I believe that deciding to focus on a specific customer is the hardest decision you have to make as an entrepreneur. It’s so easy to think that “everybody” will want what you have to offer. After all, you are great, right?
For instance, let’s say you are an expert at decluttering homes. Just like on the reality show when they go in and say “do you need this?”, you are able to help people reduce the clutter and get more space in their homes. You may think, “everyone could use less clutter” and you would be right. But, does everyone need your help (i.e your specific expertise) to do that?
Maybe this is something you do just as a hobby, so your target audience is a bit younger (i.e. in their 20s) and just starting to accumulate that early clutter. Your specialty is to get them back on the right track and using good judgement in the future to avoid becoming “reality-TV worthy.”
Perhaps you’ve been doing this for a while, so you are pretty good at handling 40-something, kids at college, 6-cats and 2-dogs extreme clutter. That is a different audience, and requires different skills and a different marketing plan.
No matter what your specialty, you have a best customer that fits your style and expertise. Take time to think that customer through, so that when you are developing advertising as well as new products or services, you can concentrate your efforts where they will best pay off.
Follow these steps:
1. Name your customer (i.e Patricia)
2. Determine their employment status
3. Decide his/her age range
4. Marital status/children
5. Other attributes relevant to your business
For instance, one of the attributes of our target customer is: has expertise and wants to use if to generate income. That expertise could be the decluttering I mentioned above, the fitness expert we talk about in the e-book, or any other service provider that could benefit from speaking and having an on-line presence. The point is our customers (i.e. you) has something to say and wants to be better/stronger/faster in getting their expertise out in the marketplace.
Don’t worry if you have trouble with this right now. Both Arlen and I did at first too. This is another process that you will see change over time. Also, you may find yourself with two or three perfect customers, each with separate products and services you and your business provide. Until then, take the time to outline that first one, and watch your focus become more clear, and your writing and product creation become easier.
[...] You need a single customer [...]