What makes a client a “dream client” for you?

For me – it’s someone I can relate to, someone I have fun working with, and that who appreciates the kind of aesthetic I create with my work.

Notice I didn’t mention money. Obviously, they have to be able to pay me for my work, but let me tell you – you can work with rich people all day long and still feel completely miserable and unfulfilled in your work.

Maybe you, like me, are in a super competitive market. Maybe you’re the new (fill in the blank) in town that’s showing up and realizing that building a clientele – one that you really want to work with – isn’t as easy as you thought it’d be. Maybe you’ve been in business for years and you’re just feeling stuck and unhappy with the way things are going.

Whether you are just starting out or feel like something isn’t quite where you want it to be yet with your clients – I have THREE tips that – if you do them well and do them consistently – should help you out of this rut and in to the place where you’re attracting and working with your DREAM CLIENTS regularly.

TIP #1: BE REAL ABOUT WHO YOU ARE.

Let your real personality shine and do the work when you’re online.

What do you believe? What do you love? What do you NOT love? Who are your people? Where do you like to eat? Where’s your favorite place to shop?

When I’m in the market to buy something in a saturated market and I have a lot of options – you know what I look for that ultimately decides who or where I buy from?

Relatability and likability – and that’s different for different people. (And that’s completely the point!)

We are talking about attracting your dream client – not attracting EVERYONE. So forget about trying to appear perfect and please everyone and just be who you are. The people you really want to work with are the people who will appreciate the REAL you.

Assuming quality and price is pretty much the same across all my options – if it’s a small business I’m looking to buy from – I am absolutely looking at the person behind the brand. Are they real? Approachable? Would I enjoy sitting down and having a cup of coffee with them? Because if the answer is “no” or “I don’t know” – then why would I choose them?

SMART business owners know they need to connect with their dream clients in a way that’s real and relatable. So stop with the cheesy motivational quotes and give me substance. Tell me a story about who you really are that I can actually relate to. At the end of the day, I want to know who you are – and so do your dream clients.

TIP#2: SHOW AND TELL

Every time you post, it is an opportunity to show the world what you love and tell them why you love it.

Do that, do it well, and do it consistently and your dream clients will start to find you.

Even better? Do it in a way that only you can do. Find your own unique voice and use it. How do you do that? You speak on the internet no differently than you would speak face-to-face with someone.

Example: Let’s say you’re a real estate agent and you constantly post pictures of houses and describe them with the standard “4 bedroom, 3 bathroom, 2600 square feet on a cul-de-sac.” You are missing an opportunity to connect with good storytelling. What do you know about the house? Any stories? What’s unique about it? What is something you would LOVE if it was own house? Or paint a lovely picture for your readers about a family moving in and starting a new tradition of gathering around the built-in bench seat to watch squirrels playing in the big backyard every morning through the giant picture window in the kitchen.

Be enthusiastic about what you love and the people who are also enthusiastic about that same thing will start paying attention.

 

TIP #3: FLASH YOUR FACE

Time to stop hiding your face. Oh yea, that pesky algorithm thing? It’s still there honey, and it’s still a little punk. Here’s an unhappy truth: it’s not going away so you might as well figure out how to tell it that YOU’RE not going away, either. Best way to do that? Show your face and show your work process and do this regularly.

Again, relatability and authenticity is key here. We don’t all just want to see the same “influencer pose” over and over and over again. Instagram is flooded with those images and they don’t tell us much. Remember – the idea is not to blend in, but to STAND OUT. So schedule a branding session and get creative. Use color! Wear your favorite sweatshirt. Tell a story about your Behind the Scenes process. Be silly. STAND OUT.

How do you get from the boring vanilla branding photos that don’t say much to photos that tell the story of who you are and attract attention from the right people? You book with someone whose branding sessions all look UNIQUE. Ahem…and I’m just throwing this out there but…call me, baby. 😉

 

 

The way you show up online directly effects who contacts you online. Think about that! If you want to start attracting your dream clients – it starts with YOU telling them who YOU are and being someone they can see that they’d like to work with.

 

I hope you found these tips helpful and put them to good use!

 

XOXO-

Jodie