When you started your business, did you put any thought into who your ideal client would be? Or did you just open your doors and accept anybody who needed help and was willing to pay? Did either of those scenarios work out well for you?
Any business will struggle trying to be all things to all people. You just simply can’t be good or great at everything without something being forgotten. Often times, people will say they’re being stretched too thin when they try to accomplish too much, which is a telltale sign that you either need to hire help or rethink your business model.
What is a Client Avatar?
Quite simply, your ideal client is the person you most want to help; the person who needs your specialized experience and can benefit from what you have to offer. This ideal client is also someone who recognizes the value of your services and is willing (and able) to pay the price of your product or service.
Your client avatar is a very detailed description of this person’s characteristics - their demographics. Before you can find your ideal client you have to identify the characteristics of this perfect client so you can target your marketing efforts. Think about the answers to these three exercises and develop your ideal client avatar. Keep track of your answers in a journal or computer document so you can reference them later.
1. What are the demographics of my ideal client? Include their sex, their name, their age, their marital status, where they live, whether they have children, the ages of their kids, their employment history, etc. Get as detailed as possible in identifying these demographics so you can create an accurate picture (aka avatar) of this client in your mind. Maybe you know a person in real life who is your ideal client; use those demographics and modify them if needed. Or maybe you are your own ideal client; use your own descriptions to identify others in this market.
2. What is my ideal client’s biggest struggle or pain point? In order to best tailor your services to your ideal client, knowing what they struggle with is very important. This may change over time or you may identify multiple struggles but rather than producing a product that doesn’t resonate with your market, start off with this market research first, then offer the services or products that will resonate with your ideal market.
3. Where can I find my ideal client? You will likely have multiple answers to this question and you should be extremely specific with your answers. If you ideal clients participate in a particular Facebook group, join that group yourself and be active, offering advice and answering questions. If your ideal clients reside in your home town, participating in community activities will help bring awareness to your name and to your services. Determine where your clients are, then create a marketing plan to reach those clients.
Need some help? Download the FREE Ideal Client Profile Worksheet from Next Level U! It will take you through all the steps to build your client avatar!
To your success!
Laura
P.S. If you are a small business owner (or want to be one), whether you are just starting out, or have been in business for awhile, I hope you will become part of the Next Level family. Visit our Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/NextLevelAd) for tips, tools, and resources to help grow your business. We now have a Facebook Group, Next Level U, for those who are interested in joining a private community of small business owners and marketers.
Some of the links in this publication are Affiliate Links, meaning that – at no additional cost to you – Next Level Advertising may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Please know that when you see an Affiliate link from Next Level Marketing it is for a product or service that we use ourselves or that we have thoroughly researched and reviewed!
Laura Olson-Oxley is an entrepreneur, coach, speaker, marketing and business consultant, and sales professional. She has over 25 years experience working with small businesses in a variety of industries, focusing on strategic business growth through effective marketing and advertising. Also a strategist, numbers nut, project manager, and life-long learner, Laura looks at the big picture to analyze and recommend the most effective tools to take businesses to the Next Level.
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