Sales Focus: Clarify Your True Ideal Client

As my tenure at gap intelligence evolved, I came to understand something that fundamentally changed how I think about growth: clients should be viewed the same way we view employees.

In every organization, there are A+ employees—the people who help the business grow exponentially. They’re hungry. They’re engaged. They ask for more responsibility. They challenge us to raise the bar. Compensation matters, but it’s rarely the first thing they care about. These are the people we give our biggest opportunities to, because the return on that investment is enormous.

On the other end of the spectrum are what I often refer to—using a baseball term—as “Mendoza Line” employees. These are the individuals managers spend the most time on. We convince ourselves that, as good leaders and coaches, we can coach them up. We spend countless hours trying to get TPS reports in on time, hoping for incremental improvements, and expending enormous energy just to get baseline performance.

The result? A very small return.

Worse, that time investment often creates toxicity, because your A players notice. They resent the disproportionate attention given to underperformers. Time spent on C players produces minimal return; that same time invested in A players delivers exponential ROI.

Clients are no different.

Every business has A+ clients—the ones who value quality over price, challenge us to be better, treat us like partners, pay on time, and are genuinely a joy to work with. They’re predictable, professional, and consistent.

And then there are C clients. They’re always in a rush. They complain about price. They tell rather than ask. They pay late. They demand the most attention through scattered communication, endless calls, and frustrated emails.

In most businesses, C clients represent 80% of the work and only 20% of the profit—just like C employees represent 80% of the effort and 20% of the productivity.

That’s why it’s critical not only to identify your A+ clients—but to have the discipline to pursue them intentionally, and just as importantly, the discipline to walk away from prospects who are clearly a poor fit. Some relationships will never be profitable, no matter how much effort you invest.

A Simple 5-Step Exercise to Identify Your Ideal Client

In the Esteemed School of Selling Workshop, we walk through a straightforward but powerful process to clarify your Ideal Client Profile.

Step 1: Identify Your Favorite Client
Think of the client you genuinely enjoy working with. The one you smile when you see their name on your phone. They trust you. They ask for more. They see you as a partner. Write that company—or person—down.

Step 2: Define the Specifics
Describe that client in detail.

• Company size

• Industry

• Geography

• Decision-maker

• Business model

If you’re B2C, get just as specific: age, income, education, lifestyle, and location. Precision matters.

Step 3: Describe the Personality

Now focus on the individual you work with. Are they curious? Collaborative? Direct? Do they communicate by email or phone? Do they share information freely or guard it? It’s okay—even helpful—to give this person a name. Make them real.

Step 4: Understand Why They Call You

• What triggers their outreach?

• Did something change in their business?

• Are they dissatisfied with a current provider?

• Is it urgent or gradual?

• If you’re B2C, is the purchase seasonal, emotional, or situational? List every scenario.

Step 5: Clarify Vitamins and Painkillers

• Every business provides both value (vitamins) and relief (painkillers).

• What pain do you remove?

• What value do you deliver—at its most basic level?

For example, the Esteemed School of Selling removes the awkwardness and uncertainty of outbound sales. The value it provides is a repeatable, effective sales framework that produces better results.

Why This Matters

When you complete this exercise, you don’t just know who your A+ clients are—you know how they think, when they buy, and what they care about. You know how to speak directly to them with clarity and confidence.

Even better, your value proposition becomes authentic, because it’s grounded in real experience—not marketing language.

When you lead with simple, honest, direct language, you may not always get more “yeses.”
But you will get the truth.

And that’s how great businesses are built.

Give it a try. Good luck—and Be Esteemed.