By Denise Alison W hat does your ideal customer look like? tance of having clearly defined target markets.
software business was on a real roll. Everything was great. My business coach at the time suggested I reach out to some of my best customers and ask them why they bought from us.
Successful entrepreneurs understand the impor-
I figured this was a no-brainer. I knew we weren’t the cheapest, but we had a kick ass product.
No small business can afford to target every potential customer. So, to be successful, every entrepreneur must learn to identify the types of customers that would most benefit from their products and services and have the ability to pay. The last bit is important. There is no point in targeting cus- tomers that can’t afford to pay you fair value. You’ll end up with all sorts of window shoppers and waste precious resources. Start by looking at your current customers. Make a list of your favorite customers. What do you like about these cus- tomers? Make another list of the customers that buy the most from you (this list should have some overlap). For the customers you like the most and who buy the most, make a list of common traits of characteristics.
So, I humoured my coach, got on the phone and started asking my customers, why they bought from us. After speaking with 10 of my best customers, not one of them mentioned my product. I was in shock. So, I started listing off all the things our software did that the competitors didn’t do. They said, that’s true. Then, I listed a bunch of things the competi- tor’s product did that ours couldn’t do to true and get more feedback. In the end, they all said they bought from us because they felt like we really cared. It came down to how passionate we were about our product and our customers. So this is why I say, “Ask your customers,” their answer might surprise you! Now what? Now that you’ve answered these questions, you can put that knowledge to work for you. This information will help in your marketing efforts. Use the reason they buy from you as the message you communicate to potential cus- tomers. Then use your ideal customer outline to inform the language of your communication, and the location of your promotion.
Why do they buy from you?
Now it’s time to figure out why your best customers buy from you. A word of caution, don’t make assumptions.
You need to find a way to ask. Sometimes you can do this in person or on the phone. Back in the day, my educational
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AUGUST 2018 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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