Let’s get real. If you're selling your coaching, consulting, assessment services or HR tech to HR leaders, you might be thinking, "Do I really need to spend time defining my ideal client? After all, I'm selling to businesses, not individuals, right?"

Selling. Marketing. Conveying your message. It’s all about communicating – with those dream clients you want. Getting it right and it's a game-changer for your marketing strategy.

Why ‘Client Avatar’ Just Doesn't Cut It Anymore

You'll have heard the term ‘client avatar’. But here's the thing – an avatar isn't a real person. It’s something that simply represents a certain quality.

When we reduce our dream clients to initials as in the case of the ICA (Ideal Client Avatar), we miss the whole point. We're not selling to robots or faceless corporations. Even in the professional services world, we're selling to people. Real, living, breathing people with hopes, dreams, and yes, fears about making the wrong business decision.

But you know this.

Let's get down to what really matters: understanding those who you want to read your emails, join your webinars, think about your thought leadership and call you to talk. And that means going beyond those client profile questionnaires that get you think about ‘the car they drive’, ‘the place they live’ and ‘where they shop’. When you’re selling your HR-related services, these matter little.

Instead, how about thinking about what keeps them up at night? How do they make a decision? What are their biggest challenges?

A big difference. We're digging into what matters in their 9-to-5 life, not their weekend hobbies.

The Great "Wants vs. Needs" Showdown

Here's where things get really interesting. There's a big difference between what your clients need – and what they want. And people buy what they want, not what they need.

They think they need is a 360 tool with greater customisation than what they have right now. What they want is to be seen by their Board and the management team to be providing real-time valuable insights for the business. There’s a difference.

This is a great quote – albeit from over 60 years ago.

“People don’t want to buy a quarter-inch drill, they want a quarter-inch hole!”

Theodore Levitt, German-born, American economist, professor at Harvard Business School, Author of Marketing Myopia in 1960

To get to know about the ‘wants’, unearth the end result they're ‘dreaming’ about – and what their biggest fears are. And then look at what you can do to help them.

The Empathy Map: Your New Best Friend

Empathy maps are great tools to getting to work out what your ideal client sees, hears, thinks, feels, says, and does on a daily basis.

They take out some of the guesswork. You’ll work out the industry chatter are they tuned into, who they seek out for info and advice, what’s causing them headaches and what makes them fill up with joy.

Bringing the Human Touch to B2B

We know “people buy people” – and we know that ‘even’ in B2B, emotions drive decisions.

Why then are most HR suppliers tied into corporate speak rather than personal connection and conversation?

When you tap into those very human desires and fears, that's when the magic happens.

Your marketing stops being just another corporate email or LinkedIn post, and starts speaking directly to the hearts (and minds) of your ideal clients.

Time to Get Personal

So, there you have it.

Defining your ideal client in the B2B world isn't about dry demographics or corporate structures. It's about getting to know the real people behind the business cards.

It takes some time and brain power, sure. You might have to make some educated guesses along the way. But it's worth it.

When you really understand your ideal client – their goals, their challenges, their secret hopes – your marketing will transform. You'll be speaking their language, addressing their real concerns, and offering solutions they actually want.

If you're thinking, "Sounds great, but I wouldn't even know where to start," – then call me. I'd love to walk you through this process, help you uncover those golden insights about your ideal clients.