WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! Wondering why the number of leads you generate month-to-month are plummeting faster than a lead balloon? Here's a reality check: It's not necessarily about the product or service you're offering, but rather a glaring gap in truly understanding who you're selling to.
To sell, and sell PROPERLY in 2024, requires more than just a superficial grasp of your client's demographics or their casual interests. It's about diving deeply into typical human behaviour, unravelling the psyche of your prospective clients, and understanding their purchasing patterns like the layout of your own home. This, my fellow padawans, is where the true magic happens.
Interests & Demographics - Your Ideal Client Basics
Before we get too technical, let's start with the elements you've probably heard of before: interests and demographics. Demographics refer to the genetic makeup of an individual - their age, gender, appearance, as well as their marital status, their job, income, educational level, etc.
The key to successful targeting is a well-rounded, in depth understanding of the person you're looking to speak with. This is where interests come into play. When thinking about interests, don't only consider hobbies, but where they like to spend their free time, what they like to eat, the music they listen to, and so on. Step into their shoes and research these different components to become an expert in their profile, and to speak to them with clarity and understanding.
The Power of Psychographics & Purchasing Patterns
Now, let’s discuss about how to understand your ideal client on a level deeper than just demographics and interests. Welcome to the realm of psychographics and purchasing behaviour - the gold-dust you've been searching for.
Psychographics provide a colourful tapestry of your client's lifestyle, values, attitudes, and belief systems. It’s about understanding what makes them tick, their day-to-day challenges, aspirations, and their morals. This insight allows you to tailor your messaging to resonate on a more personal level, getting in their head and infiltrating their every thought.
Understanding your client's purchasing behaviour is similar to having a comprehensive blueprint of how they move from awareness to decision. It involves dissecting their buying journey, by recognising pain points, possible hopes and fears, and what ultimately pushes them over the line and to make a purchase.
Emotional Motivation vs. Logical Outcomes
When the initial spark of motivation or adrenaline fizzles out, what's left? The sense of logic and the analytical side of our minds, ready to take control and steer the ship. That's why understanding both emotional triggers AND the logical justifications of your ideal client is critical in your ability to market your services. When motivation waves, logic stays.
And remember, hard selling is a BIG no-no. It's as welcome as a bull in a china shop (which as we all know only ever leads to destruction). Instead, adopt the art of subtle influence. It’s about being the gentle breeze that nudges them in the right direction, not the gale-force wind that blows them over.
Think of sales as you building ✨the path of least resistance✨. It's about understanding people’s needs so intimately and closely, that you feel as though you're invading their lives. You need to create a solution so fitting, they wonder how they ever lived without it, a dream so vivid, they feel as though they're already living it. Selling isn't about arm-twisting or making anyone uncomfortable; it’s about gently guiding your ideal client to a decision that feels like self-help. Once they're at this point, they'll practically be throwing money at you.
A common misconception is that people don't want to buy or that they don't have 'budgets'. The truth is that as humans, we're all eager for a to buy; we just look for a good enough reason to do so. This could be driven by an emotional desire or a logical need - both equal in influencing decision-making.
How to Hack Your Way To Marketing Success:
So, now you have a deeper understanding of the different elements required to understand your ideal client as though they are your best friends, but how do you go about gaining and developing your knowledge on them? Here are a few strategies:
Conduct Surveys and Polls: Get direct responses in less than 2 minutes. By asking questions that delve into their lifestyle, challenges, and what they value most in life, you can generate live responses through tools like Instagram Stories or LinkedIn polls (platforms you should already be utilising as part of your marketing strategy).
Utilise Social Listening Tools: Social media platforms and forums are where your clients are most honest and vulnerable online. Observe the conversations around your industry and what frustrations and issues they're openly voicing. Can you spot any patterns? Could you look at negative reviews on competitors profiles/listings?
Analyse Customer Data: Dive into your existing customer data - a foundation for you to work from. Look for patterns in purchasing behaviour, feedback, engagement and service reviews. This can offer clues into broader trends within your target audience and gives you an overview of what your current followers and customers are looking for from a service provider.
Create Buyer Personas: With all of the information collected, good working practise is to create detailed buyer profiles that reflect the different segments we've discussed throughout this post. These should be as detailed as possible, encompassing both psychographic and behavioural insights. Build a virtual life for your different personas, as though you're playing god and determining their fate.
The Domin8 Marketing System: FREE Guidance
Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t overthink it. That’s where we come in. At Domin8 Digital, we’re experts in leveraging well-rounding marketing systems that generate a 100% return on any investment you make with us. One of the core elements to our system is knowing your ideal client inside out, identifying your USP (video guide below) and crafting strategies that speak directly to them on a logical and emotional level.
Stop posting for posting's sake and inject purpose and passion into your content by developing a sales process that makes your prospects feel as though they're doing you a favour. It all starts with a FREE 30 minute meeting, where we give you the roadmap in full. Whether you decide to work with us or not, this system will offer the answers needed to Domin8 your Marketing. Click the button below to book your FREE call:
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