Although the dictionary definition of a client or customer is “someone who buys your product or service,” it is a much more effective business practice to be fully aware of who is your IDEAL customer.
Knowing who your ideal customer is, changes everything – what products and services you offer, your marketing strategy, the value proposition, pricing structure, the tone of voice you use and even potential partnerships.
When you can tailor your marketing strategies to your ideal client or customer you can create the perfect Customer Journey for them so they will become repeat buyers, then long term customers and advocates for you and your business by talking about you to their business colleagues, family and friends.
As so many business owners have not identified their ideal customer, it is worth spending some time explaining techniques on how to identify them, so you attract them with targeted marketing campaigns.
It still surprises me when I consult with business owners, and I ask them,” Who do you sell to?” they often answer, “anyone who wants it…”
So then I narrow it down:-
Q: “Okay, so who is your Ideal Customer?”
A: “Anyone who will pay for it!”
If you use this random approach as a business owner, you will NOT achieve long term growth and the business success you dream about. You need to become much more specific about what your client’s needs and pain points are and how you can solve them.
How do you attract people who are hungry for what you offer them and want more?
Would you like more of these clients coming to you?
If your answer is YES, you first need to identify who these people are, what pain they’re in and how your solution can help them and what they need to know before buying from you. You need to be aware of objections they may have and be able to connect with them emotionally as a person.
It is crucial that right NOW at this time when many people are nervous and fearful about the future, that you make contact with people human to human and build trust. Once they can say to you “OMG how you understand so much about me and my concerns,” you have a strategic launching pad to demonstrating how what you offer them will be a perfect solution for their pain, and they will want to engage with you and buy your services and products.
Knowing this, you can compose your marketing strategies in a manner that is going to engage them emotionally in a way that drives them to take action.
And how much easier would your business and your life be if you were only dealing with ideal clients instead of time wasters?
Once you have engaged emotionally with the client and have shown that you understand and empathise with their situation; you can explain how to get the outcomes they want by using your effective and proven marketing tools.
Remember that each marketing campaign will have one message delivered to one market through one medium.
So here are a couple of technical steps to help get clear on the audience you want to target.
How to work out your Ideal Client Profile in Two Easy Stages
- Their Demographics
- How old are they?
- What sex are they?
- Do they have children?
- What income level are they?
- What is their budget?
- What luxury products and brands do they buy?
- Are they single or dual-income households?
- What are their current goals and priorities?
- What other interests and hobbies do they have?
- Where do they hang out?
- What methods of communication do they prefer?
The list could go on, and the answers need to be specific and detailed, for example, expanding on ‘Where do they hang out? The answer should include exactly what social media they use, the groups they belong to, including on and offline groups and organisations. Or ‘What kinds of communication do they prefer?’– phone, text, Twitter, What’s App, Telegram etc.
If you want to go even deeper, you can check out the ideal client blog here https://blog.autopilothq.com/define-your-ideal-customer/. Peter Sharkey’s checklist will help you go much deeper into the lists we offer here.
This information gives you a great start in identifying who you will be talking to in your marketing and advertising; however, it is important to remember that people buy with their emotions first and foremost, then they justify the purchase with their intellect.
To trigger them to make the purchase, you also need to understand which emotional triggers will cause them to buy. To identify these emotions, you will need to understand:
- Psychographics
- What problems they have
- What keeps them awake at night?
- What is their greatest fear?
- What are their aspirations?
- What do they value most?
- What do they achieve from buying from you?
- What objections do they have?
By combining both Demographics and Psychographics, you will understand who your ideal client is, where they are, and how you can get them to buy from you.
Once you work out your ideal customer and start talking to prospects, make sure you add in plenty of customer success stories about how using your product or service solved their challenges.
Taking the time to understand these essential foundations of any marketing strategy means your marketing effort and dollars will be in all the right places. And that has to be good for your business – right?
Do you need more information about attract and retain your ideal customer? Contact us now.
