How to find (and work with) clients who inspire you and you WANT to work with.

I’m going to put it out there. But I believe it’s something all business owners need to hear. Ready?

You don’t have to like everyone you work with!

As a business owner, it’s easy to fall into the trap of accepting any work that gets flung our way because, well honestly, the money…We all need to live, and the bills don’t magically disappear (how great would that be?).

So often, we work with people who may not be our ideal client. And the result? You won’t click with them, your mind won’t focus on their work, and you’ll produce work that’s not up to your standard. You’ll both see this, and you won’t build a lasting working relationship.

But guess what. You’ve got a lot more control over your business (and your life) than you realise.

You get to set the rules.

Time is a precious commodity, and you’ll reach a point where you don’t need to spend time with people who don’t really do it for you. You are in control. You can choose WHO to work with and WHEN.

How do you define an ideal client?  

Start by paying attention to what you like about the clients you work with. Do some research. Pay attention to the projects that excited you (the ones that make you dance around the office while your dog looks on like you’ve gone mad). What rings your bell?

When you start looking closely, you’ll notice patterns – trust me – you’ll see it!

Focus on GREAT clients. What was so special about them? Was it their business, their industry, their personality or a combo? This should start to guide you towards your target market.

My biggest hint: make sure you’re clear on your values. This will help guide your decision making.

1. What are you looking for?  

Ask yourself this question. ‘Do I need new clients, or do I need better clients’? There’s not really a wrong or right answer. It’s up to you. But I tend to look at it this way.

It doesn’t matter if you’re fully booked, or you’re not. If you’re not happy and loving the people you’re working with, you should be shouting at me, ‘Lisa, I NEED new AND better clients – I want both!’.

I believe that when you take the time to define the people you love working with and let go of those you don’t, you’ll free up space for the universe to send your kind of people along. Sure, that may sound a bit wishy-washy, but if you’re working at full capacity with clients who you’re struggling to click with, you’re likely to (accidentally) turn away a client who you’d love working with.

Don’t be afraid to say no if the work (or client) doesn’t fit you.

2. Define your BEST EVER client

If you don’t know your ideal client, how the heck will you find them? Your marketing and branding will be off whack, and you’ll continue to plod along just ‘doing business’. Yeah, you’re making some money, but does your business still make you happy?

Think of all the clients and projects you’ve worked on over the last few years. You may have some that bring a massive smile to your face. You loved their project, their business, their personality.

You may have others that were hard work. Ones who gave you that sinking stomach feeling every time you saw an email (you know what I mean yeah?). Ones who were polar opposites to you and despite both being lovely people in your own ways, you couldn’t get the work right.

Keep these people in mind for the next step!

3. It’s time to create some lists

As a teenager, did you ever write a ‘good vs bad’ list when you were deciding if you wanted to date someone? Or maybe you still do it! I want to use the same concept here with a twist.

Start by setting up 3 columns. Label them Bad, Good & Great.

Now, without overthinking it, write down the clients’ names or projects (from step 2) in each column – Bad, Good or Great.

This should be easy – don’t second guess your first instinct.

4. Delve a little deeper into good and great client lists

Now you have your lists; I want you to go deeper. Your gut instincts put the clients or projects into columns for a reason. So, what were the characteristics of the client or project that you ENJOYED? Why did they end up on your good or great list?

Here are some ideas:

• You shared values and were like-minded
• You had the same creativity and design ideas
• They gave significant input for guidance on projects
• They had a fantastic cause or business close to your heart
• They paid their invoices on time
• Their communication was terrific, and they spoke like you
• Their thoughts aligned with yours

5. And now look at the bad client list

It’s ok; no one will see this (maybe do it manually, so you don’t accidentally share a file if you’re worried!). It’s time to look at your bad client list. And honestly, when you’re running a business, you’re more than likely going to experience a bad client at least once! Some people are lucky, learn fast and only ever have one.

So, what did NOT work so well? Here are some ideas:

• They were a micromanager, and you couldn’t get anything done
• They were slow to respond, so projects dragged out
• They couldn’t give you clear direction, and your crystal ball couldn’t help
• You were operating off a whole different level of tech usage
• Your values didn’t match up with theirs, and you felt uneasy
• You didn’t understand their business and struggle to provide quality work

6. Create your client master list

Now comes the fun part! There are no right or wrong answers, as this is unique to you. What projects gave you joy? Who did you enjoy working with, and why?

Write out your master list:

My clients are __________, __________ & __________.

They are not __________, __________ & __________.

I will no longer work for __________, __________ & __________.

7. What you’ll achieve with this client-finding exercise

The end game of this exercise is that you’ll find a client who inspires YOU. The humans YOU find interesting. The ones who make YOU laugh. The ones YOU want to learn from. The people YOU choose to spend your precious time with.

If you haven’t worked it out – it’s all about YOU! When you’re happy and working with clients you resonate with, your work with be amazing! You’ll be happy, and your client will be happy.

8. Always CHOOSE your clients

Once you’ve worked out your favourite humans to work with, please don’t forget this or the method you’ve used above to find them.

Put this list up somewhere you’ll see it. Hold yourself accountable. When you get new leads, learn about them and then decide if you’d be a great fit. If you have any negative feelings at all, don’t be scared to politely decline work straight off the bat.

It’s your life. It’s your business. It’s your choice.

The right clients will find you when you put it out to the universe.

Let me ask you – are you working with people who inspire you?

I’d love to hear if you’re working with your ideal clients. Did you use a similar process to find them, or what did you do? Drop your comments below.

If you like this blog or have colleagues who would benefit from it, please feel free to share it with your networks.

1. What are you looking for?  

Ask yourself this question. ‘Do I need new clients, or do I need better clients’? There’s not really a wrong or right answer. It’s up to you. But I tend to look at it this way.

It doesn’t matter if you’re fully booked, or you’re not. If you’re not happy and loving the people you’re working with, you should be shouting at me, ‘Lisa, I NEED new AND better clients – I want both!’.

I believe that when you take the time to define the people you love working with and let go of those you don’t, you’ll free up space for the universe to send your kind of people along. Sure, that may sound a bit wishy-washy, but if you’re working at full capacity with clients who you’re struggling to click with, you’re likely to (accidentally) turn away a client who you’d love working with.

Don’t be afraid to say no if the work (or client) doesn’t fit you.

Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Donec velit neque, auctor sit amet aliquam vel, ullamcorper sit amet ligula. Curabitur arcu erat, accumsan id imperdiet et, porttitor at sem. Proin eget tortor risus. Praesent sapien massa, convallis a pellentesque nec, egestas non nisi. Nulla quis lorem ut libero malesuada feugiat. Nulla porttitor accumsan tincidunt. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Donec velit neque, auctor sit amet aliquam vel, ullamcorper sit amet ligula. Curabitur non nulla sit amet nisl tempus convallis quis ac lectus.

Solution

1. What are you looking for?  

Ask yourself this question. ‘Do I need new clients, or do I need better clients’? There’s not really a wrong or right answer. It’s up to you. But I tend to look at it this way.

It doesn’t matter if you’re fully booked, or you’re not. If you’re not happy and loving the people you’re working with, you should be shouting at me, ‘Lisa, I NEED new AND better clients – I want both!’.

I believe that when you take the time to define the people you love working with and let go of those you don’t, you’ll free up space for the universe to send your kind of people along. Sure, that may sound a bit wishy-washy, but if you’re working at full capacity with clients who you’re struggling to click with, you’re likely to (accidentally) turn away a client who you’d love working with.

Don’t be afraid to say no if the work (or client) doesn’t fit you.

Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Donec velit neque, auctor sit amet aliquam vel, ullamcorper sit amet ligula. Curabitur arcu erat, accumsan id imperdiet et, porttitor at sem. Proin eget tortor risus. Praesent sapien massa, convallis a pellentesque nec, egestas non nisi. Nulla quis lorem ut libero malesuada feugiat. Nulla porttitor accumsan tincidunt. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Donec velit neque, auctor sit amet aliquam vel, ullamcorper sit amet ligula. Curabitur non nulla sit amet nisl tempus convallis quis ac lectus.

Solution