Why a Broad Target Customer is Making Marketing Harder For You – And What To Do Now

When you’ve got broad experience, it’s natural to wonder why you would want to limit yourself to only a small section of your potential customers.

You see opportunities everywhere, so adopting a ‘sell to anyone’ attitude seems logical – after all, who wants to turn down work/money? 

Unfortunately, wide market doesn’t equal more clients. It’s quite the opposite! 

You can pour endless resources into trying to serve ‘everybody’ but, because of the diversity in your broad market, you’ll end up being overlooked because you’re speaking in general language in the attempt to remain relevant to everyone.

And in our content-heavy world, that’s about the same as marketing suicide!

Ok, I might be slightly over-dramatic there, but the fact is, if you can’t articulate what your ideal customer is having trouble with and why they’d want to buy from you, then how do you expect them to identify you as the right solution for them?

Us humans are complex beings, not all mums have the same desires, not all small business owners need the same solutions, so you need to go much, much deeper than that when you’re identifying who your ideal customer is. 

Target markets vs ideal customers

We used to talk about target markets. Thing is, it’s not a market who hires you or buys your product, it’s a person!

And when you understand that person as a living breathing human being – what makes them tick, their problems, priorities and pain points – you can offer them a solution that effectively sells itself. 

Now if you’re thinking, ‘one ideal client??? Are you crazy???’, just remember… wide market doesn’t equal more clients. 

Instead of talking to a whole lot of people who are unlikely ever to buy from you, and a few that might, maximise the use of your time and budget by really nutting out your ‘ideal customer’ profile – the person who knows, likes and trusts you, who buys what you love to sell and who pays full price and on time! 

When you know who they are, you know what they need from you, where they want to hear it and when. And because you’ve ticked all those boxes, suddenly your marketing becomes razor-sharp. The end result? More sales in return for less time, money and effort. 

What’s not to like?

There’s so many benefits to being really focused about who you want to work with. Not least because working with clients/customers who are the right fit for your expertise is infinitely more enjoyable; they value your service, complain less, cause you less stress, and more repeat business.

So how do I find my ideal customer?

If you’re already an established business, you’ve got a bit of a head start, because your ideal customer is hopefully already on your books. If there’s someone that makes you think, ‘oh I wish I had 100 customers just like her’, then … boom! There she is!

Think about what makes her ideal – the type of work, the way you work together…

If you haven’t found your dream client just yet, it’s most likely because you haven’t narrowed down your service niche. I find this is the easiest way to start profiling who your ideal customer is. 

When you’re clear on WHAT specifically you want to be working on, it’s much easier to identify WHO is the ideal client for that sort of work. Trust me – it’s not EVERYONE who needs that service. There’s a massive difference between a decent client and a great client!

(Need help to work through this? Grab my online masterclass and let’s get it done in under 60 minutes!)

Creating a customer avatar in a slightly different way to what you think

Your ‘customer avatar’ is just a fancy way of saying a detailed profile of your ideal customer. I take my clients back to a blank page with this process because, while many have had a crack at it, most haven’t actually drilled down to the nitty gritty of what we really need to know.

Contrary to what you might have read elsewhere, what goes in your customer profile should be ONLY what’s relevant for your business. 

And – often it’s not gender, age, or location that’s most relevant. You can have a very good gender-neutral avatar if it doesn’t matter whether your customers are men or women.

What’s actually important is the life or business ‘situation’ they find themselves in and their goal, problem or desire that’s going to drive them to choosing you. 

Their beliefs, knowledge, perspectives and struggles are what you need to unpick. So you deeply understand them. 

Which means, when they come to your website, read your emails and follow your socials, you’re connecting on a personal level that shows you understand their needs, and when it comes time to offer your service, it’s a no-brainer that you’re the right one for them.

Nail your avatar, and you can expect to experience results immediately. Seriously!

Big wins happen when you know who you’re selling to

When one of my clients finally understood and spoke to her target market, she dropped her ad cost on Facebook from $2 for a page like to 20c. Another client dramatically increased email subscribers, doubling her list with just one campaign. And yet another increased her social media followers by more than 300% simply through more relevant content and messaging they connected with.

It’s all starting to make sense now, isn’t it?

But just so we’re clear, one ideal customer doesn’t mean limiting yourself to one offering. For example, a brand strategist client of mine had been targeting a broad segment of solopreneurs and not achieving her revenue goals. 

Using my Path to Prosperity framework to revisit her marketing strategy, she realised that working with established companies were a much better fit for her expertise – she could provide much more value and help them achieve bigger outcomes. 

After identifying her true ideal customer, the outcomes and transformation she could bring, we designed her service packages and pricing to align with her new target. As well as creating a DIY offering for those not quite ready for a full service, I pushed her to triple her price on her main package. 

The following week she sent out a proposal using the new package and pricing – and won it; a new market which tapped into her passion and her experience and all for TRIPLE the profit. 

While in the meantime her DIY offering was fully automated and providing a supporting revenue stream on it’s own with no effort required from her.

So, when I tell you nailing your avatar is fundamental to your overall success, I really mean it!

Are you ready to save time and money by getting closer to your perfect customers?

I can help.

Join me in Business JAM – my online program designed for business owners who are ready to discover the key to consistent growth with laser-sharp niche targeting and profit-based service strategy.

I help you go from an overlooked generalist, to the obvious choice for your perfect clients. Be discovered and booked. 

Learn more about Business JAM >> 

OR, book a 15 minute chat with me to explore your business goals and coaching options.