and What to Do Instead

I recently had a really lovely one-to-one with a woman who runs an alternative, holistic health clinic. She’s capable, experienced, deeply caring and like many practitioners, she’s reached that familiar point where the business feels a little stuck.

Her biggest challenge right now?

Getting new clients.

When I asked her who her ideal client was, her answer was honest and very common: “Menopausal women.” And whilst that’s not wrong, it’s also not nearly specific enough to support consistent, effective marketing.

This is something I see all the time in wellbeing businesses, and in businesses in general. People are so scared of missing out on a sale that they think that ‘everyone’ is their customer.

I wanted to share a few reflections from that conversation — because if you’re struggling to attract the right clients, this may well resonate with you too.

The problem isn’t that you don’t know who you helP, it’s that you haven’t gone deep enough yet. Most women I see can name a category of client:

• Menopausal women

• Stressed professionals

• Busy mums

• People with anxiety

• Women who “just don’t feel like themselves anymore”

But a category isn’t a person and marketing doesn’t land with categories - it lands with humans. Real live people like you and me.

When your message feels a bit vague or generic, it’s often because the person you’re speaking to in your mind is still a blur.

Why this matters so much for your marketing

This lady and I talked about why her marketing wasn’t quite converting in the way she hoped. And very quickly, it became clear that the issue might not be traffic at all.

Sometimes the challenge isn’t “I need more leads” but it’s actually “The right people aren’t recognising themselves in my message” Maybe you’re finding that people enquire, but don’t convert.

All of those problems often trace back to the same root cause: lack of clarity around who you’re truly speaking to.

Tie your ideal client down — tightly

One of the key things I encouraged her to tie your ideal client down as tightly as possible. This doesn’t mean that you exclude people or box yourself in.

But to give your message something solid to land on.

I asked her to really flesh this woman out in her mind:

• How old is she really?

• Is she still working, or recently retired?

• Is she juggling a career, caring for parents, teenagers… or all three?

• What does she do in her spare time?

• Where does she spend time online?

• What keeps her awake at 3am?

• What has she already tried that hasn’t worked?

When you know these things

Your words start to change and that is how you make someone stop scrolling

People don’t stop scrolling because your qualifications are impressive. They stop because they feel seen, heard or recognised.

When your marketing reflects back someone’s internal world — their frustration, their quiet worry, their “is it just me?” moments — they pause. What you want them to think is “Oh… this is me! She’s talking to ME!”

That only happens when you’ve taken the time to truly understand the person behind the problem.

If your business feels fuzzy, start here

If you’re finding that:

• Your marketing feels hit and miss

• You’re getting enquiries but not conversions

• You’re busy, but not building momentum

• You’re undervaluing your work

I’d gently invite you to look at your ideal client clarity before you change tactics, platforms, or strategies. More often than not, the solution isn’t doing more, it’s getting clearer.

If this resonates, you’re not alone, and you don’t have to figure it out on your own either. Come and find me in The Lounge

Namaste,

Jennifer 💛