At my Mission Viejo Toastmasters Club meeting recently, a group of us were discussing how to attract more members. Attendance has been really low over the summer, and the group would be more fun with more people. The ironic thing is that our group actually has about 25 members - a very decent sized group! But because expectations weren’t set to make much of a commitment to the group, some people only show up when they are scheduled for a Toastmasters Club function - like being the speaker or an evaluator.
So the conversation turned to how we can attract more of our IDEAL member. An ideal Toastmasters Club member would be someone who:
- Shows up (almost) every week
- Is highly motivated to improve their public speaking skills, and
- Is willing to give of themselves as much as they get from the Toastmasters Club group.
The secret to finding our ideal club members is to set the expectations correctly right up front. We have plenty of people who show up as guests. If we want to be a thriving club, we can’t just accept anybody. We need to screen for the ideal Toastmasters Club member as outlined above. We need to let people know what’s expected of them when they join.
Sound familiar? My clients know that I’m a HUGE proponent of finding the IDEAL CLIENT. You may not always hit your target, but by setting your bar high, you will avoid a ton of headaches down the road. It’s not enough to say, “I want to attract the CFO of mid-market companies.” That’s a good start, for sure, but I encourage you to take it a step further. For example:
- I want to find clients who are really committed to using technology to save money.
- I want to find clients who consistently pay their bills on time.
- I want to find clients who appreciate the value of outside consultants.
- I want to find clients who have a pleasant disposition.
- In want to find clients who are in a particular industry so that my consulting team can become really hone their expertise in that one particular industry.
Sure, when you’re starving for business, you’ll take anyone with a pulse. You’ll make concessions. You’ll jump through hoops. That’s all the more reason to fill your marketing pipeline. You can only be picky if you have choices.
DTM Differentiate
Anyone who isn’t a current client, and who wants to figure out how to attract the ideal client, may want to check out Duct Tape Marketing’s Differentiate and Dominate program.
For those of you who want guided group coaching, email us at Tornado Marketing, and we can put you on the list for the group session we’re running this October.
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