subject: How To Get More Of Your Ideal Customers [print this page] The key to attracting larger numbers of your ideal customers is discovering as much as you can about them
The first way you can categorize customers is by demographics, where you split them into identifiable and quantifiable categories like age, gender, education level, earnings, etc.
The more you know about your customers, the more targeted you can make your marketing. Ideally, you should use validated information but estimates are better than having no information. You need to discover who buys from you most often, the segment which wants your offer most.
You should be able to identify up to three or four categories that make up large groups of customers. Try to identify the most obvious groups of likely customers.
You can also categorize your market according to the psychographics, which looks more at how they think and act. It can often be harder to define but ultimately also more useful than demographics. Psychographics includes things like:
Values: What is important to them about your product or service e.g. is it safety, price, choice or quality of service.
Beliefs and attitudes: Does your product attract people with certain attitudes e.g. political views.
Interests: For example hobbies.
Metaprograms: This is a way of analyzing how people think. For example, they may plan details in advance or leave things until the last minute or they may strive towards a desired outcome or away from one they want to avoid.
Emotional drivers: What emotions drive people to make purchases - e.g. fear, hope, excitement, desire?
After you've identified the demographics and psychographics, you can write a short profile on your ideal customer. Picture this person distinctly.
In your definition of ideal, take into account how well placed you are to satisfy their needs and how profitable this market will be for you.
You may create two or three different profiles if there is a range of different types of people in your market but don't create too many as this will reduce your focus.
Who are they? Get into the details. It can even help to imagine what their life is like and give them a name. It may seem strange, but this will help you in your marketing. Now that you understand your customers better, and you have created a profile of your ideal customer, you can begin to define the exact niche that is most appropriate for your business.
Identify the number of people you believe to be in the niche and as many details about them as possible.
Depending on your business, it may be appropriate to choose more than one niche - provided the ones you choose are compatible and can be combined efficiently.
When you have set out the details of your niche, answer the following questions about it:
1. How can you identify the people in this niche so that you can reach them with your marketing?
2. What evidence do you have that this niche exists - either from your own experience or by the presence of successful competitors?
3. What evidence is there that this niche is large enough to support a profitable business?
4. What evidence do you have that this segment is ready to buy the product or service you are offering?
5. What gap have you identified within this niche that you would be able to dominate?
6. In what ways does this niche fit with your business and personal strengths and your own passions
7. How do you know that the people in this niche want what you plan to offer?
When you answer these questions, you have a very clear idea of your target market and you are well positioned to get more customers and to serve them better.
