Does she wear stilettos? Wedges? Sneakers?
Or is she a flip to the flop kinda gal.
It may seem silly, but let me explain why I think small details… like the type of shoe your ideal client is wearing… will actually be a major turning point in your business.
I’ve realized… through conversations in entrepreneurial circles and Facebook groups… that there is this huge misconception when it comes to your ideal client avatar.
“This is stupid and a major waste of my time.”
“Honestly… does this even work?”
“I can’t relate to this.”
I know these are real thoughts (admit it!) because I’ve heard them with my own 2 ears! Let me tell you… nothing could be farther from the truth… and I’m going to show you why.
Let’s put down all of the preconceived notions that come along with an ideal client avatar, and get ready to sit back, relax and prepare to have your mind blown, because I promise to open your eyes to the Persona With a Purpose
Sure, you know statistics about your audience… and hopefully you know something about their pain points, but are you really able to connect with them on an emotional level?
Trust me… you would know.
When you DO connect to your tribe on an emotional level, the whole process of building KNOW, LOVE and TRUST, becomes second nature.
And more sales just happen to be an amazing by-product of that.
The best way I can describe it to you is with an analogy about big.hairy.goals!
Say we want to bring in $2,000….
$5,000…
$10,000 a month…
That is a great place to start, but without a plan to back those numbers up, that’s really more of just a wish.
There needs to be a breakdown of actions, checklists, plans sticky notes and an understanding of WHERE that money will come from.
But unless you’re a numbers nut… who spends their days daydreaming of spreadsheets and checklists… I have a feeling that your To-Do lists, business plans, goals and Trello boards aren’t enough to get you motivated, moving and shaking!
Enter the VISION BOARD… and do a little happy dance!
For us creatives, we need something to truly spark our inspiration. And instead of just a number on a piece of paper, our vision board gives us that visual reminder of our WHY!
Visualizing the WHY behind our goals is what sets that fire inside of us, to actually achieve and take action!
Goals are useful, logical and necessary but it’s the vision board that inspires us and acts as our bridge, to imagine what achieving those goals will look like.
This is the same process with an ideal client avatar… *cough cough*, or as I like to call it, your Persona With a Purpose!
Market research gives us data, demographics and insights into our tribe, but conjuring up all of those details can feel overwhelming and uninspiring at best.
BOOM! That’s exactly what the Persona With a Purpose is there to do! The PWAP takes those key characteristics and includes them in a persona that makes it fun, relatable and a visual reminder of all of the important details.
And just like a vision board without set goals is just a pretty picture on a fancy board, an ideal client avatar without the market research, is just a made up person.
We need to know our clients, from the inside out, way before they are at the purchasing point.
Their struggles, their joy, their interests.
Their sense of humor, needs and desires.
So how do we do this? How do we get to the heart of our customer’s struggle or emotional inspiration?
By doing the market research… and asking the right questions… we get to know our ideal client like never before… and get to the heart of their needs.
This research becomes invaluable to truly dig into all of these different indicators and pain points, to create our *PWAP*. Remember, we’re not creating a person… but a persona… to highlight the key characteristics of our target audience.
It’s all of these things that remind us who our tribe is when we’re writing a blog post, sending an email or trying to deeply connect.
It’s using these demographics and details to personify the data into someone we can picture… and ultimately, this shift will help us to connect with our audiences, on a more engaging level.
Remember that Know, Love and Trust we talked about earlier? Yep, this is how the magic happens (and the sales too!)
Want an example?!
At one time, my ideal client was a mama wearing Hunter Boots.
Why Hunter Boots?
Because she needed something practical and comfortable, of course.
She needed shoes that she could do anything and everything in, from business to errands, to driving the kids all over God’s green earth.
Sure, the boots were expensive, but they were her big birthday gift after all… and no doubt, she wore them for the next freaking decade. This mama was a doer, and she needed something durable to get.things.done.in.
But she also wanted that one little piece of luxury. A little something FOR HER.
That was my ideal client. That was who I visualized at one point.
What is YOUR ideal client wearing as she journeys through life.
Does she wear glamorous high heels to connect to HER WHY, as she grows her luxury brand?
Or maybe it’s an ever-changing rotation of slippers and sneakers, for the stay at home mom who has to keep up with her kids.
It’s time to put your Persona With a Purpose into her walking shoes, to visualize her mindset, lifestyle and desires.
This all starts with good old-fashioned market research. The good news is my strategies are anything but old fashioned! I know you’re juggling #allthethings and this may not seem like a top priority, but investing in mini moments of time, will yield maximum results.
I urge you to not put this on a shelf… where it collects dust- not clients.
And that’s not helping to you move forward… and if I’m being frank… it’s only holding you back.
You are SO READY for this!
You’ve worked too hard to grow your business, so letting your social posts tank and your hard work not convert into sales, shouldn’t be an option. If you’re ready to really build that Know, Love and Trust with your tribe… and kiss crickets goodbye… you need this 9 Ways to Read the Mind of Your Ideal Client guide. .
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