Knowing and really understanding your customers is one of (if not the) most important parts of a profitable business. Everything you do in your business should be done with your ideal customer or client in mind. But how do you define one ideal customer when you could be helping so many other people?

Who are you speaking to?

If there’s anything you take away from this post it should be this: “if you try to help everyone, you help noone. If you try to speak to everyone, noone will hear you”

So who is your ideal customer or client and how do you determine who that is? Your ideal customer avatar (ICA) is ONE single person who represents your target market. You keep this person in mind each time you create anything for your business, from products, to your website, and your content. So who is this person exactly? This could be an actual client you already have, it could be you just a couple of years ago, or it could be a combo menu of characteristics of different people you really want to work with. Really understanding who your customer is, is the key to getting more customers and really understanding your audience is the key to being persuasive.

Defining your ideal customer or client.

How do you determine who your ICA is exactly? That’s where I come in. I’m going to help you break down exact (a) how to define your ICA and (b) why this one person is vital to your success

I hear what you’re about to say, “But Michelle, I don’t want to niche down, I don’t want to be so specific that I exclude people I could be helping”. The whole idea of defining your ICA is to help you focus your energy when creating your products and also your content. Anything you create on your website, email, blog post, social media, sales pages, podcasts – literally everything you do in your business should speak to the people that will benefit from your product the most and, more importantly, who will buy what you’re offering.

Now, Imagine speaking to many of your “ideal customers” all in different ways, addressing different pain points. Sounds pretty tiresome right? That’s why it’s easier to choose one ideal customer and really understand who they are. When you focus on that one customer, you’ll find that a lot of amazing people who are totally different from your ICA, are still connecting with you because your messaging is clear, concise and genuine. They feel like you’re speaking to THEM.

How to niche down to find your ideal customer

Narrowing down your ICA also eliminates people who you don’t want to work with. You know the people I’m talking about. Those who think you charge too much, have no vision or direction and who are downright painful to deal with. Say you have 10 customers who are all different. 5 of those clients are great. You’ve really resonated with them and they’re a great fit for your business. The other 4 take up the majority of your time because you don’t share the same vision, or they don’t trust your vision. They call constantly, they don’t pay you on time and they complain about your prices. By attracting these 4 customers, you’re taking time away from customers that are a better fit for you and your business (and cause you less stress)

Who is your ideal client exactly?

Grab a piece of paper and draw a person, or if you like, grab an image of a person online. Visually seeing a human makes it easier to connect to. Give this customer a name and start jotting down some of the things that define who they are and what they all have in common. Think about their demographics (age, nationality, income, gender, marital status, ability, industry, etc..) as well as their psychology (worldview, values, beliefs, character, lifestyle, hobbies, interests etc..)

Going deep and dark

Now for the fun part. Become your ICA. Go deep and dark. What are they afraid of? What do they need help with? Really get in there. What are their secrets, what stresses them out, what triggers their fears, what keeps them up at night

What does your ideal client need?

Finally, where does your customer want to be? What do they secretly wish for, what is their dream solution, their OMG item, what would a solution to their problems mean to them? What would they be able to achieve?

By answering these questions, you should have pages upon pages of material to draw from to connect with your ICA. You’ll know exactly how to speak to them which will in turn inspire connections in your promotional copy, sales copy, visual content, and you’ll have the ability to design products and services that truly matter to you customer. 

To be the most effective and successful business owner, you must remain emotionally connected to your ICA. You must keep their fears and aspirations top of mind as you create, market and sell your products and services. Never forget, no matter what you sell, you are selling to a human being. Every human being regardless of who they are, want to feel seen, heard and understood. When you truly understand your ICA, you’re going to get a lot more customers.

For more tips on running a successful business check out our post on starting a business from the ground up!