Your Ideal Customer

In many of my past articles I've talked about looking at the customers you already have to define your target market. As I've been coaching some key clients lately and doing a bit more reading of philosophies on target markets I've had a bit of a shift in thought.

Instead of looking to who you're already reaching, I challenge you to define who your ideal customer is. Not only the key characteristics of who they are and how they buy, but why they buy from you and why you want to sell to them.

Why, you ask?

Because I've come to believe that defining your target market is really not all that different than choosing the career you want to have. I coach clients to follow their passions and dreams, not look for the easy win. I coach them to imagine the biggest dreams possible and then figure out how to reach them, not settle for what comes your way.

Using that same philosophy to define your ideal client means you'll be serving someone you understand. You'll be able to create exactly what they need. They won't be able to help but buy it. They'll feel like they found the perfect item or solution and tell all their friends.

But even beyond just simply buying, you'll be able to communicate in a way that resonates. You'll connect over a shared experience or concern. You'll be more than just a jeweler, knitter or illustrator, you'll be that amazing person who sells the most amazing ____. It's called creating a niche.

Why force yourself to appeal to people you don't understand? This may mean alienating some previous customers. This may also mean it takes you a little longer to reach those who you really want to, but in the end you will understand them so well that serving them, producing new products will be as easy as dreaming.

So here's your challenge. Dream up your ideal customer. Who are they? Why are they attracted to what you make? Why must they have it? Why will the buy more and tell all their friends? Now look at what you're already doing. How can you change the wording on your website or tweak the presentation of your product to speak directly to this ideal customer?

Now go do it!

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I encourage comments directly to this post, but also feel free to email me directly with questions, reactions, struggles, etc. genevieve@lightboxsf.com

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If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!