Starting a business can be overwhelming. There's so much to think about, plan and do. In fact, if there were a patron saint of entrepreneurs, it would probably be an octopus.
Too many entrepreneurs get stuck in the thinking and planning stage.
I don't advocate that my clients figure out every aspect of their businesses before they roll into action; however, there are three key areas where you do need clarity if you want to be effective in your marketing efforts. You need a clear understanding of:
•who your ideal client is;
•the problems that they're motivated to solve; and
•how your genius, service or product can solve their problem.
Knowing those three things will give you everything you need to create powerful and effective marketing messages. Which is important because the better your marketing is, the less time you have to invest in selling.
Start with getting clear about your ideal client and the other answers will follow.
The biggest mistake business people make when they're identifying their target market is making it too broad. They come from the perspective that everyone can benefit from their services.
Most business people are afraid of getting too specific with their target marketing, because they're reluctant to cut out any potential business.
It's counterintuitive, but in reality, having a broad target market decreases your chances of connecting with your ideal client.
People are inundated with thousands of marketing messages a day. We've learned to actively filter out those messages because we despise being sold to.
Unless you are speaking directly to people about a specific problem they're desperately looking to solve, your message won't cut through their filtering system.
So, the more specifically you can define your market, the better chance you have of finding and attracting your ideal client. •
