I’d say four out five creative entrepreneurs we work with come to the realization that their dream customer is really not that different than themselves. They are cut from the same cloth – they like the same brands, they seek the same adventures, want the same feeling from life and work as you do. And sometimes their work is very similar to yours.  That can be worrisome, because then you start to think “wait, what am I bringing to the table if my ideal client can basically do this for themselves for free?” Or what you do is so in the vein of their work/life, that they are surrounded by peers or friends (who they already know). You might ask “why would they pay for this creative service from me?”

Then there’s that one creative entrepreneur we work with that comes to a big revelation: their dream customer is actually the complete opposite of them.  And they like it that way. Their dream engagement is helping someone see the “other side.” But a problem for them is sharing content or knowledge that resonates enough with a dream customer to attract their attention and earn their trust – because the service they provide is coming from a completely opposite perspective.  

So when your dream engagement is with a client “just like you,” how do you sell what you bring to the table? On the flip-side, when your client is your opposite, how do you share your appreciation for where they’re coming from? 

Your client is cut from the same cloth. So what are you selling them?
Let’s say you are a graphic designer who literally wants to work for other graphic designers.  That might be almost too close (but not as weird as you might think). But let’s step back a degree. Let’s say you are a web developer who specifically designs websites for designers. Here are some reminders to keep your confidence up and your expertise front-and-center when you’re putting your services out there for “your people” to buy:

Tell Yourself: Just because what they do, or the people they work around, or the other experts they follow, or the blogs they read – are very similar (or exactly the same as what you do) that doesn’t mean that they are at the same stage of insight or experience as you. Don’t count yourself out and say “oh wait, but of course they are already getting this, I mean, look at them, they’re awesome and creative!” We ourselves have done this many, many times when we start working with an amazing creative entrepreneur (or are having discussions around if we’re a good fit). It’s a bad habit to make assumptions and bow out too early, and we almost always find out we are wrong. Recognize that this person who’s interested in hiring you may simply be at a time of growth where they need you to give them something they don’t have – you just can’t see it from the outside yet, because all you see are each other’s similarities.

Tell Them: “Tell” them is the key here, don’t sell them. You know what you offer, tell them the steps you take to get there. Try explaining, logically, calmly, and don’t skip over stuff you think they already know, because you fear talking down to them. Everyone appreciates knowing what they are going to get in simple terms even if you come from the same industry, have the same style or even technically do the same thing.  

Your personalities are polar opposites. How do you share that you “get them?”
We recently worked through a business vision and brand platform with an executive/life coach, and really honed in together on the fact that she wants to work with more rebellious creatives and executives who need help with their empathy and collaboration skills. She herself is a very calm, ego-in-check and rational person. Up until now she’s been primarily attracting clients who were very verbal communicators, over-rationalizers, and needed help working through their indecisiveness. 

But she wants to attract more of the opposite. She wants to help the ones who are decisive-to-a-fault, cutting off their nose despite their face to make a point, get their vision and get their way. She thrives being the salve to their rash behavior.  But why should these “rebel visionaries” (a descriptor for her dream customer we arrived at together) think from visiting her website, following her blog or talking with her in a first meeting that she understands where they are coming from? How do you craft content and have business conversations that position you as a fit, and establish trust with a person you know is so different from you and what you have to offer? 

Tell Yourself:  I don’t need them to like me. I need to be seen as a likeable expert who shares gifts of knowledge, “I know what they are going through and from this vantage point over here on the outside looking in, I can tell they could really use X, Y, Z.” But beware of coming off as judgy. They have a need, that doesn’t mean they are wrong and you are right. You just might have some answers they’ve never thought of before. Or, maybe they were just looking in the wrong place, with other businesses that are too much like them – rather than an opposite like you.

Tell Them: You see their pain patterns, because even though you are not “just like” them, you work with dream customers like them all the time (or that’s what you’re gearing up to do).  You don’t want to change them, you love them just the way they are (if that’s too woo-woo for you, just replace “love” with a more appropriate description). You might be the yin to their yang, or in the case of our executive-rebels coach, you are like a gauge that helps them dial-up or dial-down a particular behavior. Or if you are coming at it from a creative service, think of your style and approach as a different lens (creative writer for technical writers, a lifestyle blogger for product-based companies, a social media strategist for print-purist novelists). I’m not sure why all my examples were for opposite styles of writers, but you get my point.

What can those who attract their “likes,” learn from those attracting their opposites?
Sometimes we forget to be contrary, we so want to be liked. When in fact it can be a way to really cut through all the fluff and say something that has meaning. Take the other side. Play the devil’s advocate.  

Don’t Forget: Whether or not your favorite people to work with are super-familiar-cozy kindred spirits, or fantastically-contrasty – know who you want to be spending your days helping and always ask: are these the kinds of clients I can have the most impact for? Can I really truly help them, and in turn, are they helping me build my own special expertise? Don’t let the wrong client distract your focus.

Is your dream customer pretty much like you? Or is the ideal client your opposite? Tell us on Facebook.

Here’s what we’re selling and sharing with you, our dream clients (who as creative entrepreneurs, fall pretty much on the “just like us” side of this dream customer question). Thursday, March 21st  is your last day to register for our Braid ECourse Dream Customer Catching: Embracing Your Expertise and Attract What You Track. This ECourse is designed specifically for creative entrepreneurs (and even those who are aspiring) who want to learn more about how to work with and sell themselves to people they like, people that pay, and the people they have the most impact for. We also give you some candid peeks into some methods we use to “attract what we track”, from financial to personal to professional. This is one of our very favorite ECourses that we offer – if you’ve taken our other ECourses you’ll definitely enjoy this one. If it’s your first, it’s a great place to start. 

Here’s what some other Dream Customer Catching alums had to say about this ECourse: 

“Your courses are amazing. They've helped me so much in focusing on who I am, what my talents/skills are and what I have to offer. It's helped build my confidence immensely - I know I am on the right path!” - Sandra Harris 

“I learned that's it's OK, and even better, to say NO to clients that I don't want to take on. I put this into practice the other day when I received an inquiry from a bride looking for a designer/planner. I don't want to plan weddings, just make them cool and pretty, so I guided her to a colleague who would be perfect for her. At first I was terrified of giving up the money, but, it enabled me to keep that weekend open to hopefully be hired to decorate a wedding instead of plan one.” - Michelle Edgemont 

“What I loved about these Braid ECourses was that taking them was like going to therapy! I loved how you girls made me see AND understand the influence, importance and power I have as a person over every aspect of my business.” - Andreina Oliva

Dream Customer Catching will be in-session this Friday, March 22nd to March 31st (that gives you two weekends to work through the content, worksheets, and videos). You can take this Braid ECourse for $75 by registering here.

If want to learn and hang out with more creative entrepreneurs like you, too – living and working in the overlap between their own business and their personal brand check out our May 4th, Braid Workshop: How To Share YOU and Sell What You DO.  Earlybird registration is open until April 1st for $425.