The #1 way to get traction in your business is to get ultra-clear about who you serve.

As business owners, we want to help people, specifically people that are in one way or another like us. Whether that is how we are now or similar to who we used to be. Unfortunately, our brain convinces us that we should help EVERYONE. First, course of action – stop shoulding on yourself. The second course of action, pick your favorite.

I know you’ve been taught not to have favorites.

But when it comes to the world of marketing, it’s not just recommended, it’s required to gain traction, stand out and expedite your success rate. But one of the HARDEST parts of being an entrepreneur is nailing down your ideal client. This is why this week in Episode 77 I cover the top reasons why finding and aligning with your ideal client will not only save you time and money but it will help you gain traction and get out of that desperate loop of overwhelm when it comes to marketing. You can listen to the entire episode here.

Have you ever said to yourself “If I don’t help everyone, there won’t be anyone who hires me?”

I see a few hands raised and hear a few #preach responses out there. I think if you are walking the path of creating a business, this thought enters your mind at one point or another. It makes sense to the scarcity devil that lives between our ears. But the abundance angel doesn’t believe it for a minute. The reality is that if you keep trying to help everyone, you won’t be able to help anyone. Simply because you will meld into the background like a landscape in a Monet painting.

When you target who you help, it’s like hitting the easy button in your marketing.

Because you no longer wonder what to say, who you’re talking to, whether they are listening or how they will find you. Because you know where they hang out, what they’re doing at lunchtime on a Tuesday and what their favorite Netflix binge show is. Most importantly, you understand what is keeping them stuck in their business and causing them to lose sleep at night. In this week’s episode, I give you a huge list of what happens when you don’t clarify your customer and I’m not going to lie, it’s not pretty.  It can add up to thousands of hours wasted and even more money thrown out the window.

I’m sold! I’m ready to find my ideal client, but where do I start?

Well, I have good news and bad news. The answer starts between your ears. The good news it’s not hard to access.  Nine times out of ten you are your ideal client, or you have been in their shoes at some point in your business journey. The bad news, our brains don’t always remember where we were and what we’re struggling with once we move past that hurdle making it hard to pin down pain points. Regardless, interviewing yourself is a great place to start to define your ideal customer base. Asking questions like what has been my business journey. When I started what was the biggest struggle I faced? How did I overcome the problem? Where do I spend most of my time? Where did I spend most of my time before? You get the idea. Self-interviewing helps you create a baseline for where you were, where you have become and where you are striving to be. People connect with people. Your people are ready to connect with you – so start here to begin to understand them and create that connection. The deeper you dig the faster you will connect.

Try searching in:

• Business Associations
• Networking Groups
• Social Media Groups, Pages and Comments
• Talking To Your Customers
• Google
• Look At Your Competition

Take that baseline and search out more information about your customer.

If you can arm yourself with as much detail as possible it makes your marketing strategy, content creation and overall life SO MUCH EASIER. I pinky promise! Because you will stop wasting time on social media platforms that will never get you in front of your audience, at coffee meetings with people who can’t afford you and most of all cut through the forest and create a pathway for the people who need you most to find you quickly and easily.

In the episode, I share two REALLY good examples of how not serving a specific customer will take you off task, have you questioning every business decision you are making and worst of all, delaying or deterring your success because your people can’t find you or are confused about whether or not you are the answer to their prayers.  When you are clear, people take out their credit cards. Clarity rings more cash registers than a Black Friday sale.

Now it’s your turn! Where will you go on a treasure hunt to find more information about your ideal client?  Head on over to the Facebook Group and share the newest detail you learned about your ideal customer.

Listen to the entire episode here:

Love this episode?  We would love a Review! Don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss any episodes!