It's your ideal client.

I can pinpoint at least three huge reasons to focus on your ideal client.

There may be lots more but these will start you off.

1. Your message (spoken or written) becomes really clear to the person you want to attract

For example, imagine you're selling cruises to seniors and you're also selling cruises to 20-somethings.

Each group wants something different.

You're still selling cruises, but seniors probably want a restful, relaxing get-through-the-day, do nothing, eat lots, and lie on the deck kind of experience.

20-somethings are likely to want to party with loud music and there's lots of drinking and fun going on.

So their reasons for buying are different.

When your marketing reflects the reasons a group wants to buy, it will resonate with people in that group.

When you try to make your message right for everybody at the same time, it remains bland and vague and lands with nobody because it's not specific enough to get the attention of any one group of people.

It doesn't mean you don't get clients. But it's like going on a journey without a map: you may get where you want to go. But it's harder and it's more work because it takes longer.

Make it easy on yourself!

In marketing we talk about the pain, problem and predicament that people are in, that your product or service can solve for them. Sometimes it's the pleasure they hope to get.

When you tailor your message to a particular ideal client profile, you can address the pain, the problem and predicament that that particular client has and they'll go: "Wow this person really understands me."

And right there you make a connection where they feel that you're on their side.

Creating that rapport is the first step in getting your potential clients engaged with what you do.

2. Going beyond the message

When you have a very clearly defined ideal client, it's easier for you to figure out where to find them and how to reach them.

You save time, money and energy by not running to every venue in town or spending time on every social media tool on the Internet.

So knowing who your ideal client is affects how and where you market your business.

It becomes the backbone of your marketing strategy.

3. You become known as an expert

People want to work with someone they perceive to be an expert.

When people perceive you as an expert in working with a particular type of client, you become very desirable. So you can become a big fish in a small pond instead of a small fish in a big pond.

From a financial perspective, the more of an expert you become, the more money you command BECAUSE you're an expert.

You see this in action with doctors.

Doctors who specialize in orthopedics or gynecology, or some other closely-defined area, charge a lot more than a general practitioner.

"But," I can hear you say, "there are lots of different kinds of clients I can work with."

No worries here.

You can have multiple ideal client profiles.

Then you can come up with a different message for each type of client based on the wants and problems and predicaments of those people.

SUMMARY
Identify your ideal client, so that your spoken and written message lands precisely with that person, and your marketing strategy is consistent.

Need help with creating an Ideal Client Profile? What questions do you need to ask  yourself? My module on creating your Ideal Client Profile can help. Email me at Maggie@MyMarketingMessage.com or call me at 805 965 9173 for more info.

Copyright 2015 Maggie Dennison

How do you plan a vacation trip?

Probably the first - and most exciting part - is deciding where to go. A small town on the coast? Yosemite National Park? Or are you really adventurous and want to head for Australia?

That's a huge decision. But once that decision is made, the fun starts! Planning.

That's the real foundation to making the trip successful. Thinking it through. Imagining it. When to go. How to go. What to take with you. Getting information about your destination. Finding a hotel. Booking a flight. A rental car. Finding the best deals. What to do when you get there.

Lots of basic elements to think about before you even get on a flight or in a car so that your vacation can roll out effortlessly, without panic, distractions or wasted time once you get there.

It's the same with your marketing

Unfortunately many people jump into DOING without THINKING first.

Doing social media.

Doing a website.

Doing networking.

Doing public speaking.

It's easy to get caught up in doing, doing, doing - whatever it is you do to get your name in front of people. Because that's what everyone else seems to be up to.

But what's really happening is seduction by tools and technology. Thinking that tools and technology will bring the success you really long for.

However - without a solid foundation in the fundamental principles of marketing, the tools and technology can't do their best work for you. The result? You waste a lot of time, energy and money spinning your wheels.

It's like going on vacation without making basic plans first.

When you set out on the journey called 'marketing' you have a destination in mind. Hopefully that destination is to have a thriving business.

What do you need to know in order to make sure your marketing takes you where you want to go? How can you make sure your journey unfolds with as few bumps and detours as possible?

There's a map.

There's a way to do things.

There's a right order to do things in so that they work for you.

The starting point on your marketing journey is to uncover all the elements that create a solid foundation to build on, so that whatever comes after has the best chance of working for you.

What are some of these elements? Here are some ideas to start you thinking:

Your ideal clients.
What makes you stand out.
What people are really buying from you (It's not always what you think you're selling!)
How your personality plays into your business and affects your image.

How do all these elements combine to create your marketing foundation?

I'll be dedicating a full article to each of these elements over the next few months. Don't miss them!

Copyright 2015 Maggie Dennison

What does that mean?

In marketing it means shifting your point of view.

Too often we’re so engrossed in what we do and how we do it, and even – dare I say it – how great we are!

Do our prospective clients care? Not much.

What they care about is themselves.

To be successful in marketing, take the point of view of your ideal client. Get inside her head. Figure out what she needs to know in order to be interested in your offerings and build your message around that.

Make that ideal client- not yourself -  the centerpiece of your marketing.