Finding Clients – their needs

What clients will you serve

1 Companies
a What kind of company?
b What industry?
c What size of company (Micro business/sole trader, SME – up to 10 members of staff) etc?

Individuals
a Income?
b Gender?
c Education?

2 Do this for each group
 a What are their values?
 b Philosophy?
 c Interests?
 d Character of clients?

3 Requirements
 List the problems and opportunities that make up the needs of your actual and prospective virtual assistant clients:

 a Why do they need your services?
 b What is not currently working for them that you can put right?
 c What do they want to work better?

It has long been proven that telling someone what you can do for them is not the best way to market your skills, telling them how you can solve a problem, make their life easier, open doors for them – that is what they want to hear.  Don’t sell yourself, your company so much as selling a solution.

4 Competition
 Who are your competitors?

5 What makes you different?
 What is it that makes you so unique, so special, what makes you stand out?

6 Benefits
 List all the benefits that a client receives from your service

 In this section you need to list everything you can offer.  Do your benefits match your service?  Can you add a benefit that will add that extra something to make a client want to come to you and not one of your competitors? 

7 How are you going to find these clients?

 a What newspapers/magazines do these companies or people read?
 b Where do they network?
 c What media will best find them?

Testimonial for this process – just in case you were wondering if you really should be bothered…

I think the "Clients - who needs them?" fact sheet is an excellent tool for focusing on and finding your target market. I have to confess this has been a particular thorn in my side whilst setting up partly because my skill base is so diverse that it worries me that I have looked more like a dabbler than a skilled professional.
After quite long and, at times, arduous trial and error sessions I believe I have finally found my niche(s) :) but if I had had a document like your fact sheet from the outset it would definitely have saved me time and money. As I am currently reviewing my business plans and marketing strategies I will use your fabulous document for a final assessment because it has raised questions that I have not taken into consideration.
Maggie Baldry http://www.virtual-e-perfection.com

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