Are you considering starting something on your own but you are not really sure what exactly your product or service should be?
Are you curious about affiliate marketing and are wondering how to choose the right products to endorse and promote?
Describing the type of customers you want to attract and be around is usually a good indicator of what your business should be focusing on.
One way to explore this and shape your business ideas is by coming up with an ideal CUSTOMER AVATAR, also known as CUSTOMER PERSONA.
What is a customer avatar
An avatar is your ideal customer. A person you will enjoy working with.
You can describe your avatar with labels such as age, sex, location or profession. However, far more important is to get a thorough understanding of what she or he is experiencing on a normal day. Research the pain points, desires, beliefs and values, almost like a writer would describe a character in a book!
Below is an example of an avatar I have created to describe the group of people I would love to serve.
I would be very excited to educate a client like Lisa about how she can earn an income online and live a more adventurous and fulfilling life.
Knowing the deeper facts and psychological attributes of your ideal customer will put you in a position to design or choose the right products and services.
An easy way to discover the core beliefs, values, and desires is:
>> The WHY Method <<
How your avatar relates to your purpose
Before continuing with the more practical stuff, I would like to share with you a personal observation about the importance of defining your customer avatar.
Choosing the ideal customer is as much about your business as about who you are and how you want to develop yourself further.
The avatar that fits you is the avatar that challenges you to grow and develop a bigger purpose for being down here on this earth.
The fact that you are or will soon be impacting the lives of those people you want to serve with your business will provide you with a sense of meaning and fulfillment.
One of the biggest dissatisfiers for employees of big corporations is the lack of meaning and the lack of direct contact with the customer. They can rarely see the positive impact their work is having on the end customer.
I was there myself, and I know that being just a small cog in an inefficient, bureaucratic machine made it difficult for me to see the value I was providing. Even though I would spend a lot of time and energy working on projects, I often felt unproductive and unfulfilled.
Does this sound familiar to you?
Working in your own small business will quickly result in a very positive change.
I listen and talk to my customers directly and can personalize the services my business delivers based on their unique needs. I can clearly see the positive impact I have on their lives, which is always extremely fulfilling.
Their feedback also helps me continuously make improvements and optimize my business processes and the portfolio of services and products I offer.
In many ways, my relationship with customers and friends is very similar. We all need to have fulfilling relationships based on trust, respect and shared personal values.
Check the link bellow on more about exploring your values and letting your business represent them.
>> Make Money with doing what you love <<
To summarize, you will be impacting the life of your ideal customer, hopefully for the better, but the opposite is also true. The type of ideal customer you choose will define the areas in which you will develop yourself in the future.
Let’s get back to work now!
Get to know your ideal customer
Now it is time to spring into action.
There are a set of questions that can help you understand the needs and desires of your ideal customer. Click on the link to get them.
>> Make a copy of this template and fill it in. <<
Many people starting on their own, especially in the educational and coaching industry, base the first avatar on themselves.
The reason for this is simple. As we go through life, we encounter nice things but also difficulties and less pleasant situations. The tough times shape us and teach us very valuable lessons.
When we overcome these difficulties we develop ways to deal with them and can transfer this knowledge to others.
Therefore it makes a lot of sense, to base the ideal customer on yourself from a couple of years ago when you were having those problems, which you now know how to solve.
For example, this lady below has been shaped by the experience and wisdom she gained during her seven pregnancies. This enabled her to create her own business coaching and inspiring women on this topic.
You may choose other people than yourself to base your avatar on. Perhaps a customer you have served already, or a person you have encountered and helped in the past.
In any case, be thorough and curious, and make effort to extend your knowledge about your avatar every time you learn more about the people you want to serve.
Shape your own business
Once you understand who your ideal customers are, you can shape your own business idea and finetune your products or services to fit their specific needs and requirements.
Even if you don’t have your own product, you can still run your own business as an affiliate. In this case, you choose to promote existing products and services that are helpful and useful to your avatar.
>> learn more about the affiliate business <<
Moreover, the ideal customer knowledge will be a source for all your marketing and communication efforts. You will be able to talk to your customers in their language, addressing their exact needs and providing them with a real value they can easily recognize and be grateful for!
In return, they will be willing to pay you!
Money is a by-product of creating value for other people!
As you grow your business, you will learn more about the people you serve. Incorporate that knowledge back into your customer avatar description and reflect it into all your business communication and your business will continue to improve.
Learn more about the opportunities of creating an online income stream. Achieve financial independence and freedom to live life on your own terms!
>> Click here << for a list of books that recently influenced me profoundly and are today part of my body and mind.
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