Published:

07/22/2011 02:10am

3 Easy Ways to Connect With Your Ideal Clients

What we think our clients want and what they actually want can be vastly different. The only way to create offerings that are easy for them to say yes to and solve their problems is to find out for sure. And the easiest way to do that is to ask them! When you ask your audience what they need, it paints a clear picture of how you should position your business and your solutions in a way that appeals to them.

So how do you come to understand what your clients really want?

•Survey them - I did this recently and the results were outstanding! There are a few key ways to make sure your survey is successful. Make the survey offer simple and compelling. Keep the survey focused on just a few key questions. It should take less than five minutes for your participants to fill out the survey. Send out an invite to your email marketing list and promote the survey on your blog and through social media.

•Get out and meet with them - Using online and offline networking can help you get in tune with what your target market needs and wants. Be strategic with networking. Don't participate in social media or attend local networking events just for the sake of it. Select groups, events and websites that will attract your ideal clients. Make it a point to interact with your ideal prospects on a regular basis and pay attention to their biggest problems and concerns.

•Speak to them - Public speaking is a great way to get in front of your ideal clients and learn about their needs. Focus on groups, organizations and associations that cater to your ideal client. Find out what they want by asking the education director and present a talk on a compelling topic. Collect feedback about your presentation at the end to get to know your ideal clients better.

By listening to your clients and spending more time around them, you can understand how your solutions will appeal to them. Don't guess when it comes to growing your business! Use a survey, meet with clients in networking groups and present at a local group and you'll be able to create offerings that will appeal to the people you want to work with.