One of the first steps in any marketing exercise is to decide who you want to sell to.
‘Simple!’ I hear you cry. ‘Anyone with the money!’
Well, that’s not quite the right answer. There aren’t many products or services that have universal audiences – loo rolls and funerals are exceptions to this rule.
Most products or services have a specific target audience, some broader than others. If you can describe in detail your ideal customer, you’ll be able to tailor your communications to that person. The more you tailor your communications, the more direct and effective your messages become. As an added benefit, ad-spend waste is minimised because you’re not talking to everyone, you’re talking to ‘whom it may concern’…
The other day, I was chatting with a couple of chaps who carry out hair transplant procedures. I must point out that they asked to speak with me. I wasn’t looking to use their service. No way! I have enough hair (sprouting out of every orifice) to stuff a sofa! Sorry. I hope you’re not eating…
Anyway, we were discussing how they might market their clinics and we began to develop a persona of their ideal customer: This man is a company director, in his 40s, affluent, balding, insecure about his appearance, recently divorced and looking for a new relationship. Now, with such a detailed persona in mind, you can begin developing really powerful, focussed messages to that narrow demographic and you gain a strong idea of Trevor’s motivations, needs and expectations.
Yes, we called him Trevor.
Once you start looking through Trevor’s eyes and thinking with Trevor mind, you get a strong sense of the emotional triggers and any objections he may have when considering buying from you.
Here are some of the questions you should consider when developing detailed marketing personas.
Demographic: Age, gender, income, education, do they have children, where do they live?
Job: Job type, job title, level of seniority, influence?
A Day in the Life: Work/life balance, how do they have fun, what TV shows do they watch, what type of car do they drive , how do they dress?
Pain Points: What problems do they have and how does that affect them? e.g. bald, feels unattractive, lacks confidence
Values and Goals: What do they care about, what do they want to achieve, what would be the solutions to their pain points?
Information Gathering: Do they go online, read reviews, look for articles, seek referrals, ask social networks?
Expectations: What features do they expect your product/service to have, what would they expect from the sales experience, would they prefer a face-to-face consultation, telephone call or keep things online? How much would they expect to spend on your product/service?
Objections: What fears, dislikes, concerns, negative perceptions might they have?
Once you have created this marketing persona, give him/her a name, find a stock image of this person and pin it on your office wall.
From thereon, filter all your communications through the eyes and mind of your very own Trevor.
This simple exercise will bring focus to your marketing endeavours and improve your engagement rates.
If you’d like to discuss Trevor, hair transplants or need help with your marketing, please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you!