When I talk to smaller practitioners, I’m no longer surprised when they tell me they struggle to attract their ideal clients.
Many say they’ve got a steady trickle of enquiries, via their website, referrals or networking, but the people getting in touch are rarely a good fit. They’re often fee-sensitive, expect the bare minimum, and don’t value anything beyond the basics.
Does that sound familiar?
It’s frustrating, isn’t it? You know the value you bring. You want to work with clients who appreciate your advice, trust your judgement, and are willing to pay a fair fee for a proper service.
Here’s the truth you may have missed: attracting those ideal kinds of clients doesn’t just happen by chance.
Let’s be honest – churning out simple tax returns or annual accounts for low fees probably wasn’t your dream when you were studying for your exams. There’s nothing wrong with modest ambitions. But if that’s all you ever wanted from your practice… well, why are you reading this blog post?
Here’s a key fact you need to accept and act upon: If you want things to be different, you’ll need to do something different.
Carrying on as you are, hoping the right people will eventually turn up, hasn’t worked to date and is unlikely to work in the future.
If you continue to do what you’ve always done, the best you can hope for is that you’ll continue to get what you’ve always got. In reality, as life evolves, so you may end up with less than before.
So, what could you do differently?
Here are six steps to help you start attracting more of your ideal clients – the ones you really want to work with:
1. Get specific about who your ideal clients are
It’s tempting to say “anyone who’ll pay me £x a year,” but that’s far too vague. Or being so general with your target, that it’s almost meaningless. For example, small business owners, SMEs or family businesses.
Think about the type of clients you genuinely enjoy working with. Is it creatives? Consultants? Property investors? Established business owners in a particular niche? People with a particular outlook on life? Business owners local to you or operating in a defined sector? The more specific you are, the easier everything else becomes.
Note that focusing your efforts on whoever you consider to be your ideal clients need not mean those who operate in a traditional niche. There are lots of other ways to segment the type of people and businesses that would be ideal clients for you. For example: life style, age, business size and so on.
I should stress that this is NOT about identifying anyone who you could serve? But more about who do you really want to serve? Your IDEAL client types.
2. Identify what they value most
Once you know who you’re targeting, it’s easier to identify the services, advice and support they’ll really value. What problems do they typically face? How do your experiences, style and approach make their life easier? That’s what they’ll pay for – not just the fact that you can do their compliance work as well as anyone else.
3. Reflect this focus in everything you put out there
Your website, marketing materials, LinkedIn profile, and even the way you introduce yourself at networking events should reference those ideal clients. You want people to think of you when they meet someone who fits that profile.
Yes, I know this is scary. You fear that if you only talk about your ideal clients you might alienate other prospects. You might. But you’ll also dramatically increase the prospect of finding your IDEAL clients. Isn’t that the whole point? In any event I’d be happy to share with you a wonderfully simple solution that resolves this common concern.
4. Rehearse a couple of relatable client stories
Think of clients you’ve already helped who are similar to the ones you want to attract. What problems did they face? What changed after you got involved? Having one or two well-told stories ready to share can make you far more memorable and credible.
5. Share those stories with your network
Whether you’re chatting over coffee, beer or wine, posting on LinkedIn, or speaking at an event – those real client stories will resonate more than generic promises ever will. Stories stick.
6. Accept that it takes focus, consistency… and time
Summed up like this, it can all sound fairly simple. But making these changes stick, and reaping the rewards, takes consistent effort. You’ll need to be intentional and stay patient. And yes, you might hit a few bumps along the way.
The good news? You don’t have to figure it all out alone.
Most successful practitioners I speak to didn’t get there through luck. They made conscious choices, refined their approach, and, crucially, had people in their corner to bounce ideas off and get honest, constructive feedback.
If you’re ready to attract more of the clients you really want, but you’re not sure where to start, or you’ve tried before but things haven’t clicked, I’d be happy to talk. Sometimes, a short conversation is all it takes to get clarity and direction.
