Your Ideal Client

A lot of small businesses make the mistake of thinking that their product or service is good for just about anyone. The logic is "why should I limit my market to a smaller segment of the whole and sacrifice a sale." The problem with that logic is that for most products and services you simply cannot expect consumers of vastly different segments to view you as valuable. Teens have a different lifestyle than single moms. Single moms have different needs than country club executives. Country Club executives have different likes and dislikes than bikers.

Targeting your sales to a smaller niche is a much better way to go. As a matter of fact, as counterintuitive as it may sound, the smaller the niche the better your sales.

Who do you suppose are your ideal clients? Answer that by asking yourself who would want your product or service? Where do they live? How old are they? What do they do? What else do they consume? Understand everything you can about them. This will help you to construct partners who are also trying to reach the same people. It will help you focus on exactly where and how to advertise. It will help you stop wasting time and effort trying to get people outside of your ideal client profile to buy your product or service. Most of them never will anyway.

If you spend your time talking only to people who are most likely to buy fom you, your sales will increase as a result.

Mike Shannon is the owner of Shamrock Business Coaching, a coaching practice that helps business owners increase profits. You can visit Shamrock Business Coaching on the web at: www.ShamrockCoaching.com

---

Marking Your Territory

We all know the familiar adage "if it walks like... Read More

Business Card Design - How to Stand out and Get Noticed

One of the most powerful, yet over looked weapons in... Read More

How Prince Connects With His Target Market!

While Internet legend (and young pup) Frank Kern would have... Read More

Generational Marketing

Having run a multi-state franchise company with multiple brands it... Read More

Lessons Learned at the Harvard Business School

"If God wanted to create a perfect punishment for a... Read More

Top Four Marketing Secrets of Building a Professional Practice

Building a coaching or consulting practice can be rewarding and... Read More

Your 30 Second Commercial

This tip is so simple, that many people we've talked... Read More

Where to Look for New Donors for Your Fundraising Letter Appeals

Have you ever studied your best donors and wished you... Read More

Write Better Web Content

If you're reading this article, chances are that you, like... Read More

How To Sell To Howard Stern... Oprah Winfrey... And Paul McCartney!

Do you know what Howard Stern... Oprah Winfrey... and Paul... Read More

Package Your Products for Thunder Thigh Women - Big Butts Too

Wake up women (and you men too). I think we... Read More

Direct Mail Response Rates Low? Eliminate These Mistakes

Are your direct mail response rates lower than you expect?... Read More

Youre Halfway There!...Or Not Part 1

The year is almost over and the last half of... Read More

Why Most Marketing Videos Dont Work

Every now and then I will meet someone who has... Read More

B2B Marketing Tips - Create an Interactive Online Experience for Clients

Business to business communications on the web are as stale... Read More

The Easiest Small Business Direct Marketing Tip You?ll Ever Get

This really and truly is the easiest (and most profitable)... Read More

Will Googles Gmail spell trouble for Email Marketing.

We wait with baited breath for the anticipated launch of... Read More

Developing the Unique Selling Proposition

The "Unique Selling Proposition" advertising campaign was developed by Reeves... Read More

4 Sales Strategies with Your Trade Show Exhibition Booth

Trade show booths can act as an excellent source for... Read More

5 Print Ad Essentials!

Writing an effective print ad, particularly a classified advertisement, requires... Read More

Marketing Copy - Brand Identity Guru

Tips on writing great copy for your marketing efforts.It's just... Read More

Five Tips to Make Your Marketing More Creative

Same old same old just doesn't sell anymore. To... Read More

Non-Profit Success Requires Ongoing Marketing

In a crowded marketplace of ideas, it is important for... Read More

How to Put Law & Order into Marketing Your Legal Practice

First in a series of three articlesRegardless of your law... Read More

Marketing A Misunderstood or Scary Product or Service

What do you do if your business, product or service... Read More

Take the Logo Litmus Test

Here is your C.I.T.T. (pronounced "kit")[Color ? Illustrate? Type ?... Read More

Shine a Spotlight on Your Professional Service Firm

As a life-long dancer, I know a bit about the... Read More

Loan Officer Websites: Your Marketing Hub to Magnetize Realtors

Too many loan officer websites look like congested intersections, information... Read More

Direct Mail Marketing Done Correctly, Cannot Fail

So how do you do it?Direct mail marketing. When it... Read More

Always On Stage - 3 Quick Tips for Trade Show Exhibitors

Do you feel uncomfortable when you're in the trade show... Read More

Costly Web Copy Pitfalls

One secret to a site that sells: Look at your... Read More

Quick and Instant Marketing Soup

Everything happens Quickly and Instantly on the Internet. In the... Read More

Burnout

Today I want to share a question from a reader... Read More