Wouldn’t it be great if you had a much clearer picture of exactly who your clients will be for the remainder of 2026? Not just a general idea, but a real understanding of the type of people you will be working with, the problems you will be solving, and the business you will be closing.
That level of clarity is entirely possible, and it starts with understanding your ICP, your Ideal Customer Profile.
Your ICP is not just a marketing concept. It is the foundation for how you build your business. In many ways, it becomes the blueprint for every dollar you are going to earn this year.
The first step in identifying your ICP is to take a step back and audit your wins. This is not about every client you have worked with. It is not about the transactions that felt like uphill battles or the ones that left you wondering how you got through them. Yes, those deals may have resulted in a paycheck, but they are not what we are trying to replicate.
Instead, focus on your top clients. The ones who trusted you, respected your process, and created an experience that felt productive and rewarding. Think about the transactions where things aligned, where your value was recognized, and where the outcome justified the effort. When you look at those clients, the question becomes simple. What do they have in common?
Once you have identified those common traits, the next step is to understand their pain points. Every client comes to you with a problem that needs to be solved. In many cases, those problems are more similar than you might think. It could be a growing family that has outgrown their current home, a move driven by schools, or a client who is stepping into the next stage of their life and needs a property that reflects that change.
At the core of it, people are not just buying or selling homes. They are looking for relief. Relief from a situation that no longer works for them. When you understand the source of that pressure, you begin to better understand how you can position yourself as the solution. That is where your value becomes clear, not just to you, but to them.
Equally important, and often overlooked, is defining who does not belong in your ICP. Every one of us has worked with clients who drain our time, challenge every step of the process, and ultimately make the experience more difficult than it needs to be. These are the clients who undervalue your expertise and create unnecessary friction.
There is real power in recognizing that not all business is good business. In fact, some of the greatest growth comes from being willing to walk away from the wrong opportunities.
When you become intentional about who you choose to work with, you protect your time, your energy, and your ability to perform at a high level.
With this clarity, you can begin to build your entire 2026 strategy around your ideal client. Your messaging becomes more focused. Your outreach becomes more intentional. Your follow up and your marketing start to speak directly to the people you are best equipped to serve.
When that alignment takes place, your business begins to shift. Instead of chasing every opportunity, you start attracting the right ones. Instead of operating from a place of uncertainty, you begin to move forward with confidence, knowing exactly how you are going to win and who you want to win with.
That is the difference between hoping the year works out and building a plan that is designed to deliver results.
TERRY Talks 