Have you ever heard the
phrase opposites attract? This can be true of my husband Greg and I when we go out for dinner together. I like fine dining with beautiful menus, fine wine and those heavy linen napkins. Greg prefers more casual dining where someone takes your order or you place your order at the counter and sit wherever you can find a spot. We both enjoy two different kinds of experiences. This got me thinking about how Smart Women need to offer their ideal client what they want and prefer if they have a desire to grow their business.
When I gave birth to Smart Women Smart Solutions 5 years ago, I offered some programs that I loved—notice the “I” here. I offered group coaching programs that were ideal for me in terms of the time and day of week, however I found out t hat this was not the optimum time for my ideal clients. I had to change my way of thinking and design programs that appealed to my client. This is a trap we can fall into as entrepreneurs. Too many times, we offer services to clients that appeal to us—we love them so everyone else will too, right? You are in business for yourself; however the key to success is to offer services that appeal to your ideal client so that when they learn about them, they immediately say, “Yes!”
There are 3 things you can do right away to make sure that what you offer is exactly what your ideal client wants:
1. What do you serve? Using the example of eating out, is it All-American, Italian, French, Greek? What type of business do you have? Are you a coach, speaker, real estate agent, attorney, pet store owner? Are you serving what people want and need? One quick tip is to Google your business idea a nd see what comes up. If multiple pages come up, then you may have a winner on your hands. If you get no results, you may need to re-think your idea. Example: If you Google “mani/pedi for dogs,” you’ll see that there is a very small market for this. It’s not a service that enough people are looking for to build a successful business.
2. How do you serve it up? Is it eat-in or take-out? Is it buffet-style? Is it formal or casual? How do you serve your client the product or service? In an office? By phone? Privately, one to one? Group programs? This is key to growing a business with happy clients who will send referrals your way. I offer my coaching services for women in several ways to make sure that I have different choices for different women’s needs.
3. Your comments, please – Do you ever notice the manage r walking around the restaurant asking if you have everything you need? Or maybe they bring you a comment card at the end of the meal asking for your feedback? The best way to find out what your ideal client wants is to ask them. I send out surveys to my existing clients and potential clients at least one time per year and sometimes two. I learned a long time ago not to live in a vacuum when it comes to marketing. Don’t sit in your office all alone trying to figure out what your ideal client wants and needs. You can ask them and they will be happy to tell you! It’s so easy to do online. I use a company called SurveyMonkey.com and there are several others as well.
You may be wondering how Greg and I ever go out to dinner since we both have different ideas about the dining experience we each want. Guess what? We take turns. Sometimes we go more formal and sometimes we order at the counter and grab a table for two. “Taking turns” won’t work with your ideal client. They want it their way. Take some time to look at your own programs and services. Find out what your ideal client wants and serve it to them in a way that will make them happy. You’ll have them coming back again and again.
Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.
*****
© 2010 Joy Chudacoff
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions(tm), a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur. She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs. If you’re ready take your coaching business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, FREE Report, FREE MP3 at http://www.smartwomensmartsolutionscoaching.com/.
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