As a single woman, I have tried Internet dating in the past. One of the things that I like about Internet dating is that you can put in the requirements that you want in a mate. You can choose hair color, eye color, height, education, religious beliefs and more. Once you have done that, you will get a listing of people that match your choices. How much easier it is to date this way when you select what you want rather than accepting whomever comes your way.
In business, I have noticed that things work the same way. Many people think that if they narrow down their target market then they will alienate people. In reality, you are attracting the people you want to you. Think of it this way. Suppose you are a man who likes blonde, blue-eyed women who like to fish. So you put that in your profile. If I show up on the date ( black woman, brown eyes, fishes at the grocery store) then you may choose to go out with me a couple of times but ultimately I am not what you are looking for so why continue dating? You can do the same in your business and marketing.
When you write your brochure or webpage, let people know who is a great client, patient or customer for your business.
Maybe you want a person with a certain type of pain that they are dealing with such as pain from cancer, lupus or MS. Maybe you want to work with women suffering from the symptoms of menopause. Maybe you want to work with children who have autism. Whatever it is, let people know. This helps the people who are not in your target market begin to go through their mental Rolodex and think of people that would be good for you. If you are a generalist and want to serve everyone, it makes it more difficult for them to think of people for your business.
Similarly, let people know who is not a good fit for your business.
You want people who pay you in a timely manner, right? So let people know that you don’t want people who don’t have the money for your services or want to discount your services. You can say it nicely, but say it! Suppose you have had people who are impatient and expect results before they get to your office; let people know that you work in a certain way. Let them know that what you do is a process and it takes time to see results. Impatient, unrealistic people need not apply. Some will be offended but so what? They are probably not your ideal client anyway. Better to find out now than later.
Selecting the ideal client is a lot like selecting the right mate. You need to state your needs and desires and what you will and will not deal with during the relationship. If you start out looking for and selecting the right mate you can then move forward to building a great relationship.
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