How to Identify Your Desirable and Undesirable Clientele as a Small Service Provider

clientele

The first stage of marketing your services efficiently as a small business owner in an ever-increasing competitive environment is to get enough clients. Most of us are struggling with this nowadays. No matter how stunning your social media platforms or website content might be, if you miss out on closing the deal with your potential clientele, your business cannot grow. So, at least 80% of your time must be focused on getting clients as long as you don’t have enough.

So, here we will talk about how you can identify your desirable and undesirable clientele as a small service provider.

Identifying Your Ideal Clientele

To find your ideal clientele, you need to be clear on who you truly wish to serve. You cannot afford to miss out on identifying your niche in 2022 if you don’t want to be left behind. If you are just starting a venture and don’t have a crystal clear picture yet, make sure to run a short test of what or who may work or doesn’t work for you, before quickly narrowing them down to your ideal clientele. The faster you see through things, the better. I wouldn’t give it more than a year…

Getting clarity on your ideal clientele can help you spare headaches and run unnecessary circles with people who would only cause you unnecessary hardships. We are starting to realize more and more that businesses built on fear, worry, not knowing what we truly want, and not going until the end can easily collapse. It is not your job to worry for your clients, but to focus on bringing solutions to their problems.

Your Less Than Ideal Clientele

Characteristic Number One.

They badly need your help, but would not give a clear answer to your first related question. You should already suspect something is not okay. They are either not ready to step up to the next level of their business, or they don’t want to be led by you, the expert. If they cannot give a clear answer how much is their income, or what they are struggling with, you should slow down a bit. When you ask another question, and they won’t answer that either, it should be a true red flag.

Talking mambo-jumbo is a clear sign that someone doesn’t take their business seriously enough. When they do so, and you are trying to help them, they should come back to you when they are ready. Another tactic could be that they start to urge you to give them answers, expecting instant solutions from you, barely knowing them. These types of individuals don’t like or wish to be led by others, therefore, they should be allowed to leave.

Characteristic Number Two.

They like and follow some of your work and content, may even praise you, but disappear after you first interact with them. It is okay, there are many unserious people on social media platforms, and people only after your freebies. If you can affect 10 percent of them, you are doing well. Remember, you don’t want to please everyone, but give your best for those clients who truly need your service, because they know you can help them, and trust your expertise.

Characteristic Number Three.

When you communicate regularly online via your website or social media, and they ask you, What could you help me with? They are trying to test you. You have a lot of free materials available. You could ask them, Haven’t they seen what you can help people with? They want you to convince them why your service is the best out of all service providers.’ It is like going to the dentist, and asking them which treatment they do better than other dentists…

You should never let yourself be tested this way! Why? Because great professionals don’t run after their clients but attract them with knowledge, quality service, and measurable achievement. If a great private surgeon completes a serious cardiac surgery, and you die a month later because of your body’s weakness, you don’t pay back the money. Right? You should have enough good customers willing to come to you when you provide great services.

Characteristic Number Four.

They either overly praise their business, and how good they are, yet they are clearly having problems, or they only focus on complaining. You should quickly recognize that such extreme behaviors never lead to success stories. These business individuals aren’t well-grounded, they see what they provide in a better light than they should, or have serious blocks that first need to be released. Provided, if they truly want to work on improving themselves and their business.

Characteristic Number Five.

Only focusing on your pricing, even if it is impossible to give them an exact price in advance. When you don’t yet know your client, and how much time they require to achieve their desired goal, depending on your service, you cannot always tell a clear-cut price. When they are obsessed with your pricing, and keep forcing it, be aware that they possibly couldn’t be your best client.

Characteristic Number Six.

They insist on you giving them a guarantee that they achieve their exact desired result. Unless you sell webinars or ebooks, you could offer a money-back guarantee, but you shouldn’t if you have helping services. You worked hard one-on-one with your client. You also put in your time and energy which should be equally compensated. You should bravely say you cannot give any guarantees in this case, and tell them that working together and getting results takes two!

Characteristic Number Seven.

When you come across a client who is playing the role of a victim, only needing your assurance, and energy, you should go against them, and turn around the situation! When someone is complaining, you should always guard yourself against them, and should not take on their flow… You do not want to be a partner in their victim game. They are surely not a good client for you, incapable of committing to seriously working together.

Filtering Inadequate Clients

When you have done your job and filtered your inadequate clients, don’t get scared when all your clients are bad. Or if you only have a very few good ones. Then, it is time to start working on your right client acquisition! You can have your dream clients when you put in enough effort and think of creative ways to get them. Our modern online world is not the only possible place to advertise, you could go beyond that, and think of what may work locally!

Draw Your Dream Clients’ Character

The key is how you position yourself and your business in the eyes of your potential clientele. You make your clients solvent by offering them your services, conditioning what they think, impacting and influencing them. Your self-worth shines through the quality of your services and business ventures.

If they prove to be any less than your ideal clients, you could tell them the following statements:

  • It is not the right time for us to work together yet.
  • We cannot work together unless you make some necessary changes.
  • You are only feeling sorry for yourself. I can only work with you if you focus on the solutions instead of the problems.