This step will provide the you the valuable information you’ll base all your next steps on. This will equip you to calculate your strategic position to target the right people with the right message. 

If you’re not sure what to decide for this step, use your best guess and move on. Your perspective will develop and you can always update previous answers as you go, so don’t feel too constrained by what you’ve already written either.

Understand your ideal client’s immediate goals for the projects you’re asked to help with, as well as the strategic aspirations those projects contribute to. Awareness of the full stack of results you’re helping achieve helps you accurately pitch higher value outcomes instead of their component services.

Understanding your client’s actual requirements – rather than the prescriptive steps that are often briefed – can help you use your expertise to propose more helpful solutions for bigger problems, a greater range of problems, or the same problem in different circumstances.

Discovering the frustrations of your ideal clients gives you immediate opportunities to offer your expertise and helps shape your strategy to ensure it's both in demand and profitable.