What Is An Ideal Client And Why Do I Need One For My Trade & Construction Business?
Well, well, well.
Looks like you finally decided to join the ranks of savvy Trade and Construction business owners who’ve realised that not all clients are created equal.
You’re here because you’re sick to death of time-wasting tyre kickers and dream-ruining clients who couldn’t spot quality workmanship if it smacked them in the face with a spirit level.
Am I right or am I right?
Thing is, you’ve probably been told by other Trades that an ideal client is as mythical as the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. 🌈
“We can’t afford to turn work away!” they cry.
While you’ve watched them run themselves into the ground chasing any Tom, Dick, and Harry client just to pay the bills that month.
I hear you.
It’s tough when cash flow’s tighter than a crab’s behind and you’ve got a van payment looming.
But here’s the good news.
Having an ideal client isn’t just some pie-in-the-sky concept reserved for well-off consultancies in fancy shirts.
Far from it.
Nailing down exactly who your dream clients are for your Trade and Construction marketing is vital for ALL business owners – including grafters like you.
And I should know.
I’ve been working with Trades for more than 10 years.
Stick with me and by the end of this, you’ll have the insider knowledge to land more quality leads, ditch dead-end jobs and propel your profits to new heights quicker than you can say spirit level.
Let’s get cracking.
What is an Ideal Client for my Trade and Construction business?
An ideal client is basically the David Gandy of customers.
Really, really, ridiculously good-looking...in terms of potential value for your trade and construction business.
These are the customers who’ll high-five you all the way to the bank by:
⭐️ Having realistic budgets for quality workmanship
⭐️ Understanding that cheap isn’t always cheerful (you get what you pay for in life)
⭐️ Appreciating the blood, sweat and tears that goes into top notch trade work
⭐️ Being prepared to wait if you’re snowed under (not having a massive hissy fit)
⭐️ Paying on time – wax on, wax off – no excuses
⭐️ Recommending you to other contacts like it’s going out of fashion
⭐️ Respecting your professional advice
⭐️ Coming back again and again like a loyal Labrador
Our official definition of an Ideal Client is as follows.
An Ideal Client represents your PERFECT customer. The one who wants and needs EXACTLY what you offer and is willing and able to pay for it.
See, ideal clients effectively bankroll your business, so you need to identify and target these bad boys.
They understand that quality comes at a price and are happy to pay for stellar service because they value what you do.
Basically - they’re a dream to work for. 💫
Make sense?
The key is figuring out who these rare gems are and how to pinch them from your competitors.
Lucky for you I’ve got inside industry knowledge on how to do exactly that without needing a marketing budget bigger than Elton John’s glasses collection.
So now we know what an Ideal Client it… let’s crack on with understanding WHY they make such as difference to growing and scaling your Trade and Construction business, faster and easier.
1. Ideal Clients for your Trade and Construction marketing help you sift out time wasting clients.
This bit’s crucial.
You’re probably all too familiar with the time-wasting tyre kickers of this world.
I’m talking the serial shoppers.
The obsessive quote collectors.
Those with higher expectations than Willie Wonka's glass elevator.
Looking for the cheapest Trade.
They’ll suck the soul out of your construction business quicker than a Dementor at Azkaban.
And they don’t give a monkey’s about you making a profit because they’re too busy screwing suppliers over to save a few pounds.
But here’s where nailing your ideal customers saves your bacon.
When you’re crystal clear on who your absolute dream clients are - you can qualify leads better than Simon Cowell in his prime.
Instantly weed out any penny-pinching timewasters who don’t fit the ideal client criteria you’ve set early in conversations.
Then focus all your efforts on those top-tier customers who you know will respect your work, understand your rates, and have the budgets to indulge in a bit of well-earned profit for your business.
Because they give you all the green flags you need during conversations with them as they match the bill for the Ideal Clients you’ve identified for your construction business.
It’s that simple.
Know your ideal clients like the back of your hand and its game over for tyre-kicking chancers trying to drain your time, resources and will to live.
Boom.
2. Avoid soul-destroying jobs for your Trade and Construction business.
Now I know you didn’t graft your way through your Trade’s apprenticeship just to end up with a pile of nightmare clients on the books.
But soul-destroying jobs seem to find their way to even the most selective Trades, don’t they?
I’m talking the passive aggressive complainers.
Those more indecisive than Woody Allen in a sandwich shop.
The friends-and-family discount brigade.
Working for these kinds of infuriating customers sucks the life-force out of you faster than a hoover bag full of dog hair clogs an air vent.
And all the fun.
But here’s the clever bit.
When you’ve defined who your ideal clients are, you can easily identify and avoid the ones likely to cause misery quicker than Katie Price gets engaged.
See, timewasters often share similar traits as soul-destroying clients.
Neither truly value your skills, experience...or sanity.
And both will bin you off without a second thought if something better comes along.
Heart-warming stuff.
But when you have clear ideal client criteria etched into that skilled brain of yours, alarm bells ring pronto when undesirable jobs come calling.
Then you can politely decline cringeworthy clients, quick time.
“We’re not the right team for this job. But I know just the person for you.”
Then recommend a Trade you know who this might suit.
Know your ideal clients and unpleasant work suddenly disappears.
You in?
🍿 Find out how Ken cut out all the small and bagged his biggest ever job for his bathroom refurb business – all by working out his Ideal client – here.
3. Craft better marketing for your Trade and Construction business.
Now.
We all know that sending out generic flyers is about as useful as asking the Chuckle Brothers to install your bathroom.
Everyone bins those quicker than Liz Truss lost the public’s confidence.
But targeting your messaging?
Now you’re talking!
They say the riches are in the niches. 💵
And unlocking riches starts with getting crystal clear on what your best customers look like.
Once you know EXACTLY who your top tier clients are, you can craft marketing that speaks directly to them.
Laser focus your messaging on their desires, frustrations, and values rather than boring rubbish nobody cares about.
Then watch your qualified enquiries shoot up faster than my Uber Eats bill when the football is on.
When you directly address your VIP client’s concerns and offer tailored solutions in your ads, emails, social posts, website, and videos...well they’ll be putty in your hands.
Hook, line, and sinker.
Think about it.
If an advert was written specifically for YOU, wouldn’t you pay attention?
Even feel flattered they really got you.
Well.
That’s exactly how your ideal customers will feel when your marketing nails them to a tee.
They literally wouldn’t be able to hire you fast enough.
And just like that you’ve gone from forgotten Trade to irresistible.
All because you took the time to understand what makes your absolute best clients tick, then created messages and marketing that speaks directly to their needs.
Now THAT’S what I call targeted marketing brilliance.
Are you picking up what I’m putting down?
🍿 Find out how Trevor started fixing his marketing for his Decorating Business – all by working out his Ideal client – here.
4. Create targeted marketing for your Trade and Construction Ideal Clients.
Lightbulb moment coming up. 💡
I’m going to let you in on a little secret that’s going to revolutionise your world…
Ready?
💥 Once you’ve identified what your Trade and Construction clients look like, you can create knockout marketing campaigns that appeal directly to their wants and needs!
I’m talking laser targeted Facebook ads for time-poor homeowners needing a full rewire - sold on quick response times and evening visits.
Digital ads on local community sites for retired couples searching for an electrician to install new chandeliers and pendant lighting.
A monthly email newsletter with exclusive savings on smart home tech upgrades for high-end clients who love a VIP bargain.
See what I’m getting at?
Really get under the skin of who your VVIP clients are.
THEN...
Craft marketing around their deepest desires so when your ads appear it’s like their fairy godmother waved her sparkly wand just for them! 🧚🏼♀️
And while we’re making magic.
Factor in irresistible urgency triggers - limited slots and free gifts to spark that pinch-me-I-must-be-dreaming feeling.
Once you’ve worked out who your absolute best, most valuable clients are...
...targeted marketing becomes your superpower!
🍿 Find out how Alex bagged Elstree Studios as a customer for his waste removal business – all by working out his Ideal client – here.
5. Ideal Client discovery helps you build a loyal customer base.
Now every good Trade knows that repeat custom is the gift that keeps on giving. 🎁
Once you’ve got a client hooked, the work (and referrals) continues flowing faster than an open bar at a wedding.
But winning that customer loyalty when you’re just starting out can feel unlikely.
Yet here’s the key that unlocks the loyalty jackpot. 🔓
Get to grips with who your absolute best, perfect-match clients are.
Then focus ALL your marketing efforts on bringing those VIPs through the door.
Because when you go above and beyond for customers who truly appreciate high quality work, stellar communication, and someone knowledgeable they can trust...well, they’ll stick to you like the Royal Family stick to outdated traditions.
Do impeccable work and build your Trade and Construction business for your ideal fit clients and I promise they will keep coming back again and again.
And those fiercely loyal repeat customers are basically your golden ticket to regular income, predictable cashflow and endless referral opportunities...aka business success.
So, identifying and targeting your ideal client is essential for super serving them into lifelong advocates.
6. Charge premium prices for your Trade and Construction business.
Now don’t get me wrong.
Being the cheapest Trade on the patch does technically win business.
*And a whole lot or problems down the line.
(For both the Trade and the client, usually).
But competing on price alone is not the one.
And have you seen the state of some cowboy Trade vans?!
Does looking like you’ve bodged your own respray after several rounds with Tyson Fury sound enticing to you?!
Didn’t think so.
Once you know EXACTLY who your premium clients are, you can position yourself as the crème de la crème go-to for those customers.
That Trades Rolls Royce who only deals with other success stories basically.
When you understand what your absolute best clients are looking for and deliver it on a platter...
You instantly become more desirable to a whole new level of customer when you start marketing it (properly).
Those who value premium workmanship, professionalism and don’t even blink at higher rates because they appreciate one-of-a-kind service.
So sure.
You’ll turn away some penny-pinching tyre kickers.
But by targeting higher-end, sophisticated customers willing to pay handsomely for excellence... that’s when the business begins to scale.
We’re talking BIG money jobs from BIG money clients.
Now tell me that doesn’t sound sweet?
7. Start to enjoy running your Trade and Construction business again!
Working 18-hour days hunched in a stranger’s cobweb-coated attic to hit an impossible deadline kind of sucks the joy out of the job.
And let’s not get started on the never-ending game of non-payment bingo.
But here’s the good news.
Uncovering exactly who your Trade and Construction dream clients are transforms your marketing, business AND emotional wellbeing faster than you can say “where’s my van-sized gin gone?”
See, ideal customers value and respect what you do.
They appreciate that time is money and delays cost.
They pay on time without needing to be chased down like Bradley Walsh hounding a contestant in a tense finale.
And they sure as hell understand that a fair day’s wage deserves a fair day’s pay.
Suddenly you have the freedom to do the work you love for the customers you enjoy.
No more compromising quality or service because of tight margins.
No more panic attacks when the tax bill comes through.
Just predictable pipelines of quality work with clients who see your worth and have the budgets to back it up.
Bliss!
So, if you’re crying into your caulk gun most days or frequently wondering whether it’s all worth it...identifying and targeting your ideal clients guarantees you Get Your Trade Love Back.
Who wouldn’t want that?
8. Manage your Trade and Construction workload better.
Staying on top of your workload WITHOUT wanting to gouge your eyeballs out daily is crucial as a Trade and Construction business owner.
Here’s the clever bit.
When you know precisely who your dream clients are, you can get uber organised and work more efficiently.
How?
Well.
Let me show you.
🧱 You can plan buying materials way ahead to take advantage of lead/delivery times for those high-end jobs without panicking.
📆 Schedule work evenly each month allowing for predictable income from retained clients.
🔥 Block book ideal customers in the diary ahead of time so you’re not firefighting last-minute jobs.
🚧 And build regular maintenance visits into contracts so revenue forecasting becomes easy peasy.
You’re basically set up like clockwork to service premium clients without the chaos of unsuitable jobs.
Everything neat as a new build.
The result?
No more overpromising on impossible deadlines or working 23hr stints because you undercharged an awkward customer.
Just a streamlined workload delivering quality jobs to clients at premium prices.
Winning combo.
🍿 Find out how Paul built relationships between his engineers and clients for his fire security business – all by working out his Ideal client – here
9. Save tonnes of money for your Trade and Construction business.
Now unless your folks own a merchant yard, material costs are enough to give any Trade a complex.
But uncovering your ideal customers is like discovering a merchant loyalty card with a 100% discount because opportunities to save big time suddenly start flowing.
🙌🏽 When you build repeat business with consistent types of clients you can buy supplies wholesale way cheaper.
🙌🏽 Take on bulk orders discounted by manufacturers direct when bidding commercial work.
🙌🏽 Standardise parts across jobs to order in bulk and save.
🙌🏽 Negotiate mates’ rates on storage, labour, and logistics through subbie connections.
See where I’m going with this?
Delivering bespoke work to discerning ideal clients allows you quote higher AND buy smarter so you pocket WAY more profit.
Suddenly you’re not budgeting jobs tighter than Simon Cowell’s face.
It’s win-win all round.
The more precise your customer avatar, the more accurate your costs.
And the less you’re footing sky-high retail bills left right and centre.
So, knowing your ideal clients as part of your Trade and Construction marketing is the ultimate kick-ass, profit-unlocking, game changer.
🔓💰
10. Increase profits for your Trade and Construction business.
This bit is a genuine goldmine.
When you know exactly who your perfect customers are, you can double, even triple your profits faster than Usain Bolt on a 100m sprint.
How?
Let me enlighten you.
First up.
Targeting high value clients means bigger budgets for top quality work.
We’re talking £15k kitchen revamps, full rewires on premium developments and 5 figure office fit outs.
Then as you become known for elite workmanship, demands increase.
Allowing you to raise rates while competitors still scratch around on lower paid domestic jobs.
We'll lock that USP in.
Referrals also explode when you WOW niche (specific) audiences meaning pipelines pump consistently without expensive advertising.
Not to mention the magical multiplier effect of loyal, retained custom.
Adios unpredictable income. 👋🏾
But it gets better.
Identifying income goals aligned to ideal work suddenly unblocks monster profits.
What profits you say?
Well.
No longer chasing volume means focussing on raising the £££ value per job through upsells and cross-sells to premium buyers.
Nice.
The RESULT?
Higher revenue per client AND improved efficiency on the work you love = Profits reach astronomical new highs for your Trade and Construction business. 💫💫💫
Still not convinced identifying your ideal clients is the ultimate profit pot of gold?
🍿 Find out how Trevor won a 5 Figure Decorating Project without even meeting the clients – all by working out his Ideal client – here.
11. Achieve more goals for your Trade and Construction business.
Knowing your ideal client is the key that unlocks achieving pretty much every business goal you set for your Trade and Construction business.
Why?
Well let's break it down goal by goal shall we.
More leads?
🏆 When you create construction marketing campaigns targeted specifically at your perfect customers, you'll generate way more qualified enquiries.
Increase revenue?
🏆 By understanding exactly what your premium clients want you can sell bigger and better packages, raising those lovely turnover figures.
Land prestigious jobs?
🏆 Knowledge of your niche and USPs helps position you as the go-to for those juicy high-end contracts.
Improve cashflow?
🏆 Repeat custom with ideal recurring clients means reliably forecasting the readies. Cha-ching!
Grow your team?
🏆 When the jobs start flowing and you need skilled labour fast, your reputation will attract quality trades keen to come onboard.
Fund the dream lifestyle?
🏆 Higher transaction values from ideal customers mean hitting income goals as standard so wave goodbye to the day job grind.
Whether it's getting your name in lights, landing monstrous commercial projects, or taking a one-way ticket to the Bahamas...
Knowing your ideal client and structuring your Trade and Construction business around them is what makes EVERY dream become reality! 🏝
🍿 Find out how Metin built his start-up Trade business by building his brand and marketing during a pandemic – all by working out his Ideal client – here.
12. Fund your dream lifestyle using your Trade and Construction business.
Slogging your guts out on site during the week doesn’t exactly scream “living the dream” right now.
But here’s the incredible thing about getting crystal clear on your premium customers.
Do it right by TARGETING high value clients willing to pay good money for quality work and you could be unwinding on a tropical beach quicker than a pool boy at a Love Island wrap party. 🏝 👙 🌊
I’m talking...
Ditching the crack-of-dawn starts and back-breaking 16-hour days for long lunches and midweek golf. 🏌️♂️
Waving bye to penny-pinching customers and HELLO to folks with cash to splash on artisan craftsmanship. 👋
Forgetting frustrating chancers trying to worm discounts from you because premium clients respect your true worth. 💁♀️
Tucking into lobster more frequently than a brutally hungry seagull in harbour town because you can suddenly afford to treat yourself 🦞
And best of all.
Earning WAY more profit from doing WAY less physical grind. 💪💵
I’m talking swapping that knackered old van quicker than Katie Price finds a new fella. 🚗
Finally buying the house of your dreams in that area you’ve always wanted to live because desired postcodes are no longer out of reach. 🏡
And providing the family with a lifestyle to make even a Beckham green with envy. 👪
Look.
We all want to earn big bucks doing what we love, right?
Well.
Understanding exactly WHO values your skills then creating 5* service for those ideal clients guarantees that reality...plus the financial freedom to enjoy it.
Still not convinced identifying your dream customers holds the key to funding true job satisfaction AND owning that jet-set lifestyle? 🕶️⛱️
Well then, I’m out of ideas. 😉
⬇️ What Is An Ideal Client And Why Do I Need One For My Trade & Construction Marketing RUNDOWN:
1. Less time-wasting enquiries.
2. Avoid soul-destroying jobs.
3. Craft better marketing to win more of the clients you want.
4. Create target marketing.
5. Build loyal customer base.
6. Charge premium prices.
7. Enjoy your work again!
8. Manage your construction workload better.
9. Save tonnes of money.
10. Increase profits massively.
11. Achieve more business goals.
12. Fund your dream lifestyle.
🛠 Need a little more help nailing your Trades and Construction Marketing?
Course you do.
First. Let’s work out where you are with all things Construction Marketing.
Got 3 minutes?
Take our Trades Quiz to discover how you score with all things ‘Off The Tools’.
We have heaps of tips, tricks, and hacks for your Trade and Construction business in our cheat sheets, videos and ideas waiting for you on the other side… i.e., your results page.
So, you can improve your score. And NAIL your Trade and Construction business.
Nice.