Published:
04/01/2012 07:58pm
How to Know Exactly What Your Market Wants to Buy From You
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that you want your target market to be giddy over your services and products. You are in the business of serving others and you want to help as many ideal clients as you could possibly manage. Right?
To be of service and create a profitable business requires that you speak directly to the market that is already seeking the solutions that you provide. The first step to getting your target market to be giddy over your offerings (and increasing your profits) is to get CRYSTAL clear on who your ideal client is and what it is they want from you. Not sure how to do this? Let's break it down.
Your Ideal Client - This is the ONE individual in your business that you can't believe you get paid to work with. The one who happily pays your fees and appreciates the value you add to their lives. The one you get excited to talk to and look forward to meeting with. What does this person's life look like? What are they interested in? What do they read? Where do they vacation? What is their family structure? (These details help you understand their priorities and how they spend their time.)
Take a few moments to reflect on all of the clients you've worked with in the past. Write down the demographics of each person and whether or not they were an ideal client. (If they were not ideal for your business, note the reason(s) why). Then look for patterns. What do these individuals have in common?
Do you see your Ideal Client Profile taking shape? Create an actual persona and give that person a name. Going forward, THIS is the person you are going to market your services to. (Remember, marketing is really just about sharing solutions with people who are already looking for them). Meaning the articles you write, the talks you give and how you describe your business all center on this ONE individual.
Once you're clear on who you're targeting, now you need to get clear on what it is these individuals want and need from you. Notice I didn't say what YOU want to sell. There's a big difference between the two. We service professionals have a bad habit of offering our audience what WE think they need, which could be light years away from what THEY want.
The secret to having your ideal clients be giddy over your offerings is to offer them the solutions they're seeking in a format they can digest and implement. So how do you find out what makes them giddy?
It's very simple. You ASK them! That's right...just ask and they will tell. There are a number of ways to do this:
1. You can call or send a handwritten note (folks LOVE this!) to past and present clients to ask them what they value most about working with you. Also inquire how the work you've done (are doing) together has made a difference in their lives. Finally, ask them what else you can do to improve your services or otherwise solve their problems.
2. Research where your target market is hanging out online and pose the same questions. Don't pitch your services or ask them to do anything else but to share their opinions. (People LOVE sharing their opinions).
3. Research where your target market is hanging out offline and get yourself in front of them. Register to attend the conference, seminar, networking event and make it your business to get to know as many people as possible. Again, don't start pitching yourself, but show genuine personal interest in the individuals you meet and then make arrangements to continue the conversation at another time.
Once you're clear on WHO your ideal clients are and WHAT it is they need from you, you simply create the solution, present it to them in an easy-to-implement format and voila! The clients get the solution and you create a new profit center in your business. Everybody wins!
Keep in mind that you do not have to discard your existing products and services. Take stock of the many solutions that you offer. Think of creative ways to re-package what you are already using. If a product used to be a top seller for you, but has fallen off, can you now use it as a bonus for another product
