Define Your Dream Client,Define Your Brand

by Krista Bryson, OwnerWrite Good

writegoodco.com

Why Define Your Dream Client?

In the last workbook, you defined your business or nonprofit organizations vision, mission, and values. Now that youve defined exactly who your organization is, its time to define exactly who you dream audience is. Okay, so audience is the rhetorical term, but in business terms it means your dream client/customer/member/donor.

When business or nonprofit organizations begin to think about how they will present themselves to the world, they usually start with their mission, strategies, and goals. Thats perfectly fine; thats exactly what we did in Workbook 1, Plan Before Brand. But although branding and marketing begins with you, it doesnt end with you. It ends with what well call for the rest of this workbook, your client.

You may wonder how you can define your dream client if you havent even started working with them yet or you already have so many clients, many of whom you wouldnt classify as dream clients. Well, its never too early or too late to decide who it is you want to be doing business with. Nothing is set in stone and, as you may know by now, your organization is always evolving, even in the early conceptual stages.

Defining your dream client is not only about making your own dreams come true -- knowing that you are serving the community youve always dreamed of serving, interacting with people who understand your point of view and want to share it, and building the kind of organizational model that suits your style.

Defining your dream client gives you a clear picture of what your branding and marketing should look like to attract that dream client by appealing to their values, reflecting both your style and theirs, and constructing a vision of your organization that makes them want to join your community.

So in this workbook, youre going to do a little creative dreaming about your future clients and what they value, enjoy, and support. Youll not only imagine these dream clients but learn to research your own examples of similar clients that actually exist in the world. Then youll be ready for the next workbook, in which youll learn how you can create a brand that excites them and makes themrealize that youre their dream too!

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My Characteristics, My Dream Clients Characteristics

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Vocal advocates for a cause Willing to voice unpopular opinions to promote change Progressive Attuned to issues of social justice Educated and/or value educated opinions and knowledge Research-based Liberal or non-partisan No religious affiliation Innovative or excited about and sincerely invested in pursuing innovation Giving Highly-motivated Organized or appreciate and seek stronger organization Driven by passion and not just the desire for notoriety/fame or money Misson or business model oriented around Appalachian; environmental; womens, gender and sexuality; racial, ethnic and cultural; or educational issues Have cool ideas about stuff Respectful of time and money Straightforward and honest

What does it meant to conceive of a dream client? It begins with deeply knowing yourself, your business, or your organization because you will likely want your dream clients to closely align with the work you want to be doing.

The first step is to list out your characteristics and values, which youve already begun if you completed Workbook 1.

Now is the time to get super specific, thinking about not just values but also ideol-ogy and even work style.

As I made my list, I realized that I wanted clients with very similar characteristics, ideas, and values that I have. It also made me realize, as with the last attribute I listed, that if I wanted certain things in my clients, I had to reflect those back to them as well.

3Your Characteristics, Your Dream Clients Characteristics

Use this space to define your own characteristics and youll find yourself dreaming about your ideal clients characteristics.

Did you come up with a list of at least ten values and characteristics? Good, now think about who hasthese characteristics and where you can find them.

Once you answer the first one or two questions, you can begin your internet re-search. By researching the type of client youre looking for and then learning as much as you can from different prospective clients online presence, you can de-termine whether theyre your dream client. I do this by going through lists or orga-nizations and businesses, checking out their website, social media accounts, and sometimes the linkedIn profiles of their staff.

1. What kind of people have the characteristics on your list? What is their job title? Who do they work for?

2. What kind of businesses or organizations have the characteristics on your list? What is their mission?

3. What kinds of causes do they want to support?

4. What types of services, causes, or products to they provide?

5. How would you describe their style?

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5A great way to get a clearer picture of you dream client is to repeat each question for multiple prospective clients. Write everything down for each client, compare the similarities, and determine which clients fit your criteria for dreaminess.

1. Which traits do you see repeated across different clients and organizations? Which match the traits you identified with your dream client?

2. Is there a set of needs that most of these potential clients have that you can address with your service or products? What are those needs?

3. What about their styles? Do they have similarities and are they consistent with your own?

6. What kinds of products and services do they seem to need?

7. Who do they trust? You can look at their partnerships, funders, and customers to find this.

8. What characteristics are they looking for in a contractor/organization?

6Define Your Dream Client

Alright, youve done your dreaming, brainstorming, research, and analysis. Now its time to define your dream client in one sentence.

Heres your formula:

My dream client is a business/person/organization that does _________________

________________________________, is committed to the principles or ideals of

________________________________________________, needs my services of/wants

to support me in ________________________________________________.

Now youre ready to design your branding to both authentically represent yourself and attract your dream clients!

Save this sentence, read it every day, and let it motivate you.

In the next workbook, youll use this definition and the characteristics you listed in this workbook to start (re)designing the keystones of your brand.