Who It’s For: Entrepreneurs, Senior Business Leaders, Managers, Sales Professionals, Female Leaders, and R&D, Innovation, DEI, and Other Critical Teams
Get Crystal Clear on Who Your Ideal Client is and How to Find Them
Darlene Hawley
Once you figure out exactly who you want to work with and where to find them you'll be able to start attracting clients and grow your brand and business.ients and grow your brand and business.
Get Crystal Clear on Who Your Ideal Client is and How to Find Them
Last month we discussed all about Uncovering Your Niche and today we’re diving into Ideal Client Clarity.
Once you figure out exactly who you want to work with and where to find them you'll be able to start attracting clients and grow your brand and business.
It all starts with YOU.
The best part of your starting your business was getting to create it in a way that feels good to you.
So many clients to come to me after having done ideal client avatars or other types of ideal client work and they are only focused on the client and what they need.
But let’s be real, they type of client you attract is important but mostly because it’s who you want to wake up each morning to help.
So grab out your journal and write out the answer to these two questions.
- Who do you want to work with?
- And who do you not want to work with?
I didn’t do this work in the beginning. I was told by a lot of mentors that it was important and I lightly did the work but never fully dove into it.
Mostly because ideal client clarity is the hard work and I wanted it to be easy.
It felt like it should be easy, but it wasn’t.
When I finally did the work it all changed
Remember you want to work with people you love working with, think of your favorite clients.
You wat to find more of them.
Let’s look at the demographic. Are they men, women, what’s their age, income level, family life, but you also need to go deeper into it and look at the psychographics. What do they desire, what are they struggling with, what keeps them up at night, do they have any special interests or habits.
I know for me the reason I didn’t want to do the ideal client work is that I was afraid I would lose out on making money or helping someone if I excluded anyone or that maybe I would hurt someone’s feeling if they didn’t feel included in the work that I was doing.
But it’s more important that you work with your dream client, the people that you’re meant to make an impact on.
When you’re clear with your messaging you’ll attract the right people and you’ll feel better about the legacy you’re leaving.
The cool thing is that your brand and business will grow with you as you develop and learn more. When I first started I only wanted to work with those just starting a business as it felt really comfortable for me but now as I’ve grown into who I am and who I am supposed to serve. I attract a lot of clients who have had their business for a bit but are not making the money that they want consistently and they are ready to take it to the next level.
Market Research
Once you know who you want to work with it’s time to get them on the phone or in a zoom room for some good old fashion market research.
Reach out to 5-10 past clients, current clients or friends that you know who are you’re perfect match ideal client and ask them if you can have 15 minutes of their time to interview them. Let them know you’re trying to get a better understand of your ideal client and you would appreciate some of their insight.
If you have an online community you could send out a survey in your group or in other groups that you network in. This will allow you to get more surveys completed without having to talk on the phone to as many people.
But and this is a big but. You have to be super clear in your messaging for who you want to complete your survey. When I started out I wanted moms who were working tons of hours in their corporate job and were missing out on taking their kids to sports activities or tucking them in at night and wanted to start a business. So get specific so you get the right kind of market research done.
Spice it up a little with offering them something for their time, like a free gift. It could be a free coaching session, free product, discount code, or a gift card to your favorite coffee shop.
I encourage you to always come back to this step every 90 days as you are always learning and growing and so are your ideal clients.
Now, what do you do with all of the information of who you want to work with and all of the market research interviews you’ve conducted.
You put it all together into your Ideal Client Profile
This is when you get to narrow it all down to 1 single person who you can imagine every time you sit down to create content.
Now you know who they are, where they work, what their name is and can talk to them in all of your marketing efforts.
If you’re ready to get crystal clear on who your ideal client is I encourage you to reach out for a free clarity call. I’ll send you the Ideal Client Profile I use with all of my clients and help you understand exactly how to take your business to the next level.
✨Ready to Own Your Story and Attract Your Dream Clients?✨
If you’re ready to stop second-guessing your message and start using storytelling as a powerful tool to connect, inspire, and sell—then I’d love to invite you to my It’s Time to Own Your Story: Mini-Course.
In this self-paced course, you’ll learn how to:
✔️ Identify the key moments in your story that captivate your audience.
✔️ Share your story in a way that builds trust and positions you as the go-to expert.
✔️ Use storytelling across your website, social media, and sales conversations to attract and convert more clients.
Plus, you’ll get a
step-by-step workbook and
personal feedback on your brand story—so you can start sharing with confidence.
Hey There!
I'm Darlene
As a mother, wife, connector, and dream builder, I’m Darlene Hawley, the founder of DarleneHawley.com and an Executive Leadership & Businesss Coach dedicated to empowering leaders like you.
My passion lies in helping ambitious professionals cultivate their unique leadership style while crafting an authentic and impactful personal brand. Through my coaching, we’ll work together to build a solid foundation that not only inspires your team but also drives results and growth within your organization.
Since 2007, I have been committed to guiding leaders and entrepreneurs in launching and scaling their businesses with confidence and clarity.
Today, I focus on supporting women in reaching their leadership goals and living their dream lives—all while balancing the joys of raising my family and creating meaningful memories each day.
Together, we’ll transform your challenges into opportunities, allowing you to lead with authenticity and inspire those around you.
Carolyn Bennett-Sullivan, a seasoned keynote speaker, TEDx presenter, and change strategist, shares her incredible journey from a challenging career in pharma sales to becoming a transformational catalyst. She discusses overcoming fear-based thinking, navigating major business disruptions, and building trust in organizations. Whether you're a heart-centered entrepreneur or an executive leader, this conversation is packed with valuable insights on how to lead confidently, handle major transitions, and create a business that thrives. Curious to learn more? Visit darlenehawley.com/workwithme. 00:41 Meet Carolyn Bennett Sullivan 01:48 Carolyn's Journey and Overcoming Fear 04:15 Navigating Workplace Disruptions 07:21 Tools for Leaders and Employees 15:03 The Importance of Communication and Engagement 21:19 The Importance of Team Buy-In 22:49 Building Relationships in Sales 27:21 Future Plans and Goals 29:26 Rapid Fire Questions 35:09 Conclusion and Contact Information Carolyn is an inspiring keynote speaker, transformational catalyst, and change strategist. As a TEDx speaker, author, and consultant, she leverages her corporate sales and small business expertise to help organizations create strategies for navigating business disruptions through mindset mastery. Her deep understanding of psychology, neuroscience, and business uncovers barriers to change and guides individuals to overcome obstacles, build resilience and unlock their highest capabilities. You can engage with Carolyn at: https://linkedin.com/in/carolynbennettsullivan https:instagram.com/cbsullivan https://facebook.com/carolynbennettsullivan ------ Hi I’m Darlene Hawley and I help ambitious entrepreneurs and executive women find their voice, craft powerful messaging, and regulate their nervous system so they can speak up with confidence in high-stakes conversations, client meetings, and on stages ... without second-guessing themselves. Grab my 10 Do's and Don't for Effective Daring Conversations: https://mailchi.mp/297e8105e904/communicationguide Grab my 6 Steps To Attract & Stand Out digital guide, a free roadmap to create a successful business with less hustle and more ease: https://bit.ly/attractandstandoutonline Grab a Chai and let's Connect: https://darlenehawley.com https://linkedin.com/in/darlenehawley
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When you're talking but no one's listening. Have you ever introduced yourself at a networking event… only to feel like people’s eyes glazed over? One of my clients put it perfectly: “Darlene, I share who I am and what I do, but it feels like I’m invisible. People nod politely and then move on.” She had so much value to offer. In fact, she is amazing at what she did. Yet, her introduction was all over the place. Some days she was talking to potential clients, other days to possible collaborators, and sometimes even she wasn’t sure what her main point was. And that’s why it felt like no one was listening. Why This Happens It’s not because you’re not experienced enough. It’s not because you’re not interesting enough. It’s because without clarity about who your audience is in the room and what you really want to say, your voice gets lost in the shuffle of business cards and conversations. Networking rooms are full of people competing for attention. If your message doesn’t connect directly... if it doesn’t make them pause, lean in and say, “Tell me more” ... it disappears before they even leave the event. The Shift When this client and I worked together, the first thing we did was get crystal clear about: Who she most wanted to reach in the room. What those people actually cared about. How her work specifically helped them. Once she had that clarity, her introductions started sounding different... more direct, more alive, more her. And the result? People leaned in. Instead of walking away, they asked questions. They followed up after the event. They booked time with her. Because when you find your voice and know exactly who you’re talking to, you stop being forgettable. You become someone people can’t ignore. This is exactly what we’ll be diving into in Session 1 of my Attract & Stand Out Framework: Getting clear on who your audience is. Knowing what you want to say. Communicating how you help in a way that truly connects... whether you’re introducing yourself in a room or on stage. It’s not just about having the words, it’s about the confidence to say them out loud too... with presence, authority, and ease. If you’ve been walking out of networking events feeling overlooked, let this be a gentle nudge: ~ You don’t need to try harder. ~ You don’t need to stuff more into your intro. ~ You need clarity... on your audience, your message, and your voice. That’s where visibility begins. That’s how you go from overlooked to unforgettable. Think about the last time you introduced yourself at a networking event. Could the right person in the room... your dream client or collaborator... hear you and say: “That’s me. She gets it”? ________________________________________________________ 🌀 Nervous System Regulator: The 4-7-8 Reset Feeling that anxious butterfly sensation before you introduce yourself? Try this right before you speak: Inhale quietly through your nose for a count of 4. Hold your breath for a count of 7. Exhale slowly and fully through your mouth for a count of 8. Repeat this 3–4 times. It only takes a minute, but it tells your nervous system: You’re safe. You’ve got this. When your body is calm, your voice comes through with more presence and power... and people remember you. ✨ Ready to stop feeling overlooked at networking events? Download my free guide, 6 Steps to Attract & Stand Out, and discover how to clarify your message, show up with confidence, and connect with the people who matter most. Grab it here »
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