Successfully attracting customers is crucial for the survival and growth of any business. Every firm, organization, or company offers products or services to a specific target audience. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the ideal customer who would take advantage of your offers. Your product or service must solve a problem or satisfy a specific need of your ideal customer, because of which he would buy precisely what you offer.
The guide formulates several aspects to which you should direct your advertising messages to achieve your goals and the satisfaction of your potential customers.
It is best to start with existing customers. This will help you understand your current audience and which organizations and companies are suitable to offer your product or service. Choosing your top ten clients can help focus on a specific type of target group. Pay attention to various factors – industry, budget, cost of your products, customer problems.
If you are starting a new business and do not have current customers, look for the information through market research and analysis of your competitors. As your business grows, you can adjust the profile of your ideal customer.
Overview of existing customers:
Let’s take a closer look at your existing customers. Let’s determine who brings you income and who doesn’t. You can make a complete list of all current clients, in descending order: at the top are those with whom cooperation has been most often in the last 2-3 years, and below – those with whom you have worked the least.
Now, look at the list through the lens of profitability. You will probably find clients or activities that are entirely unprofitable for you. Determine which product, service, or channel generates the most revenue.
We continue to work with the list. Among your clients, some recommend you to others. These are satisfied customers to whom you and your business give precisely what they need. Satisfied customers are the basis of the ideal portrait of the customer. If they are happy after working with you, you are doing your job perfectly for them.
The following is the definition of customer behavior, needs, and desires. Answer the question of what exactly motivates them to look for you, your products or services, and what incentives you can offer to turn to you.
Demographic characteristics of the ideal customer, if he is an individual:
- How old is the ideal customer? Each age group has different interests, needs, and fears. If your target audience consists of customers with a wide age range, divide them into subgroups in percentages. For example, people aged 20-25 make up 30% of buyers, 25-30 years – 40%, 30-35 years – 20% and 35-40 years – 10%.
- What gender is the ideal customer? Men and women make purchasing decisions differently, so it is essential to determine the gender of buyers. If your clients include both men and women, divide them into subgroups: men – 70%, women – 30%.
- Where does the ideal customer live? If you sell goods or provide services without reference to a specific city, it is essential to determine where your target audience lives in megacities or small towns. If you only work in a particular town, divide your customers into districts.
- What is the social status of the ideal client? How much does he earn? Is there a family and children? If there is a family, who decides to buy – the husband or the wife? Who does it work for? What is his education? Again, you can make a list of percentages.
- What problems (pains) does the ideal client have? What issues, fears, dreams, and desires do your customers have that they can solve or realize with the help of your product or service. The more you deal with problems and expectations, the better.
- What are the criteria by which the ideal customer makes a purchase decision? What is important to him: brand, quality, low price, speed of delivery, discounts, bonuses, or something else. Give your ideal customer what he wants.
- What is the ideal buyer willing to pay for? Think about what your customer is ready to give money for.
- What prevents the ideal customer from making a purchase? What do you need to complete the deal? Maybe your customer does not receive enough helpful information about the products, cannot quickly find the product he is looking for, you have a low level of service, or there is no possibility of paying by bank transfer.
- How did the ideal customer find you? From an Internet search, from advertising, or on the advice of a friend? The answers to these questions will help you implement an effective campaign to attract customers.
- With what the ideal customer is different from the other buyers? This is the most challenging question, but if you notice the differences and use them in your marketing strategy, you can achieve your goal and increase your customer base.
Basic information about the ideal client, if it is a firm, organization, or company:
- In which industry, sector, or branch is the organization or company?
- How big is the organization or company? How many employees are there and what income?
- How long has the firm (organization, company) existed?
- Where are they located (country, settlement)?
- How are they positioned in the market?
- How big is the most suitable department for your products or services in the company?
- To what kind of people, what positions should you address your offer?
- What can stop them from choosing your request?
- What goal will the company achieve if it determines your product or service?
- What is their decision-making process?
- What are their main problems, and can your product solve some of them?
An excellent way to get helpful information is to interview some of your clients. If you decide to do this, you can offer them something in return for their time. In this way, both parties benefit from the interview. Another way is to ask customers to fill out a questionnaire and then analyze the data from it.