How to Determine Your Ideal Customer
Who is your dream customer? Many people starting out with a small business will answer they want everyone to buy what he or she offers. Yes, you want to have as many people as possible show interest in what you have to offer, but don't get too broad. To get your business on the path to success, spend your marketing efforts attracting the people most likely to buy from you. These are members that fit the image of your dream customer. Today, we are going to help you define that dream customer.
Look to the Why
The first step to discovering your dream customer is to ask yourself why you're in business. Are you seeking to share a passion, offer a skill, or provide and sell a product that will help the customer? Knowing why helps you narrow down the next step. To give an example, let's say you want to help people eat healthier.
Who Wants/Needs This?
It would be nice, but not everyone's going to want or need what you have to offer. If you're selling an indoor greenhouse, you need to ask yourself who is likely to want one. What are your ideal customer's interests? They are likely self-sufficient, enjoy gardening and healthy eating. They're also likely to live in an apartment or another environment that doesn't allow for outdoor gardening. You have just narrowed down the target for your small business!
Putting It Together
You have determined your ideal customer wants to eat healthier but can't grow fresh food because they lack space for a garden. Now you need to start describing that person.
- Is this person male or female?
- What is their likely age-range?
- Where do they live?
- What is their main source of income and how much do they make?
The more details you can picture about this person, the closer you can come to your ideal customer. But you're not done yet!
Enter Values
People often make purchases based on subconscious values. Once you've nailed down the outward qualities of your ideal customer, start to think like them. Ask yourself why they would value eating healthier. In the case of your indoor greenhouse, are they vegans who value the lives of other animals? Are they seeking to lose weight for health reasons? Perhaps their reason for purchasing your product might be to save money. They could also be avoiding chemicals that harm the environment. Seek to find the most likely underlying values that would draw them to your product.
Speak to This Person
Your small business has just acquired its ideal customer. Hooray! Now, when setting up your marketing campaigns, speak to this person. Let them know you understand their needs and why they feel that way. Show them how you can take care of that need in a way that stays within their personal values. Speak to this ideal customer as though your sole purpose is to help them get what they want. Over time, this is the customer that will bring others into your sight. A customer who feels not only heard but also understood is the best customer a small business can ever have.
Final Words
As your small business grows, you can spend time tweaking your ideal customer to reach a slightly different audience. However, for now, you are seeking to target the people who are most likely to buy your product. This person will always be your first target with advertising. You need to go where they are online, speak to their hearts and show them how you can meet their needs.
Do You Know Who Your Ideal Client Is?
We have created a guide to help you find your ideal client. We can email it over to you, just click the button below and let us know where you want us to send it.
