16 Places You Can Learn More About Your Ideal Clients

Congratulations! You’ve invested time into creating an Ideal Client Profile. You are already ahead of the pack because you “get” the importance of target marketing and you want to work with “perfect” clients. You want to target clients who . . .

· appreciate what you offer

· are willing to pay you the big bucks

· come back for more of your services

· automatically refer you to other ideal clients

. . . because they “get” how you help them.

You’ve created your Ideal Client Profile using demographics, technographics, psychographics and geographics. You even have five high-priority questions to ask potential clients in a discovery interview; these questions are designed to gain clarity about their pains, wants, and needs. You’ve even targeted some companies you believe “fit the bill”.

Now you want to do some additional checking. Where can you learn more about the company or individual you plan to target? Use the information-gathering resources listed below to take your Ideal Client Profile to the next level.

1. Their website

2. Their marketing materials

3. Dunn and Bradstreet dnb.com

4. Check LinkedIn for people who have worked for them

5. Websites such as Jigsaw.com, CEOExpress.com, BizStats.com, InfoUSA.com

6. Association trade publications and Tradepub.com

7. Thomson Reuters

8. Hoovers

9. Gales List of Associations (Usually available free through your library.)

10. Searches and alerts on: Google, Twitter or SocialMention.com

11. Ask family, friends, and colleagues

12. Ask your librarian for resources available at the library or its online database

13. Local economic, rural or small business development corporations

14. Association Executives Directory http://www.associationexecs.com/

15. Their local Better Business Bureau

16. A search on your favorite search engine, plus one with the word “complaint” in it

Good luck! Remember that all the time and effort to develop your Ideal Client Profile will pay off. You’ll attract new clients easier, retain them longer, and be more profitable with less effort!

Special thanks to my LinkedIn Colleagues who helped me compile this list.

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