Learn how to locate and attract more "perfect" clients for your creative services.

When you work with the "perfect" client, life is wonderful and business is simple.  The perfect client pays on time, is thrilled with your work, tells all of her friends about you, and makes doing what you do easy.  If you could replicate the perfect client, then business wouldn't be difficult, right?

Let's discuss how to locate more perfect clients so you can increase your income and decrease your not-so-perfect client drama.

First, define your "perfect" client.  Write a list of specific items that makes (or you think would make) a client great.  Is the client male or female?  Does he have children?  Is she married?  In what area does the client live?  How much money does the client make?  What type of car does he drive?  What type of personality does the client have?  What age range does the client fall? What does she do for a living?

Once you have a list of criteria that make up your perfect client, find out what the client does in his spare time.  What are her hobbies?  Does she do charity work?  Is he involved with coaching sports for his children?  Is she a member of any professional organizations or chambers of commerce?  Does your client like to entertain guests in her home?  Where does your client shop?

Knowing what your client does with his time will help you know where to market and where to find more perfect clients.   For example, if your perfect client is involved with a local charity, you may also want to become a part of that organization to meet other potential clients.  If your perfect client is a member of a professional organization, you may be able to write an article or speak for that organization.  If your perfect client shops at a particular store, you could make arrangements with the store owner or manager to have flyers about your company at the check out counter or you could do a joint promotional mailing together.  The possibilities are endless - if you understand specifics about your perfect target client.

Also, ask the clients who already fall into the "perfect" category, for referrals.  My personal favorite way to ask for referrals is to say, "You are my perfect type of client to work with and I'd love to work with more people like you.  If you have friends and family who need similar projects, please have them call me.  You've been such a joy to work with."  Then give them a business card or a flyer or other piece of marketing material they could pass on to their perfect friends.  You can also include this information in a thank you note or follow up letter.

The more perfect clients you work with the more opportunities you will find and have to work with other perfect clients.  Keep in mind, if you have clients who have been less-than-perfect, they are more likely to refer you to other less-than-perfect people.  So, do everything you can to surround yourself with perfect ones, and your business will be wonderful!

Business· client· creative· Marketing· professional· revenue

How Creative Professionals Can Get More Perfect Clients

Learn how to locate and attract more "perfect" clients for your creative services.

When you work with the "perfect" client, life is wonderful and business is simple.  The perfect client pays on time, is thrilled with your work, tells all of her friends about you, and makes doing what you do easy.  If you could replicate the perfect client, then business wouldn't be difficult, right?

Let's discuss how to locate more perfect clients so you can increase your income and decrease your not-so-perfect client drama.

First, define your "perfect" client.  Write a list of specific items that makes (or you think would make) a client great.  Is the client male or female?  Does he have children?  Is she married?  In what area does the client live?  How much money does the client make?  What type of car does he drive?  What type of personality does the client have?  What age range does the client fall? What does she do for a living?

Once you have a list of criteria that make up your perfect client, find out what the client does in his spare time.  What are her hobbies?  Does she do charity work?  Is he involved with coaching sports for his children?  Is she a member of any professional organizations or chambers of commerce?  Does your client like to entertain guests in her home?  Where does your client shop?

Knowing what your client does with his time will help you know where to market and where to find more perfect clients.   For example, if your perfect client is involved with a local charity, you may also want to become a part of that organization to meet other potential clients.  If your perfect client is a member of a professional organization, you may be able to write an article or speak for that organization.  If your perfect client shops at a particular store, you could make arrangements with the store owner or manager to have flyers about your company at the check out counter or you could do a joint promotional mailing together.  The possibilities are endless - if you understand specifics about your perfect target client.

Also, ask the clients who already fall into the "perfect" category, for referrals.  My personal favorite way to ask for referrals is to say, "You are my perfect type of client to work with and I'd love to work with more people like you.  If you have friends and family who need similar projects, please have them call me.  You've been such a joy to work with."  Then give them a business card or a flyer or other piece of marketing material they could pass on to their perfect friends.  You can also include this information in a thank you note or follow up letter.

The more perfect clients you work with the more opportunities you will find and have to work with other perfect clients.  Keep in mind, if you have clients who have been less-than-perfect, they are more likely to refer you to other less-than-perfect people.  So, do everything you can to surround yourself with perfect ones, and your business will be wonderful!

Anybody can start a business – even tomorrow – but without the promise of a customer (in fact, a lot more than one), the chances of succeeding long-term are slim to none. Find out what you need to do to run a successful business.

In any business venture, you will need customers in order to be IN business. Anybody can start a business - even tomorrow - but without the promise of a customer (in fact, a lot more than one), the chances of succeeding long-term are slim to none.

When you were growing up, you had needs. You were hungry, so your parents fed you. You were cold, so you were given clothes to wear. You needed support and encouragement, and your family and friends supported you and gave you the love and social interaction that we as humans need. So, how is this relevant to your business?

In one sentence, here it is.

** If you are not satisfying a need, you will make little to no sales - period **

If you are in the process of starting your business, you can research a category, idea or product on the internet very easily. There are websites that you can visit that will help you find out how many people were looking for a particular piece of information, according to the number o times a certain keyword search or phrase was used. A popular and well-used site for this is the Overture Yahoo! Keyword Search tool, found at the following URL:
http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/

By typing in a keyword or phrase, such as mustang car parts, you will be presented with the results for the previous month. For July 2011, a total of 1016 searches were done for this term on the Yahoo search engines.

What this tool doesn't do is show you the searches in Google and other major search engines. But it does give you an idea of the potential customers for your product, and helps to highlight potential need in a product or service. The higher the number of searches, the higher the potential for sales.

Another great way to find out what your customer's needs are is to ask them. You can do this in person, over the phone, by email or in the mail. This is great for all types of businesses - online and offline. You can also ask other questions that will help you in growing your business. Questions such as what products they would prefer, how much they would pay for them, and how they go about finding the information for that product. This information is invaluable when you are putting together your business and marketing plans.

Starting, growing and expanding your business is often portrayed as a complex process. Honestly, some of the stages are. But the part that truly matters - whether you are making sales or not - is whether you are meeting the needs of your customer. If the answer to that is yes, then your next stage is to let your customer know you exist.

By finding out what need they have and filling it, you will have a product that will interest them when they find you.

Business· customer needs· customer research· demand· market research· Marketing· need· supply

Find a need - fill a need

Anybody can start a business – even tomorrow – but without the promise of a customer (in fact, a lot more than one), the chances of succeeding long-term are slim to none. Find out what you need to do to run a successful business.

In any business venture, you will need customers in order to be IN business. Anybody can start a business - even tomorrow - but without the promise of a customer (in fact, a lot more than one), the chances of succeeding long-term are slim to none.

When you were growing up, you had needs. You were hungry, so your parents fed you. You were cold, so you were given clothes to wear. You needed support and encouragement, and your family and friends supported you and gave you the love and social interaction that we as humans need. So, how is this relevant to your business?

In one sentence, here it is.

** If you are not satisfying a need, you will make little to no sales - period **

If you are in the process of starting your business, you can research a category, idea or product on the internet very easily. There are websites that you can visit that will help you find out how many people were looking for a particular piece of information, according to the number o times a certain keyword search or phrase was used. A popular and well-used site for this is the Overture Yahoo! Keyword Search tool, found at the following URL:
http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/

By typing in a keyword or phrase, such as mustang car parts, you will be presented with the results for the previous month. For July 2011, a total of 1016 searches were done for this term on the Yahoo search engines.

What this tool doesn't do is show you the searches in Google and other major search engines. But it does give you an idea of the potential customers for your product, and helps to highlight potential need in a product or service. The higher the number of searches, the higher the potential for sales.

Another great way to find out what your customer's needs are is to ask them. You can do this in person, over the phone, by email or in the mail. This is great for all types of businesses - online and offline. You can also ask other questions that will help you in growing your business. Questions such as what products they would prefer, how much they would pay for them, and how they go about finding the information for that product. This information is invaluable when you are putting together your business and marketing plans.

Starting, growing and expanding your business is often portrayed as a complex process. Honestly, some of the stages are. But the part that truly matters - whether you are making sales or not - is whether you are meeting the needs of your customer. If the answer to that is yes, then your next stage is to let your customer know you exist.

By finding out what need they have and filling it, you will have a product that will interest them when they find you.