Define, Find, and Attract Your Ideal Client
I can always spot a brand-new business owner at a networking event. They are super excited, try to talk to everyone in the room, and attempt to put a business card or flyer in every hand. And it’s completely understandable; it IS exciting to start a new business and tell everyone you meet about it.
Many entrepreneurs are SO excited about their new venture that they believe everyone can (or should) be their customer. The challenge, then, is in effectively communicating with your target market—aka, the whole wide world. Imagine the size your marketing budget would have to be.
Instead, try to think about who your ideal client/customer is. Who in the world would benefit the most from the product or service you’re offering? Also, who’s most likely to pay for it?
The more tightly you can define your ideal client, the easier it will be to find them and to reach them.
When you’re new to starting a business, it feels counterintuitive to narrow down your field of potential clients, after all: won’t you make tons more money if everyone buys your product or service?
Think about ads you’ve seen or heard lately. Did they make you super excited? Did you rush out to join that gym, order that fast food item, subscribe to that music channel, or open a new bank account? Odds are, most of the marketing you encounter on a daily basis just isn’t right for you; you’re not everyone’s ideal client. And everyone isn’t yours.
How do you define your ideal client?
Start with a list of educated guesses: age group, geographic location, income level. What types of activities do they enjoy in their spare time? What types of jobs are they likely to work? Try to figure out what your ideal clients have in common.
Once you know what your ideal client looks like, try to determine the best way to reach them; their habits can help you figure this out. Are they scrolling through social media? Are they glued to YouTube? Streaming music? Hanging out at coffee shops?
Now that you have your ideal client profile and a good idea of how to grab their attention, it’s time to determine how to get them to take action such contact you, make a purchase, book time, sign up for your program, etc. Crafting your call to action can make a huge difference in furthering your efforts to acquire ideal clients.
Again, consider the ads you’ve seen or heard lately. Which ones caught your attention, made you laugh, got you to click the link, drive to the place, register for the event, or make a purchase? What type of language did they use? Was there music? Certain colors? Now that you know more about your ideal client, do some research to determine the best way to communicate with them so that you effectively grab their attention in a positive and compelling way.
Additional Resources
If you’d like to have someone to bounce ideas off and brainstorm with, our Launch Loudoun team is ready to help. Click here to book an Office Hours session.
In our Resource Library, you’ll find Business Plans 101 and Sales and Marketing Plans 101, both of which talk about target markets and ideal clients.
The Innovative Commercialization Assistance Program (ICAP), which uses the Lean Startup method, also teaches entrepreneurs “how to identify their initial customer segment” as part of their introductory course. If you’d like to learn more about ICAP, register for our October 21 lunch & learn “Unlock the ICAP Advantage: Your Gateway to Business Breakthroughs” with ICAP senior mentor Gary Grenter.