.
- How old is she? (provide a range)
- Is she single or married? Does she have children? (what ages?)
- What is her career? (job title, industry, business focus, etc.). How long has she been in this career?
- What does she do in her spare time?
Next, figure out where your ideal prospects hang out in groups. If your ideal prospect is a health coach or someone who helps other people lose weight, get in shape, or develop healthy habits, she would most likely be a member of a health-related association or organization like the International Association for Health Coaches or the Health, Living, and Healthcare Facebook group.
Your IDR language
What language does your ideal client speak? I’m not referring to their native languages such as English, Spanish, or Swahili, I’m referring to the words that they use to describe their problem.
Your ideal client has a problem and they are searching for a solution. Think of their problem as a pain they want to desperately get rid of. When you have an ache or pain that is consistently bothering you, what do you do? You talk about it and then you search for a solution for getting rid of it, correct?
This is the language your ideal client will be speaking. They are desperately seeking a solution and they will be voicing this search with their words every opportunity they get.
If you listen, you will hear them say exactly what they want. They may begin a post or a conversation with #HELP or maybe they will ask if anyone has any experience with BLANK. They may even come right out and say “I’m looking for ________.”
Next Steps for Success
Now that you know the following:
- Who your ideal clients are,
- Where your ideal clients hang out,
- What language your ideal clients speak,
You need a plan to engage with them and actually convert them into clients. Because at this moment, they are really ideal prospects. They don’t become actual clients until they pay you for something. By using the ICR tips that I’ve laid out for you, it’s only a matter of time and touches before these ideal prospects become ideal clients.
In the next article, I’ll explain how to convert ideal prospects into ideal clients with the right touch.
If you are ready to discover how to make ICR work for you now, connect with me, let’s have a chat. so we can look at where you’re losing out on clients and what you can do to stop it.
