When you think and talk about your target client in terms about demographics and hard facts, you can communicate useful information, but your heart isn’t necessarily engaged, and as a result your audience won’t be either. Pete proposes a simple way to bring more to the conversation when someone asks to learn more about who you work with.
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Take a moment and ask yourself: what is your ideal client really like? I once asked a client this question, and they answered, “People who pay their bills on time.” Not exactly inspiring. But this question matters. When you define your perfect client clearly, your energy shifts—your presence becomes more positive, more engaged, and more confident. In our business development training and networking coaching, this clarity is often the spark that elevates your entire approach to growth.
Think about the kinds of organizations you love working with, the personalities you enjoy collaborating with, and the problems you feel energized solving. When I think about our ideal client, it’s never just “a large professional services firm.” It’s a firm that’s up to something meaningful—one that wants to make a positive impact and leads with outcomes, not resistance. That vision naturally strengthens your confident presence and the way you communicate your value.
Our best clients care about creating something fantastic in the world. They’re problem-solvers—but they don’t lead with problems. They lead with possibilities. They want to collaborate and energize the process. Working with clients like this is a joy, and that joy fuels everything from business development coaching to group presentation coaching when teams prepare to communicate big ideas.
When I describe clients like this, I can feel myself light up. My heart gets involved. And when I share that excitement, it sparks something in others. They begin imagining who they know that fits that description. The conversation shifts—suddenly it’s about opportunity, alignment, and potential.
When you talk about your ideal client this way, it becomes emotional, not technical. It becomes human. And human conversations are where your Presence Coaching skills really shine. Instead of lists—industry, size, org chart—you’re speaking from the heart, and that creates stronger engagement. It also enhances your overall business speaking and helps you build more authentic relationships through networking skills and networking training.
Here’s your assignment: identify who is a great fit for you. Who do you love working with? Who energizes you? Who brings out your best? When you can talk about that with real enthusiasm, your presence upgrades—and so do your business development conversations, your leadership confidence training, and the way others respond to you.
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