I Know a Guy
In Nice, we have a broccoli guy.
We have a shoe guy.
We have an apple lady.
We have our favorite croissant guy, our patisserie lady, and a full suite of cafes we frequent where we know the owner and all of the servers.
We have a lady who cuts our dog’s hair and who loves our dog so much that when we take him in for a trim, instead of cringing, his little doggy heart practically bursts his harness from the unfettered glee of being under her spell for the duration of his grooming.
It’s an honor to purchase from these people because it goes beyond broccoli and brioche, puppies and pastries. Why?
Because our broccoli guy knows us by name, knows a bit of our history, and asks how we are doing even when we are just passing by. The doggy groomer loves our dog almost as much as we do. These people KNOW us.
That’s why.
The produce and doggy grooming is a token for some larger currency of the heart.
That’s gold.
Understanding Your Client
I recently sent an email about how essential it is to understanding yourself as a first step to creating your business. Today, I want to talk about understanding your client so that you can be the (fill in the blank) person for your clients and facilitate a connection deeper than just products and money.
Because one of the distinctions of a conscious entrepreneur is your ability to allow your business to help you create deeper connections between people. It’s about seeing and hearing as well as being heard and seen.
To make this kind of connection, you need to know your clients.
One of the absolute most rewarding parts of the biz is getting to know your clients. Over the 20+ years I’ve been teaching yoga and Yoga Nidra, what has made this career so rewarding is the connections I’ve made with people, connections I will keep in my heart for my entire life. Truly, I could write volumes about the many students and clients I’ve been blessed to work with and how profoundly we’ve connected.
Makes me tear up just writing it … (ah-hem! Sniff, sniff, gratuitous nose-blow!)
To truly serve your clients, you need to understand what lights them up, what passions they have, and especially what kind of unique needs they have that you can help them with.
Coffee Connection
Several years ago, I decided I wanted to get to know my students a little better. Apart from a little chit chat before and after class or those who attended a yoga retreat with me where we got to know each other deeper, I sensed that there were many of my students who I’d be served to know better. So I sent out an email to my entire list and asked people if they wanted to meet up for a casual coffee.
The results were invigorating.
Over the course of something like 6 weeks, I had over 40 coffee dates. I single-handedly stimulated the coffee economy of my area more than a Venti, quad-shot-caf, triple-shot-caramel, mocha, soy, no foam, extra whip, extra hot, upside-down, caramel drizzle, with seven pumps of caramel syrup and seven pumps of mocha syrup, double-blended Frappuccino … and a cookie.
I had to switch to decaf.
One thing that completely thrilled me was that it was mostly people who I knew very little or not at all who responded to my invitation for coffee dates. In this relaxed setting (more relaxed with decaf) I learn volumes about people: what was going on in their lives, what other passions they had, and why they came to yoga and meditation classes. I learned what they really value about class and what they wanted more of. I was deeply grateful for the connections and these conversations gave me some brilliant ideas for how to teach and things to offer outside of class, like retreats, courses, and simple support for my students.
I may not have known some of these coffee partners very well before our meeting but I can tell you that after and because of our individual connection, every one of these people became my VIPs, many of whom I’m still in connection with today.
That’s black gold.
Now, I’m not suggesting that you go out and make 40 coffee dates with your clients, especially if that overwhelms you … or you’re more of a tea person. What I am saying is that it pays to get to know your clients.
When you understand your client and their needs, your client will feel like they’ve come home when they land on your website, read your message, and see the products and services you offer.
So, who is your ideal client?
Very simply, your ideal client is someone who needs, wants, and can pay for what you are expert at offering. (Now, there’s always an opportunity to offer some version of what you do for free, but that’s a different message.)
When you understand who your client is and what their needs are, you’ll also understand what they can, are willing, and even WANT to pay for.
Other business programs lead you through ideal client discovery at a very surface-level—maybe their basic demographics, age, gender, and what products or services they’re potentially interested in.
But after years of being a solo-preneur, I can tell you, that isn’t enough.
To be a conscious entrepreneur who is reaching your potential impact and revenue, you need to go so much deeper into understanding who your clients are so that you can serve them in a way that only comes from having a deep and precise understanding of who they are as a complete person.
This, my friend, is what enables you to truly be a conscious entrepreneur who is reaping the personal and financial rewards of living on purpose and making an impact on others. When you do, your client will find you and say, “Where have you been all my life!? I’m so glad I’ve found you” And you’ll return the sentiment because your business is fueled on deep and meaningful connections.
I invite you to apply for my next small-group conscious entrepreneur training happening October 6–8, 2023. This will happen live and online (recorded for replay) over 20 hours where we will explore dozens of ways to find and understand your ideal client and how to enable your ideal client to find you. We’ll explore the copious benefits of truly getting to know your clients. We’ll also explore how to make lasting connections with your client so that not only do they want to buy from you over and over again, but you forge a connection that exists deeper than money.
At the end of the day every conscious business is about people. Join me in my small-group business mentor program and let’s explore how to connect you with your people.
Register before September 19th and save $100!
Thank you for being my people.
