The trouble with trying to identify “market
niches” and “target markets” is that these tend to be disassociated
from the real world. They are more associated with statistics and
trends, not with real people. Certainly no business can or should
market to everybody but that doesn’t mean you should get panicky about
identifying and reaching your target market. Rather take a step back
and put yourself in your ideal client’s shoes.
As a business marketer you are concerned with defining the problem
that a person wants solved or, to put it another way, a need satisfied.
Obviously you would like to have your business regarded as the provider
of the solution and an answer to the need. The way to find out the sort
of person who is going to fall into this category is for you to “get
inside their skin”.
Right, so now you are posing as your ideal client. The type of
questions you should ask this new persona are what your values are, how
you spend your days, what sort of people do you associate with, who are
other people in similar situations, what excites me, what do I look for
in a business that can solve my problems and meet my needs? Write down
the questions and the answers. Then allow the answers to these intimate
questions guide you to creating a profile of your Ideal Client.
Because you are closely acquainted with your own business and all it
can offer, you will find that you have a close connection to the Ideal
Client that emerges from your question-and-answer exercise. Obviously
there will be a synergistic match here. Your business and your Ideal
Client are perfect partners, drawn together as if by destiny. They know
your business is right for them, just as you recognize the Ideal Client.
You will be startled to find that your ideal client is always
someone like you, probably on the same life course as you are. However,
they will be in a sense in a subservient position to you because you
already have the solutions to problems, the answers to their needs. And
it is your business which will supply these! So the Ideal Client is
someone with whom you will be able to share your experiences. They will
be so grateful that will pay you for doing this.
Further steps you can take to flesh out the picture of your Ideal
Client will be to identify their values and qualities, establish what
commonalities they have with you and others of their ilk, what excites
them, what they expect from the business, and what they need to know of
your experiences and what you have to offer. Then allow yourself to go
about finding and working with your Ideal Client. This will prevent you
from wasting time on people who do not fit the profile of your Ideal
Client. And believe me, sharing what you can offer with the wrong
people is draining, a waste of time and unprofitable.
Follow this path and soon Ideal Clients will be beating a path to your door.
James Copper is a writer for http://www.bigstrategies.co.uk
Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com