If you’ve been in business for more than five minutes, you’ve probably been told to do your ideal client work.
Name her. Age her. List out what kind of coffee she drinks. Give her a Pinterest board, a dog, a journaling habit, and a love for oat milk.
And look – I get it. Ideal client work can be helpful. For product-based businesses, understanding your customer’s lifestyle, aesthetic, and values is essential. It tells you what colours to use, what packaging appeals, what platforms to show up on.
But for service-based businesses – especially in the online space – it’s not so cut and dry anymore.
In fact, for many of the brilliant business owners I work with, “ideal client” work has become a confidence trap. They try to get more specific. More niche. More perfect. And somehow? They feel more confused.
Because, in my experience,
You don’t need to know your ideal client’s star sign to make sales.
You need to know the problem you solve.
Where the “Ideal Client” Obsession Came From
The idea of building a profile of your perfect customer isn’t wrong.
It just comes from a different time.
A time when business owners had to choose where to place ads – The Times or The Sun.
Was their audience reading broadsheets or red tops?
Did they need to advertise on Smooth Radio or Kerrang!?
Back then, demographics and behaviours really mattered.
But today?
Your content goes everywhere.
Your audience isn’t split by publication or postcode.
Your next client could be 27 or 57, introverted or bold, vegan or steak-loving – and still have the exact same problem.
It’s a bit like the phrase “The customer is always right.”
Sounds good on paper. But in real life? Outdated & oversimplified.
Same with ideal client work. It’s not totally wrong, it’s just not where you start anymore.
The Problem-First Approach
Instead of starting with who you’re trying to help, start with what you help them fix.
- What are they struggling with?
- What’s keeping them stuck?
- What have they already tried that didn’t work?
- What are they Googling at 2AM?
When you can articulate the problem better than they can, they’ll trust that you have the solution. That’s what makes your content connect. That’s what makes your offer stand out. And that’s what leads to sales.
Your ideal client isn’t a persona. They’re a person with a very real problem.
When you speak to that? You become the obvious answer.
Want Help Getting Clear on the Problem You Solve?
I created a masterclass to walk you through exactly that.
If you’re tired of trying to niche your message around imaginary avatars and still not getting results, this is for you.
In this session, you’ll learn:
- Why the “ideal client” model is keeping service providers stuck
- How to identify the specific problem your audience is desperate to solve
- A simple framework to turn that into content, offers, and messaging that actually converts
Click here for all the details and to grab your spot.
Let’s stop guessing—and finally say what you do in a way that sells.
Shelly Shulman 