If I told you that there is an unlimited number of *ideal* clients out there just waiting to work with you you might think I'm nuts
BUT,
it's the absolute truth.
If you're having a hard time finding the clients who pay on time, who are happy to pay your set rates, who have fun and challenging projects for you to get involved in, who are a *joy* to work with - or even ANY clients at ALL - you may think they simply don't exist or have all been contracted with by OTHER VA's...but the reality is - they're there, just waiting for *you* to sell your wonderful self and services to them.
You haven't found them yet because you haven't *defined* them yet.
It makes perfect sense, really...when you think about it - how can you find something if you don't really have a good solid sense of just *what* it is you're looking for?
You don't go to the grocery store with a dinner party for 8 in mind and blindly walk the aisles tossing random goods into the cart, do you?
Of course not!
You make a LIST of what you need, you read recipes, you plan a menu built on taste, aesthetics, palate - you plan it all the way down to the bottle of wine (are you serving fish or vegetarian? white or red?), the table settings and the appetizers. You envision a perfect evening, and do everything you can to make that happen.
So why would you handle
building your clientele any other way?
Too many VA's get caught in the trap of blindly trolling for clients on Craigslist or freelance websites without a complete and well thought out idea of
what it is they want in a client relationship. And what do you get for your efforts - sending countless emails to prospective projects and clients you know little or nothing about; basing your inquiries on hours required per week or rate offered per hour?
You end up either not getting the gig or getting a gig that doesn't
fulfill your innate individual purpose.
Is the number of hours per week a client needs you or the dollars per hour they're willing to pay *really* the be all and end all of what you do?
Does ALL that you have to offer as a professional VA really come down to hours and dollars?
I hardly think so - and neither should you.
You are a professional and you've got an
unlimited supply of talent, energy, intelligence, invention, ingenuity, creativity...this list is really ENDLESS!
What you bring to the table is worth so much more than breaking it all down to dollars and cents.
Now I understand it's tempting to do so, to pursue clients blindly - especially when you're first getting started. I mean, who doesn't want to fill their potential 40+ hours per week with anything and everything they can get their hands on?
Well...I for one, don't.
I want to work on projects that
bring joy and growth into my practice and my personal human experience.
I want to work with clients who respect my position in their growing business, who understand
the value of what I do and are not only happy to pay their invoices but pay on time and with a sincere 'thank you!'
I want to work in an environment that honors who I am and allows me to shine. (THIS list is endless too!)
And because I've made this list for myself (it's at least two pages long at this point and gets longer every month as I constantly revisit it to revise, edit, and add to it) I'm able to see right away if a potential client, job, project, or contract is a good fit for me - and I pursue those that resonate with and reflect the major points on my LIST.
It isn't just about skills and hourly rate of pay - it's about fulfilling my desire to do work that I LOVE
.
Because when I'm doing work that I LOVE the end result is 200 times better and more productive for both me and my client.
I *don't* take every single job that comes my way - because in the end the biggest value for me as a VA is in the
longevity of the working relationship.
And if I'm not going to be happy working on that project or with that client over the *long haul* then the return on MY investment just isn't worth it.
It PAYS to take the time to
write out your own recipe for success - starting with
defining your ideal client.
Make that 'shopping list' - focus it on your future-certain clientele and write down ALL of the behaviors, philosophies, ideas, energies, interactions, and general qualities you see
your IDEAL client possessing and bringing into your experience.
Use your imagination to come up with all the things that make you happy, let you shine, and help you to grow!
What industry is your ideal client involved in?
What kinds of projects thrill you, challenge you and inspire you?
Ask yourself all the questions you can think of, for now, and then grab a sheet of paper and start brainstorming the answers - it's OK if it doesn't all come to you at once - like I said, I'm STILL adding to my list and always will be. As we encounter new experiences and learn from them we are able to fine tune our vision of the ideal client...but start now -
start with the top five things that will make you happy in your practice (in terms of your relationship to your clients). Meditate on these five things; really think about why they are important and add notes to your list as you go so that you're always in the process of tuning up that vision.
Title the list 'My Ideal Client' and
set your intention to fill your practice with clients who fulfill these qualities.
Don't add things that you *don't* want to the list - no sense giving any energy to something negative. If you want to write '
doesn't send X type of projects' write the opposite instead, focusing on the POSITIVE version of the same thing. Write: '
DOES send Y type of projects'. The power of positive thinking is much greater than you realize, and when you set your positive intention, the universe can and will assist you in fulfilling what it is you want.
THEN when you're out there scouting for prospects you'll have your 'shopping list' in mind - you'll no longer be casting your line without direction and will be sending focused energy and intention toward what you DO want in your practice. Treat your clientele like any other important 'event' in your life - envision that perfect working relationship, WRITE IT DOWN (make it more tangible by creating that SHOPPING LIST) and *expect* it - you'll be surprised at how fast the things you've 'asked for' on that shopping list start to manifest in your business - and you'll be a much more successful VA because of it!
Defining your *ideal* client
Stuck in startup? Stop dreaming. Start DOING! 
Re: Defining your *ideal* client
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