On the day of the meeting, Sirena felt a knot of anxiety in her stomach.
She had spent the night before questioning her decision, wrestling with the fear of another potential disappointment.
But she also knew that she had to take a chance.
After all, the biggest risk was not taking any risk at all.
She entered the coffee shop where they had agreed to meet.
The place was buzzing with energy, a cacophony of laughter, clinking cups, and the hissing of the espresso machine.
She spotted Robert sitting at a corner table with another person, presumably “the guide”.
The guide!
It sounded so weird to her as if she was about to embark on some sort of mystical journey instead of just a simple meeting with a marketing professional.
But, a guide was exactly what she needed to help her navigate this new world of entrepreneurship.
Robert’s companion had an air of serene confidence about him.
His eyes sparkled with curiosity and understanding. His handshake was firm, his smile warm.
“Pleased to meet you, Sirena. My name is Sean Kade.” he introduced himself.
Following a few minutes of chitchat, Sean asked Sirena to tell him about her Executive Coaching business.
Sirena took a deep breath and began to explain her vision for helping executives become more effective leaders.
She had a degree in psychology and had spent years working as a corporate executive before transitioning to coaching, and she was excited to share her knowledge and experience with others so that they could become more self-aware and empowered leaders.
Sirena had personal experience and witnessed first-hand the amazing power of an emotionally intelligent leader who was able to connect with their team and foster a positive work culture.
Sirena felt quite proud of her presentation and was hopeful that Sean would see the value in her coaching business.
Sean smiled a big smile and then said, “Who is your ideal client?”.
Sirena started to rattle off some demographics and personality traits that she believed would make someone a good fit for her coaching services, but Sean interrupted her and said, “Actually, I was hoping you could describe the mindset and goals of your ideal client.”
“Who are they on a deeper level?” Sean asked. “What are their needs, their fears, their aspirations?”
Sirena was taken aback.
She had expected a discussion about marketing strategies, SEO, social media, and ad campaigns.
Instead, Sean was asking Sirena about her clients, their lives, their problems, and their desires.
The questions were simple, yet Sirena struggled to find the answers.
She realised that she had a surface-level understanding of her clients.
She knew their professional titles, their industries, and even their approximate income brackets.
But she didn’t really know them, didn’t understand their motivations, their lifestyle, their beliefs.
“We cannot shape a message that resonates with your audience until we understand them deeply,” Sean explained, his voice firm yet empathetic.
“Your marketing efforts should not be about pushing your services onto people.
It’s about showing them how your coaching fits into their lives, how it can solve their problems, fulfil their desires.”
This perspective was a revelation to Sirena.
It was a shift from the marketing tactics she had previously used. She felt a mixture of apprehension and excitement, fear and hope.
The journey towards understanding her audience was going to be challenging, but she felt a spark of optimism.
“I want you to do two exercises for me.” Sean said. ” Think about your ideal client, picture them in your mind, and write down everything you know about them.”
“Then, I want you to list out 100 problems that you believe your ideal client has.”
“100!”, Sirena thought. She was struck by the magnitude of the task at hand.
Sean could sense her apprehension and reassured her that this exercise was crucial in helping her truly understand her audience and create solutions that would resonate with them.
“I promise you…this exercise will help you identify the pain points and needs of your ideal client, allowing you to tailor your marketing approach to better connect with them,” Sean said.
“You don’t have to do it in one sitting, and it will definitely take you some time to complete, but it will be worth it in the end.” Sean continued.
“Ok, I have to get off.” Sean said as he turned to Robert.
They hugged briefly.
Then Sean turned to Sirena and looked her straight in the eyes.
As the meeting concluded, Sean promised to help her navigate this journey.
He assured her that he would always be there for her whenever she needed guidance or support.
“Good luck with the exercise, I will email you with additional resources to help you along the way,” Sean said with a reassuring smile.
“Understanding your audience isn’t a destination, Sirena. It’s an ongoing journey,” he said.
“And I’ll be there to guide you every step of the way.”