My post a few days ago about defining a Target Market, a Niche, and an Ideal Client profile (based on Michael Port's book "Book Yourself Solid") started to take on epic proportions ;-), so I cut it in half. Here's the rest of what I wanted to tell you. I hope that seeing what my outcomes were will give a great illustration of how effective Michael's techniques are. My business is not the same as it was last week...
Doing all Michael's exercises helped me draw a detailed picture of the kind of people I'm meant to support. Remember, before I did this self-examination, I just had an Ideal Client profile of personality characteristics that I wanted in a client--a little bit too general to be useful in attracting the right clients. Here's what I came up with from the exercises:
My target market: I help people who make their living writing. (Before: I was saying I was a generalist, that I was open to working with any client, regardless of profession, who I had a good personality fit with.)
My niche: I do research for upcoming books and projects, help them promote their books and products online, create blogs, schedule media appearances and maximize their book sales through online marketing. I also help them with writing and editing. (Before: I had no niche. I had a long list of Admin services I offered, and I used to tell potential clients that I was especially strong with writing and editing, research, and such. Being so wide open with the services I was offering, it was hard for me to focus on becoming an expert in one area. Now that I have this focused niche, I can spend my energy becoming really amazing at these few things, which will make me even more valuable/attractive to my target market.)
My ideal clients look like this:
- They're relationship oriented rather than transaction oriented. (They want to work with me because of the connection they feel with me, not because the price is right.)
- They're friendly, easy-going, positive, and have a great sense of humor.
- They're creative (obviously, because they're writers) and value creativity in a VA.
- They give me the benefit of the doubt.
- They're plan their work well and do not have many emergencies.
- They communicate their expectations clearly and regularly.
- They're interested in solving problems, not lamenting over them or finding a place to lay blame.
- They're naturally collaborative and team-oriented--they welcome someone coming into their business to help them.
- They're open--they share their goals, dreams and ideas.
- They value my contribution.
- They believe that work should be FUN, even if it is a lot of hard work.
- They’re flexible and open to change.
- They're more advanced than me in some ways. I can learn from them.
I also have to credit the internship I'm doing with Andy with my ability to laser beam in on a target market and a niche. It helps so much to experience the inside of someone's business and to see that there are so many different types of business owners. Before, I was trying to conform my business to what I expected my client's businesses to be like and what their needs would be, and my expectations were created by what I experienced in the corporate world. Not a lot of diversity there.
Fortunately, in the virtual world, there is limitless diversity. I know that there are folks who are like me, who I'm meant to team up with. It's so reassuring to realize this.
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