// brand bootcamp

WEEK 3

This week we are trying to get your ideal client profiles nailed down. It’s likely that you will need three or more to cover the different areas and buyers in your business. Get as specific as you can, get under their skin.

We are also exploring the brand seasons and so there is some reading to do.

Ideal Clients

To be successful in your business we first need to determine exactly who you would like to be working with, who would be your dream client. We need to understand what motivates them, what would make them choose you, and really, what makes them tick. We need this level of insight.

Often times when we are knee deep in our business (or just starting out) it can feel like we don’t have any choice in who we work with - we simply take the clients or customers that approach us, because we need the work/sales right? We’ve all been there, but I’m sure you know this isn’t a good strategy (or in fact, a strategy at all!)

When we work with clients that are the wrong fit for us we end up feeling micromanaged, or that we can’t provide what they need and then spend waaay too long trying to keep them happy. Clients that are a bad fit drain our energy and confidence at the same time. Let’s be more strategic than reactive, let’s make a plan for getting you more of the lovely clients and customers that are a joy to work with.

I always base my ideal clients on someone I know, or have worked with in some capacity in the past. It’s so much easier and much more powerful and realistic, to start with a real person in mind. Have a think about the people you know.

Let’s start by considering if any of your previous clients have been an absolute joy to work with. The ones that just ‘get’ you, where your working relationship is easy and light and you feel you can do your best work. They may not be the ones that pay you the most, but they are the ones you wish you could work with all the time!

What do you know about them? Start writing!

Perhaps you are struggling to think of a client, or you are just starting out, this is where you need to draw on friends and people you know. Is there anyone you can think of that you would love to work with, who you know that would really value what you do? Do you know them well enough to use as an ideal client profile, do you understand their thinking and motivation? This is not a wish list!

This is meant to be an inspiring exercise, and once complete your ideal client profiles will form the basis of everything you do moving forwards. You will use your ideal client profiles (muse, avatar all the same thing!) to make your decisions in the business in the future. You will name your ideal client, and find a photo that fits - let’s imagine she is a Rebecca.

From now on you will ask yourself ‘would Rebecca like this, would it resonate with her?’ whenever you are making any decision on copy, marketing, design, websites, social etc. This is why it’s so powerful, you can immediately see if something isn’t right.

The ideal client needs to be realistic!

For example, if you were a florist - there is no point coming up with your ideal client as someone who is getting married in a forest, likes things very natural and undone, is early 30’s, works as a teacher and is an artist, is marrying a musician, has made her own wedding stationary and is having the reception in a bell tent (doing her own catering) and then expect her to have a massive budget for flowers.

This type of person is likely to do their own flowers, have a friend help or use things she has foraged. They are unlikely to pick a high street florist who does hand tied bouquets of tight roses. They may choose a florist who has a very bohemian and natural style, but I wonder how much budget will be allocated to flowers? Perhaps their family have offered to pay for some flowers, but her MIL has chosen the florist, do you think that would be a good fit, an easy working relationship? I doubt it!

So if you have a high street florist, unless your creative style really matches this style and type of person, they would likely not be your ideal client. You need to focus on your end client (the bride), not necessarily your buyer (the MIL).

Here are a few examples of ideal clients I have written for previous clients. Most have two or three ideal client profiles for their business.

These profiles were created for The WorkLife Company, a people, performance and wellbeing at work company. We created three profiles for the different markets.

This profile was created for Kate Hughes Meditation, one of three profiles we created for Kate’s new business. Each profile is for the different areas she wanted to focus on; group classes, corporate classes and meditation for men. This one is Claire for her Group class.

This is one of the profiles were created for Isla & Fraser, a new baby blanket knitwear brand. Alice was our main Ideal Client, there is a lot of detail here which is relevant to the brand, but you may want to only write a couple of paragraphs.

This is another one of the profiles were created for Isla & Fraser. Tom was not their main ideal client, as obviously these would be mums and grandparents, but he was an additional one that we identified as being important.

Homework

Firstly download the ideal client worksheet, this will act as a jumping off point, it’s by no means exhaustive. Let’s start by outlining three of your ideal clients. What do you know about them?

Take a fresh piece of paper and let’s get to work! Jot down as much info as you can think of…remember we are trying to work out what motivates someone to buy, what their values are, what do they prioritise in their life?

To really bring this to life we need some imagery too - try looking at Unsplash for royalty free photos, and if this feels too tricky for you don’t worry I can help. www.unsplash.com

Brand seasons

Your brand will likely fall into one season more comfortably that the others, but we need to be sure that the way your brand makes your clients feel, is compelling

Have a read of the brand season info in the link below and start to consider which feels right. These brand seasons are of course the extreme of each season, the actual seasons are more subtle that this, but it gives a good basis to start to make some decisions. Don’t be put off by the photography if it’s not right for your brand, and remember that each colour occurs in each season (with the exception of black - which is Winter only). You will see in the last section I have shown what a Winter brand with a different season as a subordinate would look like. It’s possible your brand will need a different season as a subordinate too.

The document was created with an ice cream brand in mind.

Make a cuppa and enjoy immersing yourself in the world of brand seasons!

Vision

Please have a listen to the podcast, you can do this whilst you are on a walk if you like, we need to start to get clear on your vision, and this is the first step. Try to consider the questions, pause the podcast if needed and make some notes. See what you come up with, try to think BIG and don’t let the HOW get in the way. It’s likely that (unless you are Steve Jobs and are going to invent the iPhone) people have trodden the same path before you. The HOW can always be worked out. It’s having the vision in the first place that is the hardest part (or most fun depending on how you look at it!)