Do you have a favourite customer?
You know, the one that made making a commission an absolute breeze? The one that you LOVE working with? The one that if only you could have another hundred of them you’d NEVER feel stressed again?
They pay on time, they have some ideas, but listen to your advice. And most of all, they just get you, and your work.
Yup, this is the dream customer. We all know that not all customers are like this. Sometimes they can be difficult, fussy, never pay on time, and think they can do the job better than you!
So how would you like ONLY your favourite type of customer, and less of the ones that give you stress?
Yup, it really can be done. And you don’t need to be a marketing genius to find these people. You just need a tiny bit of knowhow, and thought.
Attract and repel
You see, it’s all about creating a brand that appeals to your perfect customer. But more than that, it’s also about creating a brand that REPELS those people that aren’t right for you.
If you just shuddered at the thought repelling anyone, well that’s totally natural. It’s human nature to want to please everyone. But what if those people who want you to create a replica Pandora bracelet (and not buy one of your actual designs) saw your website or your social media and KNEW straight away that you weren’t the right fit for them? Wouldn’t that save you both a lot of time and misunderstandings straight off the bat? Wouldn’t it just be easier?
Think about your favourite brands. What is it about them that you like? Which colours do they use in their branding? What style of images do they use?
Then think about the brands that just don’t appeal to you. What about them?
The fact is that the way we present ourselves and our business online, in person and even in our packaging says something about us to the world.
So the trick is to find out what would attract our ideal customer and make sure our business and brand reflects that.
“Alright, alright,” I hear your say. “But WHO is my ideal customer?’
Aha, yes this is a bit more tricky and involves you getting your best Sherlock Holmes detective hat on.
You need to get inside the head of your customer, so the best thing to do is to create a detailed profile of your perfect customer. You need to get every little detail about your customer that you can get your hands on.
If you don’t know anything about them, then look for clues. What have people who’ve bought from you (only the ones who’ve actually bought something) said about themselves? Were they carrying shopping bags? Which brands were they wearing? See what I mean about Sherlock Holmes?!
To help us know who we’re talking to, let’s create a customer persona…
Think of a name (let’s call her Sue).
Then think about where she lives? Does she have a family? What kind of environment does she live in? Does she have any hobbies? What are her loves and passions? What’s her outlook on life? Just think about every single question you can answer about her and sketch it out. Find a picture of her (or draw one). And WRITE IT ALL DOWN, then put it on your wall.
This is your ideal customer.
Don’t worry about stereotyping here, we’re looking to get really SPECIFIC. Don’t worry, you won’t put other people off if they’re a good fit, but having a really clear idea in your head of who you’re talking to will not only help you create the right brand look, it will help you write in the best way, it will help you create the right products and it will help you even choose the right social media platforms.
In fact, if you have a really good idea of who your perfect customer is, it should inform EVERY decision you make in your business. If you always have your customer’s needs in mind with every decision, you can never go wrong.
