You need to do an exercise this morning. Don't worry, it's a simple one.
I need you to describe who your ideal customer is.
Okay, let's go.
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Close your eyes.
Think about who this person is and try to describe everything about them.
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Have you done it?
If you have, continue reading.
If you haven't, please do it first, you will understand why when you read on.
Whether you are in a product or service business, being able to identify and describe your ideal customer is the first thing you must do.
Everyone is not your customer.
I repeat, everyone is not your customer.
Not even your friends and family members.
They may patronise you out of pity.
They may patronise you to identify with you.
They may patronise you so that you do not carry their matter to family meeting.
But in the long run, they are not your ideal customer.
No hard feelings!
That's just the way it is.
And the earlier you come to terms with this, the more profitable it will be for you.
Let's face it, not everyone is on the MTN network. Some will swear by the GLO network anyday anytime.
Not everyone likes Coca-cola. Some people prefer to drink kunu or zobo.
Not everyone likes Apple products, ........ is their preferred product type.
Not everyone likes GoTV or DSTv. AIT and TVC gives some people all the news and entertainment they want.
Not everyone is a member of the two most popular political parties in NigeriaโPDP and APC. ..... and ..... have devoted members too.
Not everyone wants to travel to Dubai or Canada. Nigeria is fine for some people.
Not everyone likes to eat pizza and Coldstone. Just give some people I personally know, amala, ewedu and ogufe. They'll be fine.
Not everyone wants to become an entrepreneur. They like their salary job like that.
Not everyone likes to take photos or even do a photoshoot for their next birthday. They don't care about it.
Phew!
Many call this, Customer Avatar or Persona (just forget about the jargon, I will explain).
It means describing the exact qualities of the person your product is designed for.
Factors like name, location, age, income, belief, political bias, likes, food preference, etc.
Whenever I deploy this for my clients, I niche it further down to things that do not seem to matter.
By doing this, I am able to identify who their ideal customer is and how best to reach them.
Below is a successful case study I did for a client who sells kitchen utensils.
Read carefully and see how you can apply this to your product or service.
I niched down the business with the following:
๐๐ด๐ฒ (25 โ 70)
๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ (Mostly females, some males though)
๐ข๐ฐ๐ฐ๐๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป(Caterers, Cooks, Restauranteurs, Hoteliers, Career Professionals and Entrepreneurs)
๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป (mostly urban areas)
๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐น๐ฒ(conservative or extravagant, Eats in, Prefers to cook their own food)
๐๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ (Do It Yourself, likes to make a smoothie, try out new recipes but doesn't have the kitchen equipment, and other details this space cannot hold)
๐๐ป๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ (Must earn enough to be able to purchase cooking utensils for as low as N2,000)
๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ (Single, but mostly married)
๐๐ณ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฑ, ๐ก๐๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ (They would need food flasks and smaller sized cutlery, so we can upsell those)
This is getting interesting, right?
Yes, let's continue.
๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐๐? (For most described above, weekend events and places of worship, then the markets)
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ธ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐น๐? (To have a stress-free cooking experience over and again)
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ธ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐น๐? (durability and affordability, time and energy-saving kitchen devices such as blenders, juicers, food processors, non-stick pans, multipurpose graters, microwave oven, pressure cooking pots, etc.)
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ? (some women believe to pound yam in mortar is tastier than those done with a food processor)
๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป-๐บ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐? (obviously, the kitchen is for the woman)
๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐๐? (In some cases, for the married, the husbands pay for the product)
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐๐๐ฒ? (Popular brands like MasterChef, Kenwood)
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ง๐ฉ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฐ๐ต? (Popular Family sitcoms like The Johnsons, My Siblings & I, Halita, or the cooking shows like MasterChef, Chopped)
๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ฏ๐๐? (online, your physical shop, pay-on-delivery)
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐น๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ๐น๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ณ๐ผ๐น๐น๐ผ๐? (This can help you craft a story they can easily relate to)
The list goes on.
Well, if you cannot relate to the above, you are not my client's ideal customer.
This is one reason certain businesses you know would prefer to put their imprints on reality shows like BBNaija (and sporting events) over and again, but would not spend a dime to sponsor an educational or academic competition.
They know who their ideal customer is and where to find them.
This is one reason certain businesses are more successful than others.
They know what their ideal customers need, and they give it to them.
There is one reason businesses have repeat customers.
They know where their ideal customer is and do everything to keep them asking for more.
It's not magic, village people, or guesswork.
In my next post, I will teach you how to define or describe your target market using a case study.
Don't worry; it's one of the easiest things you will ever learn.
So, were you able to describe your ideal customer?
Let me know in the comments below
