Why targeting everyone as a customer can be a business killer
Not everyone is your customer. Ripping that band aid off is the first step to changing your mindset on what good quality customers look like, and how you can build your base of them and have your business flourish.
It starts with your mindset
It sounds simple, but here it is in black and white – you don’t have to say ‘yes’ to everyone!
Challenging that mindset is a difficult but necessary step towards building your dream customer base. Not every customer is the same, and not every customer will be your customer.
If your customer base were a garden you put love and effort into, would you throw a bunch of random seeds into it, hoping they all grow? You’ll likely end up with a crazy combination of high maintenance plants, plants that don’t fit in, and a few weeds that LOOK like plants but are actually sucking the life out of your garden.
Still with me? Not into gardening? Let’s break it down in real terms.
What happens when you don’t identify and segment your customer base early
A common mindset that business owners adopt is “the more customers I have, the more money I’ll have!” They focus all their energy and money into getting their brand in front of as MANY people as possible, but don’t dive deeper into identifying and marketing to their target customer.
What happens next gets pretty messy
They end up with a big pool of customers, however mixed through that pool are some that won’t provide repeat business or referrals, some that take lots of effort to keep happy, and others wasting time with showing interest but no intention of buying.
Meanwhile, your ideal customers are among the crowd waiting for some attention with their interest in your product and service fading while you’re chasing your tail trying to please everyone. Ultimately, a big chunk of them ultimately won’t result in sales or ongoing relationships.
Suddenly, having as many customers as possible isn’t so attractive, is it? Don’t stress! It’s fixable. Here’s what you can do.
Look inwards before looking outwards
Before you can accurately identify your ideal customer base, you need to take an in-depth look at who you are as a business and a brand, and why you do what you do for people. Why should customers choose you? What need are you looking to fulfill? What customers do your vision, goals, and values most align with? Define your brand by defining how and why you serve your customer!
Research and identify your ideal customers (and your not so ideal ones…)
What do good customers look like? What are their interests? What are their buying trends? A good customer will understand and recognise the value in your service, paving a clear path to good quality engagement with your business.
On the flip side, what kind of customer wouldn’t (and probably doesn’t want to) understand your service or product? Do they want the quickest and cheapest version possible? Are they going to be complicated and hard work?
Identifying and learning about your ideal (and not ideal) customers and their buying behaviour is ‘Business 101’. You might feel like a bit of a stalker, but it’s a vital step in gaining insight and valuable information on how you can best approach them.
Change your marketing approach
Once you’ve identified what your ideal customer looks like, adjust your message and marketing approach and tactics to best appeal to that group. If you have segmented groups of customer types, make sure your message is tailored to each group specifically. There is no ‘one size fits all’ in marketing!
Break up with difficult customers
It sounds crazy, but sometimes ending your relationship with certain customers can be the best thing for your business. If they’re sucking up all your time and energy with little or no outcome, it’s time to break up.
Unsure?
That’s what we’re here for! We can help you redefine your customer base, change limiting mindsets, and develop effective strategies to grow your perfect base of customers.