Increase your sales by targeting your ideal client

by Murray Smith | posted on April 9th, 2008 | Attract More Clients

When it comes to finding your ideal client, there is a basic principle that you must remember:Your prospects buy what you sell because they have specific needs or wants.Your job as a business owner is to know, understand and deliver the solutions for those needs and wants, which will differ depending on each specific business. Therefore, it’s critical that you know exactly what your prospect’s needs and wants are. This is the essence of marketing: to create a match between your buyer and your product or service.There are two primary categories of information that will help you with this determination.The first category is demographics. These are the characteristics that identify the ability, need and interest of a client to purchase your product or service. Demographics define those clients who need what you sell.The second category is psychographics. These are the factors that identify the motivation or reasons why someone wants to buy your product or service. Psychographics define those clients who want what you sell.As you identify your prospects’ wants and needs, based upon their demographic and psychographic characteristics, then compare this data with your own wants and needs, you will gain greater insight into your ideal client. And once you accurately target your ideal clients, you’ll spend less time and money to acquire them.To start, you must research your current clients – the ones you presently deal with day in and day out. Select at least three of your current clients to interview. Perform the demographic research by personally interviewing these clients either on the phone, or in person.

Business to consumer: If you sell to consumers, take time out of your routine to survey them. Find the answers to questions like these:

• Are your current clients mostly men, mostly women, or do they represent a 50/50 mix?
• Is there a certain age group or range that tends to buy from you? (If so, write it down as a range.)
• Are most of your typical clients single or married?
• Do you know their approximate income level?
• If not, do you know what zip code they live in? (Most zip codes contain homes or apartments that represent specific income ranges.)

Business to business: If you sell to businesses, interview at least three typical businesses you sell to. Find out the number of employees they have and their location to learn about their company culture and the number of subordinates you may have to speak with in order to get your sales message to the decision-maker.When you sell to other businesses, there’s a mindset to consider that may be different from your own. For example, you may need to position your product or service differently when selling to a New York-based business compared to a California-based business. In some cases, that difference can be day and night.Look for patternsWhen you have completed the interviews, compile all of the information to determine commonalities among your current clients. Collecting this information will help you find the traits they have in common, which will help in future marketing.Having all of this demographic information will help you create a mental picture of your current client. By identifying this client with demographic information, you can later begin your lead-generation efforts, and create a marketing message that is laser-targeted toward your ideal client. So take your time and be as specific as possible when completing these interviews.It will pay off when you have a steady stream of ideal clients, increased sales revenues, and more profits.

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Top 10 tips for getting noticed and getting more referrals

by OneCoach Team | posted on June 26th, 2008 | Marketing, books

Referrals are a great way to build your business, and there’s an art to generating more referrals. A previous guest on the OneCoach Expert Insight interview, Jill Lublin is CEO of the strategic consulting firm Promising Promotion, and author of the new book Get Noticed — Get Referrals, which shows you how to become more influential using an intuitive, people-oriented approach.Jill shared with us her top 10 tips for getting noticed, and here they are:  

• Be yourself. Build on your assets and your uniqueness because they are really what people want. Clients and customers want you, your special viewpoint or approach; your unique insights or touch, not a weak imitation of someone else. Don’t just be a copycat; find your own voice. Get noticed in your own way; in the manner most natural and comfortable to you. Examine the approaches that others have taken and then follow what feels natural for you. Trust yourself and your instincts.

• Work your business around your life, so it fits in your life, supports your life, and reflects you. Too many people do the reverse, they work their lives around their businesses and it frequently doesn’t work out well.

• Think of your clients, customers, referral sources, vendors, and suppliers as your partners and friends, as people who want to help you. Never forget that they’re people, not just business statistics, and that you cannot succeed without them.

• Master the art of listening because when you listen, you truly learn. If you listen, people will want to share their knowledge with you, be with you and help you. They will consider you their friend and go to great lengths to help you.

• Before you take on any project, make sure that you know exactly what the client or customer wants. Reduce your understanding to writing to eliminate doubt. It’s hard to satisfy people when you don’t know what they want.

• Be generous. Make giving a central part of your life. Work hard and give your clients and customers more than they expect. Give people your time. Always show your appreciation, thank and reward those who help. Praise others, and give them the credit and the spotlight.

• Surround yourself with the most interesting, active, and positive people. Hang around with experts, authorities, and people who are smarter and more accomplished than you. Find ways to meet them and be with them because they will open amazing new doors for you. They will support your efforts and add fullness and excitement to your life.

• Constantly strive for excellence and do everything in the best possible way. Build a reputation for continually doing outstanding work and everyone will want to be with and work with you. People who live excellence will find you.

• Always ask,”Can I do it better, more interestingly, or more inventively?” Challenge yourself to go beyond your prior accomplishments and to always surpass your best. Constantly look in new directions.

• Never compromise your integrity. Stand by your values, but don’t preach. Always be truthful, honest, fair, understanding, and humane. Deliver what you promised when you promised.Follow these suggestions and you will be noticed. The best people will notice and appreciate you — and you will enjoy a wonderful life.Check out Jill’s new book at www.GetNoticedBook.com. She’s offering bonus gifts from her friends and colleagues – speakers and authors who are the best of the best! 

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