Target marketing takes the guesswork out of growing your business - whether you're a coach, trainer, consultant, leader or company owner.
You need to know who your target market is before you can reach out to them and serve them.
The old "talk to everyone you see" adage is great for practicing your ice breaking skills. It's even good to help you build your courage. It's lousy for recruiting or selling in the modern direct sales era.
Who honestly has time to talk to everyone anymore, anyway? Those shotgun methods are tantamount to holding up a megaphone and shouting at everyone in Times Square in the hopes that someone - anyone - will stop and listen to your message.
Let us be a bit more skillful, save some time, and - for Pete's sake - if we're going to work, do it smarter, not harder!
Begin with your customer profile. Once you've gotten incredibly detailed about the kind of person you want to work with, ask yourself the following questions:
- Why do I like working with them? (specifically, what is the reward for working with them) Money can not be the only answer, or you'll struggle with serving these clients.
- What do I have to offer them that is uniquely mine? Discovering your uniqueness goes a long way to providing the customer experience your clients crave.
- Where can I find them? Online or offline, there are groups that cater to your target market, you just have to find them and get involved.
Once you've clarified these answers, you can really dig into your target market with passion and zeal. You know you'll be working with clients you love and you'll be able to find them easily and abundantly.
Leave the megaphone at home when you attend networking events or social functions. Stop trying to press your business card into the hands of everyone there. Instead, focus on the select few that best fit your target market profile. Spend a few minutes with each of them, rather than twelve seconds with everyone, and begin building stronger relationships. Stronger relationships with people in you network yield better results in your business.
That's the power of target marketing in your direct sales business. That's working smarter to grow your business effectively and efficiently. No shot gun required.
===========
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE?
You may, so long as you do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is the founder of HomePartySolution.com, a free online community for direct sellers. Lisa is a certified direct sales marketing coach helping consultants and leaders use the Internet to grow their direct sales business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Register today for her free target marketing program for direct sellers at http://www.homepartysolution.com/
