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How To Recognize Your Ideal Client, Tips From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach

Written by: Glenn Ebersole

Article Overview: Do you know how to recognize your ideal client? Do you have know the characteristics of your ideal client? Have you selected criteria to decide whether you will do business with someone or not? The honest answer to these questions from too many of you will be NO! And the sad truth of this is that too many businesses try to be all things to all people and believe that anyone that breathes or has a credit card is a prospect. This approach is definitely not strategic. I suggest a more strategic approach. Define your ideal client. One of my favorite mentors – Michael Gerber, who says, "The foundation of your marketing strategy is an insightful understanding of your customers. It's a "three-legged stool" - who they are, where they are and how they think and behave;" Here are some questions to ask to define your ideal client.

How To Recognize Your Ideal Client, Tips From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach

“How To Recognize Your Ideal Client, Tips From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach”
By: J. Glenn Ebersole, Jr., Chief Executive of J. G. Ebersole Associates and The Renaissance Group ™

Do you know how to recognize your ideal client for your business? Do you have any idea of the characteristics of your ideal client? Have you taken time to select criteria you will use to decide whether you will do business with someone or not? The honest answer from too many of you will be NO to these questions. And the sad truth of this is that too many businesses try to be all things to all people and believe that anyone that breathes or has a credit card is a prospect. This approach is definitely not strategic.

My suggestion to you is to take a more strategic approach. And this means that you must define your ideal client. For advice on how to do that, I refer to one of my favorite mentors – Michael Gerber, who says, "The foundation of your marketing strategy is an insightful understanding of your customers. It's a "three-legged stool" - who they are, where they are and how they think and behave;"

So how can we take Michael Gerber’s advice and translate it into some simple starter questions for you to answer. The questions focus first and foremost on what YOU want. I believe it is very important for you to decide and choose who your ideal clients will be and how you want to work with them. This puts you in a position to be proactive rather than reactive in your marketing. What questions might you ask to define your ideal clients? Here are ten (10) questions your strategic thinking business coach suggests you can use to help identify your ideal clients.

1. Who do you really want to work with and what is the compelling reason you want to work with them?
2. What are the types of problems you want to solve for your ideal clients?
3. Where is the geographic location of your ideal clients?
4. What is the minimum revenue/profit that you want to generate from your ideal clients?
5. What are the socio/demo/psycho graphics of your ideal clients?
6. What criteria will you use to prioritize the list of ideal clients?
7. What criteria will you use and how will you "fire" clients that do not fit the ideal client profile?
8. What types of businesses are your ideal clients in?
9. What are the core values you will look for in your ideal clients?
10. What markets do your ideal clients serve?


The identification of your ideal clients so you can recognize them must be an initial step. Beginning with a clear profile of your ideal client, you will be able to develop more strategic marketing. And you will be in the position to focus your efforts on prospects that are most likely to purchase your products/services. If you create a culture where you gain a deep understanding of your prospects, you will become their company of choice. People do want to do business with people and companies who take time to learn about them and what their biggest challenges are and how to provide solutions.

Your strategic thinking business coach encourages you to use strategic thinking in the development of your ideal client profile. If you would like to learn more about how to define your ideal client and how a strategic thinking business coach can facilitate and guide you in that endeavor, please contact Glenn Ebersole today through his website at www.businesscoach4u.com or by email at jgecoach@aol.com

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