Once you’ve identified your ideal client (also known as ICP: Ideal Client Profile), the next step is to understand their problems.
There are two parts to this phase.
The first is for your client’s to acknowledge they have a problem that’s actually worth solving. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve pitched a proposal to solve all of their issues, only for them to not even agree they have a problem to begin with.
If they don’t believe it’s an issue with solving, then it doesn’t matter what you think.
The second part is, their problem needs to be an “expensive problem”. If they have an issue that can be solved by a small process update, or a few new fields, this is not an expensive problem. And you won’t be able to charge them a decent amount for solving them. (or you need to make up for this in volume).
Instead, look for high-value problems such as strategy, architecture, roadmapping, or vendor selection. In these examples, a wrong choice can cost them a great deal of money. So having you, an experienced consultant by their side, mitigates that risk.
The takeaway
Look for expensive problems to solve that the client actually agrees with you it’s a problem.