Finding your ideal clients is key to a successful creative business. In tough times, finding any clients can be a stretch. Reaching out can feel daunting.
Most people look in the wrong way.
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And we’ll fix that today. Because only with ideal clients you can:

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  Become a force in the industry
  

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  Challenge yourself and your team to create outstanding work
  

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  Work with people that love who you are and what you do
  

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  Access big budgets more easily
  

What I’m about to teach you today is gold for any creative person, so listen closely.

How to Find Ideal Clients

A new member in my community asked this week, “WHERE do we find our ideal clients? And WHAT do we say to get a response?”
Great question, but it’s the wrong question.
The right questions would be: WHO is my ideal client?
Define them first.
It’s here where most creative pros get stuck.
Let’s address this.

Part 1: Define Your ICA

You can’t directly answer WHO your ideal client is. It’s like asking who falls in love with you on first sight. We don’t know.
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Here’s your mind-shift:
Don't define your ideal clients. You simply can't. Instead define your Ideal Clients Audience (ICA).
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Look at your best projects—the work you love and could do every day. The work that gets you a decent budget. Find the pattern. Think about who your client targeted with this work.
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More specific, if you did a print ad, an explainer video, or a TVC, it’s typically a marketing asset. Who did your “asset” sell to? What’s the audience?
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Define that audience. Do this with all your top projects. Find the pattern. Who did you sell to through your work?
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Once defined, look at which brands want to sell to that exact audience.

Part 2: Find Their Assets

Next, go on LinkedIn and find those brands. Identify the CMOs, CDs, or relevant people.
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Pro Tip: Go for the underdogs, the second placed companies, not market leaders—they’re usually still “hungry.”
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Follow them, search for ads, commercials, and product launches (The Assets). Watch for recent product launches or things they want to share.

Part 3: Provide Value

Send simple, non-fancy cold messages that make you relevant to their journey. Skip formalities.
Shoot them a message like this:
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—
Hi Melinda
Saw your latest commercial on LinkedIn featuring your “Sustainable Coffee Caps” this morning. Great job! ← Recency
Loved the vibe. Working with clients targeting the same audience (Millennials in the US), I know what goes into crafting a resonating message. I leave you a link to a recent project we finished if you’re curious. LINK ← Relevancy
If you’re willing, I’d love to ask you a few questions around your approach to storytelling for a piece of content that I’m writing for LinkedIn. It’s about how Product Brands target Millennials, and your spot would be a positive example. No sales pitch. We’ll learn from it too. ← A no-brainer offer
If you’re swamped—no worries! Just thought you’d be a great example for my next industry article. ← An easy out if they’re not interested
Cheers, Marko
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This short note does a lot of things well:

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  They will chase you seem to know how to sell to their audience
  

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  It might start a new relationship
  

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  It provides value
  

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  It gives an incentive to check out your workIt shows recency
  

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  It demonstrates your relevancy by referencing your work
  

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  It makes a ‘no-brainer’ offer in exchange for their attention/time
  

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  It gives them an easy out if they’re not interested
  

ATTENTION: You have to deliver on your promise!

In Summary

I hope this gives you the game plan and confidence to tackle your cold outreach more strategically. Defining with ideal clients is crucial for building y million-$ creative business.

Keep these in mind:

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  Find your ideal clients by defining their ideal audience first
  

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  Find the “marketing assets” they align with
  

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  Reach out with a personalised providing value.
  

Try this with 3-5 people a day for 2 weeks and your business will change.

Want more simple concepts that you can apply fast?

Ask me about my community for creative pros aiming to grow a million-dollar business.
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Plentiful Mind is my flagship community—a comprehensive journey for growing successful creative businesses. Avoid common pitfalls (like ignored cold DMs) and leverage high-ticket strategies to grow your business more easily.

High-ticket clients are easier to get than low-budget ones if you know WHO they serve.
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See you next week.

Marko 'Ideal Mentor' Pfann

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