Why Working with the Wrong Customers Is Costing Your Trade Business More Than You Think
If your trade business feels chaotic, unprofitable, or just harder than it should be… your customers might be the problem.
More specifically - you're working with the wrong ones.
Every job you take plants a seed. And if you’re planting in the wrong environment, you’ll grow more of what you don’t want: late payers, price hagglers, high-friction jobs, and referrals to more of the same.
It doesn’t have to be that way. Here’s how to identify and attract your ideal customer.
Step 1: Define What a Great Customer Looks Like
This will vary by trade, but most great clients share a few traits:
Easy to work with
Open to your expert recommendations
Pay quickly
Leave reviews
Refer quality friends and contacts
List your own. If a customer doesn’t fit that profile, they’re likely to cost you time, sanity, and profit.
Step 2: Use a Customer Avatar to Get Laser-Focused
This exercise helps you go from vague to specific.
Break it down like this:
Gender and age range (keep it within 10 years for clarity)
Location (target profitable suburbs or postcodes)
Occupation and income (e.g. professionals, dual-income households)
Family dynamic (kids, retirees, etc.)
Hobbies and interests (this is where you find them)
The tighter your avatar, the clearer your marketing, branding, and service positioning becomes.
Step 3: Position Your Brand Where Ideal Clients Already Gather
Your dream customers are already hanging out in groups you just need to be where they are.
Ask:
What schools do their kids go to?
What gyms or golf clubs do they attend?
What sports do they sponsor or watch?
What events or networks are they in?
Take a page out of the Rolex playbook: don’t spray ads everywhere. Be strategic. Sponsor a hole at a premium golf course. Put signage near elite schools. Get in the spaces that reflect your values and theirs.
Step 4: Say No to the Wrong Jobs
This is tough - especially when you’re starting out. But every “meh” job you say yes to could lead to five more just like it.
The wrong-fit clients:
Drag out payment
Stretch your team’s skill set
Lower your profitability
Refer you to more of the same
Train your “no” muscle. Focus on the work and people that help your business thrive, not just survive.
Step 5: Build 3 Ideal Customer Avatars
Your business likely serves more than one type of client. Maybe:
Private homeowners
Property managers
Commercial builders
Each has different interests, pain points, and networks. Get specific. Then work out where each group hangs out and plant your brand right there.
We’ll help you map out your ideal client avatars, tighten your marketing, and position your brand for real growth.
Kirk Neal - Trade Business Growth Coach
#IdealClientsOnly #TradeBusinessGrowth #AttractBetterClients #CashFlowControl #TradieMarketingTips
