How to Attract Your Ideal Clients

Do you work with your ideal clients every day?

 

I do. This month I am fortunate enough to have 6 new coaching clients and 5 group coaching clients. My schedule is filled and I need to put people on a waiting list.

 

But that is not the great part. The great part is the types of clients I have. Every single one of my clients is an ideal client. I do not have one client who drains my energy. I like, respect, and enjoy working with every one of them.

 

This hasn’t always been the case for me. Several years ago I was at the mercy of whoever hired me. I was lucky to have many wonderful clients contact me, but not every client was my 100% ideal one.

 

What changed?

 

I did.

 

I began to focus my attention on exactly the type of client I love working with and best help. I thought of things like:

 

• Bright
• Creative
• Service-orientated
• Socially responsible
• Sense of humor
• Ambitious

 I developed such a clear picture in my mind that I could see and feel what working with these clients would be like. I committed to not taking any clients who if my instinct told me not to. (I know you’ve had these experiences too- something tells you not to take a client but you do anyway and it turns out horribly!).

 

So, here are some tips for attracting your ideal clients:

 

1. List all of the adjectives that describe the people who’ve you’ve most enjoyed working with—the people who have increased rather than drained your energy.

 

2. Write down who you’ve best helped. Our work is typically most rewarding when we’re effective at it. Stack the deck by selecting only clients you are very likely to help.

 

3. Get a clear picture in your mind. I don’t mean a picture of how your ideal client looks, I mean a picture of how you will feel when you work with that type of person. And picture the process. I see myself coming up with great ideas, laughing, and enjoying my coaching calls. I see my clients taking suggestions and implementing them and getting great results.

 

4. Tell all your referral partners about your ideal clients. I educate my referral sources about who I best help to save everyone time and energy. This, by the way, also helps to solidify your niche and ability to be remembered.

 

5. Commit to working with no one else. Even if you’re just starting out and trying to get going, promise yourself not to work with those who don’t fit your criteria. This is tough but it is an important business decision that will serve you well in the long run.

It’s funny, now my clients often sound surprised and remark about what a good fit we are—given our similar levels of creativity, backgrounds, interest in helping people and so on. I smile, but am not at all surprised. After all, I attracted them.