My secret to defining your Ideal Customer

How do you define your Ideal Customer?

Sometimes it’s just not that easy to define who your ideal customer is.  I do believe though it is super important for your business to actually put pen to paper on this one – for you and for those who work with your brand.  Its all about clarity & focus; understanding your customer is critical (sorry that’s a bit serious isn’t it – but its true!).  If you feel reluctant to do this you don’t have to worry, you won’t exclude anyone, I have written about this exact fear before right here.

Once you have the facts about this person out of the way – age, gender, income, what they do, where they live, are they married, do they have kids (or fur kids), how many, how old are they, etc. – the fun stuff starts.

You’ve probably heard about creating an avatar – this word sometimes brings down the gates for people so let me say that all this means is that you are creating a person, your person. You are simply going to put some words down on paper, and even some images for a vision board, of what this person is all about.  Going through this process helps you to know your Ideal Customer intimately.  Understand what makes them tick, what makes them energised, what worries them, what they think about, where they go, where they hang out and more.

Why do this?

Because it will help you focus. It will help your copywriter understand who they are talking to. It will help your designer understand who they need to appeal to. It will help you create offers and products that are right for this person’s life.

Here is my favourite technique I use, over and above answering a series of questions, to help me create this person.

Create a story about a day in the life or this person, or a week in the life of this person, or about a holiday this person has every year that they cant live without.

When you do this think about every single detail.

What is the first thing they do in the morning when the alarm goes off? Go for a run, meditate, hit snooze?

What do they think about while they are having a shower? What to wear, a big presentation they have that day, why the kids are screaming in the kitchen already?

Where do they go when they leave the house? Work at home, work in an office, school drop off, the gym, yoga, back to bed?

How do they get there? Car, train, bike, walk?

What do they listen to in the car? Nova, talk back, triple M, an audio book on self love?

While they are at work what are they thinking about? What they are going to make for dinner, who are they going to have a drink with that night, do I look fat in this skirt, did Steve seriously just ask me out on a date?

For lunch they? Go to the local café and get a sandwich, make their own green juice smoothie, eat leftovers packed by the missus’, or go to the pub to catch up with a mate?

The afternoon consists of? Walking the dog, a session at the gym, coffee with a friend, meeting a client, picking the kids up?

For dinner they? Go out with their husband for date night, are lucky to get a toastie in if they try, have a meal with the family, go on a first date?

At night they watch on TV? The Good Wife, Q&A, Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, The Footy Show, Real Housewives?

When their head hits the pillow at night what do they think of? Will the kids wake in the night, what 3 things am I grateful for today, how am I going to get through the day tomorrow, excitement about the day ahead?

Dive deep into your person’s life, thinking about how they feel, what they do, and how you can help them.

Still not convinced? Here is an example of one I did some time ago for a client.

I LOVE doing this I have to say – have fun with it!  And just let it flow, remember this is for you, no one else is going to judge it.  Its all about helping you be the best version of your brand or business for your person and your tribe.

Enjoy!