Who Is Your Ideal Client?
Business is all about big picture and small steps. Overarching vision and tangible actions. It's about being armed with knowledge and driving it home with impassioned focus and commitment.I've spoken with dozens of entrepreneurs about the idea of clarity in communication and it seems that the most dangerous territory in business is when you've lost your focus and stumbled into the fog. For solopreneurs or small businesses this can spell disaster because there is no one else around to help keep things in check.This is why we need our tools. We need tools to keep focused on to whom, what and where we are speaking to so we can do so eloquently and resonantly. The "Ideal Client" is such a tool. In this exercise, I want to show you how to take your market research a bit further and actually craft a visual representation of your ideal customer. Ready to clear the clutter?
First Step: Conduct Market Research
Know your market, dig deep into their demographics, psychographics and patterns. Know as much as humanly possible about them. This can be a lengthy process so feel free to check out this link for more detailed information on how to research your market.I want you to be armed and ready with facts rather than hunches and forecasts rather then empty stares. Repeat after me. NUMBERS are important! RESEARCH is your friend! KNOWLEDGE is empowerment! FEWF!Now I want you to take that data and pat yourself on the back!Then put it aside for a moment.Its time to go even deeper.
Step Two: Paint A Picture
In fact paint a very specific picture. Try to understand his/her life at a more personal level so you can define the ways in which YOU CAN HELP. Then paint it, draw it, collage it, type it, take a photo! Make it physical and tangible like you wanna reach out an give her a hug kind of real!Give your character a name, an age, the whole nine yards. Be creative but let your creativity be grounded in your previous research. We want to humanize this process. Your doing business with people after all not numbers so we need to take all the data and bring it to life. Here's some good starting off questions:
What is my client’s name/gender/age?
What does my client do for a living?
What is my client’s family like (married, divorced, single, widowed, parent)?
What is my client’s biggest problem?
Whats not working in her life that I can possibly fix?
What does my client do for fun?
What is my client passionate about?
What are my client’s main barriers to buying from me?
What does my ideal client look like?
If you offer a service. How does it help make her life better, easier, healthier, happier? If you offer a product. How does it help make her life better, easier, healthier, happier? You get the idea. Then tell her and only her in every blog post, on your website, through e-mail, video, pamphlet, brochure, ad campaign, meet and greet, etc. what it is that you do to make her life better, easier, healthier and happier. By focusing on ONE person rather then an entire target market your communications will become more focused, relevant and effective.
I'd love to hear if this blog post helped you in any way. Please don't forget to leave a comment or share it with your friends if you will. All the best in finding clarity and bringing your business vision to life.
Onwards & Upwards,
Brooke