Client Analysis Worksheet

A management consultant with 8 years of corporate experience went independent 18 months ago. Built a solid client roster through former colleagues and industry contacts, but referrals have plateaued. Wants to expand beyond their network but doesn't know how to replicate what worked organically.

Frame this as reverse-engineering success before trying to scale it. 'Before we build new marketing channels, let's map what's actually working. Most consultants know their ideal client profile but can't explain why those clients chose them over doing nothing.' Expect resistance to the buying motivations quadrant - they'll default to service features instead of client triggers.

Client Description fills with corporate buzzwords rather than specific client situations. Where to Find Them gets generic ('LinkedIn, networking events') instead of naming actual referral sources. Buying Motivations quadrant takes longest and produces vague answers like 'they needed strategic guidance' rather than specific precipitating events.

Start with Existing Patterns - ask them to name their three best clients and what those engagements had in common beyond industry. Then move to Buying Motivations: 'Pick one of those three. What was happening in their organization the week they called you?' This usually reveals the real trigger wasn't strategic planning but a crisis, transition, or deadline.

An experienced coach with PCC credential has been coaching for 6 years, primarily through referrals from past clients. Revenue is steady but growth has stalled. When asked about their ideal client, they say 'senior leaders in transition' but can't get more specific without losing potential business.

Position this as a diagnostic, not a marketing exercise. 'You've built a successful practice, which means you're already serving a specific type of client - you just haven't named it yet. This tool helps you see the patterns that are already there.' Coaches often resist narrowing because they fear limiting opportunities. Address this directly: specificity attracts, generality repels.

Client Description stays at 30,000 feet ('C-suite executives, Fortune 500, leadership challenges'). Existing Patterns reveals they actually work with a much narrower slice but haven't acknowledged it. Buying Motivations section gets filled with coaching benefits rather than the specific circumstances that made someone pick up the phone.

Start with the gap between Client Description and Existing Patterns. 'You wrote senior leaders in transition, but when I look at your actual clients, I see three VPs who got promoted into roles they'd never done before. That's not transition - that's role expansion without preparation.' This specificity usually unlocks the real buying motivation.

A former operations director now works as a fractional COO across multiple companies. Started by saying yes to every opportunity and now serves startups, mid-market companies, and family businesses simultaneously. Feeling scattered and wants to focus but worried about turning away revenue.

Frame this as an energy audit, not just a client analysis. 'You're successful enough to be selective. This tool helps you see which clients energize you and which ones drain you, so you can make decisions based on data rather than fear.' Expect pushback about narrowing down - they'll worry about limiting income. The real issue is usually that diverse clients require different skill sets and create context-switching fatigue.

Client Description section reveals they're describing three different types of clients rather than finding common threads. Existing Patterns shows clear energy differences between client types but they haven't connected this to performance or retention. Where to Find Them demonstrates they're marketing to everyone and reaching no one effectively.

Start with Existing Patterns and ask them to sort their current clients into 'energizing' and 'draining' categories. Then look at what the energizing group has in common beyond industry. Usually it's stage of company, type of challenge, or leadership style. Ask: 'If you only worked with the energizing type, what would you need to charge to replace the revenue from the draining ones?'

A leadership development consultant built their practice around relationships with three HR directors who consistently referred work. Two of those contacts left their companies in the past year, and referrals have dropped 70%. Needs to rebuild pipeline but has been out of active business development for years.

Present this as forensic analysis of what worked before you try to rebuild it. 'Most people in your situation start networking frantically. That's backwards. First we need to understand what made those HR directors refer you consistently, then find where similar people are now.' They'll want to jump to tactics. Slow them down - the pattern matters more than the people.

Where to Find Them focuses on the specific people who left rather than the types of roles or situations that generate referrals. Buying Motivations reveals they don't actually know why those HR directors chose them over other options - they just know the relationship worked. Existing Patterns may show they've been coasting on relationships rather than delivering specific value.

Start with Buying Motivations but focus on the referring HR directors, not the end clients. 'What problem were you solving for those HR directors that made referring you easy for them?' This often reveals they were solving the referrer's problem (looking good to leadership) rather than just the client's problem. Then ask: 'Where do people with that same problem work now?'