In a previous article, we discussed creating an ideal client profile in order to determine who makes a good prospect for your business.
We concluded that an ideal client profile is a composite or an aggregate of the qualities, values, demographics and behaviours of your best customers, including their current challenges, frustrations or problems, developed to better understand who you are serving.
We provided an example of a profile for a personal trainer who offers in-home or online services. The profile’s name is Jane. To recap, Jane is a 35 year old mother of two toddlers who works fulltime in an office, and sits in front of her computer for most of the day. She wants to feel better about herself (getting back to pre-baby shape), be able to keep up with her kids and not feel so tired all the time. She would like to start working out but doesn’t have a lot of time, nor does she know what to do on her own. She is overwhelmed by all of the different programs on the internet. Jane has tried the gym but prefers being in the comfort of her own home, especially with COVID. She knows she needs clear direction, a plan to follow and a workout buddy or someone to hold her accountable. She is willing to pay between $100 and $200 per month towards achieving her fitness goals.
Develop your Marketing Message
Once you have developed your ideal client profile you can then utilize it to develop or refine marketing messaging and identify where to spend your time and budget. This article will provide an outline for these next steps.
Identify Pain Points
In order to best serve your clients, it is crucial to identify the problems that they are experiencing and the emotions that they are feeling as a result. Show your target market that you not only understand and care about their frustrations, but also that you have a ready solution to eliminate the roadblocks they are facing.
Present Your Solution
It is important to show your market that you have the answers to their roadblock and that the solution is indeed clear, simple and manageable. As a business owner it should be your goal to meet your ideal client profile’s needs and eliminate the overwhelm that they have been feeling.
Our personal trainer’s services, for example, meet the ideal client profile’s needs from a service delivery standpoint, as they offer one on one hourly training sessions at $50 each. The overwhelm is addressed by a monthly online fitness program with a workout plan to follow and a nutrition guide priced at $99 per month. The program includes 15 minute check in calls for monthly online subscribers and a Facebook group for clients that offers support, motivation and accountability. This is also all within her budget.
Prove That Your Solution Works
Once you have a clear solution mapped out, you must prove to your target market that your solution works! People need to see concrete evidence that your promise is as good as it sounds. Testimonials and reviews are a great way to illustrate your success and demonstrate that your product or service has already helped others achieve their goals.
Social media can be a great tool for providing case studies and offering knowledge that will drive people to your website or storefront.
Why You?
You can prove that your solution works but what if your industry is saturated? Why should your target market choose you?
It is important to communicate how you are different and what sets you apart from the others. This should be included in your mission statement, your vision and then also in your everyday services or products.
Perhaps you are a local, family run business. Perhaps everything you offer is natural and organic. Our personal trainer, for example, offers to come to you, checks in on a regular basis and maybe even gives you a journal when you start out to help keep track of progress.
Make sure that your differences are clearly communicated and that they offer an added layer of value to your prospective clients.
Looking for help defining your ideal client profile and creating your marketing message?
Contact us here.
