How To Find Your Ideal Customer

Often we think anyone with money is our ideal customer. It's only when you delve further that you'll find your real match. And if you want to reduce your marketing costs and increase your income, it's vital to know who your ideal customer is.

Yes, you can probably sell your fabulous product to many people, but you will profit most by selling it to your ideal customer. Your ideal customer is the narrowing down, even further, of your target market.

At its most basic, your ideal customer is someone who wants your product, can afford it, and has the authority to buy it. It's no use spending all your time winning over a husband if it's the wife who makes the purchasing decision.

Similarly, you might be spending all your time trying to sell your service to a sales manager in a company when it's really the marketing manager who has the authority to make the purchase.

So, to narrow down who your ideal customer is, you first need to ask:

Who wants my product?
Who has the money to purchase it?
Who has the power to purchase it?

Then you need to dig deeper:

What is their motivation for buying my product?
In what age range are they?
Male or female?
Married or single or divorced?
With or without kids?
Where do they live?
How do they communicate with my business? (Phone, email, website, in person?)
What are their interests?
What do they do for work?
What do they love/hate?
Time poor or lots of leisure?
How often might they need my product/service?
How much might they spend on my product/service?
How do they like to be viewed by their contemporaries?

Imagine you're developing a character for a book. What other insights would you want to know about this person? What would be their name?

Once you have this picture of who your ideal client is, check back into reality.

Let's say you're a premium quality chocolate shop. Your target market might be anyone working within 2 blocks of your shop. But your ideal customer might be:

A. Women 21-30 in lower to middle management who work within one block of your shop. They're overworked, rushed and feel the need to treat themselves to a mid-afternoon, pick-me-up. They're prepared to pay $5 for one of your handmade chocolates and prefer it to a regular store bar - even though it's smaller and more expensive - because it makes them feel in control that they can choose luxury over the everyday. During the walk to your store they clear their head. Getting out and about while enjoying your chocolate becomes a regular, enjoyable habit for them...until they feel the need to go on Jenny Craig! But don't worry ... they'll be back in a few months!

and/or

B. 38+ year old men in middle management, who have wives/girlfriends in need of placation or romance. They normally buy the $25 specialty gift box, but only once or twice a year. They like maximum kudos for minimum effort.

and/or

C. Marketing managers in small to medium-sized firms who commission you to create chocolates in unique shapes for promotions, incentives, thanks-you's and launches. They spend on average $500 per order.

Any business would probably like all of these customers, but as a marketer, you need to direct your budget to the customers who are going to give you the best return for the least spend. That doesn't mean you neglect the rest of your target market, it just means you focus more attention on your ideals.

So, take some time out today to really think about who your ideal customers might be and how you might reach them. It's well worth it.

Jane Toohey is an independent Marketing and Branding consultant. She sits on the board of the National Company - Mini Movers. She is a contributor to the 'Secrets of Marketing Experts Exposed' and a public speaker on all aspects of integrated marketing. Contact Jane on janetoohey@live.com.au
First published: 20 June 2008.
Last updated: 20 June 2008.