It is important to have a target market, because we can't serve everyone. However, many business owners still try to; but, doing this is like taking a shotgun approach to marketing to see if you get lucky and hit something.

Do you really want to work with "everyone"? My guess is your answer to this question is "no", because not everyone is an energetic match for you. You're saying, "Huh?" What does she mean by an "energetic match"?

The Missing Link

After coaching hundreds of entrepreneurs on this topic, I have finally found the missing link in "target market" talk. Typical target market talk only addresses the "outer" world. When asked to define your target market, you may have been asked in the past to identify your target market's:

* Age

* Sex

* Marital status

* Occupation

* Problem they need solved

or

* Industry

* Number of employees

* Number of years in business

* Annual revenues

* Geographic location

Let us pause for a second. Does this information really help you narrow down who is your target market? Does it help you develop a focused, specific message that will stand out and address what your market wants? Probably not.

What we are interested in is defining THE PROBLEM our target market wants solved, and we want to be chosen as THE PROBLEM SOLVER. Nevertheless, how do we go about making sure this happens? Well, I have a little tip for you.

Address Inner and Outer Worlds

Up to this point, we have established that addressing only the "outer" world will not work for many of us to attract our target market. However, if we combine the outer world with the "inner" world, we will magnetize and attract our "Ideal Client" to our business.

Shift your thinking from," Who is my target market?" to "Who is my Ideal Client?"

To move closer to identifying who your Ideal Client is, ask yourself these questions:

1. What values are important to me?

2. What is my brand's message?

3. What commonalities do I have with other people in my situation?

4. What gets me excited about being in this business?

5. What would I expect from someone, like me, if I were the client?

Let the answers to these introspective questions clue you in and lead you closer to defining who your Ideal Client is. Answering these questions connects you to a type of person with whom you are an energetic, even synergistic match. You and your Ideal Client are drawn together like magnets, and they recognize right away that working with you is necessary. They just "feel" it.

Your ideal client is usually someone like you, who is taking the same journey you are. However, they are ALWAYS in a different and earlier phase of the journey. To understand and embrace this concept is the laying of the golden egg. This is because your Ideal Client will recognize you have been where they are right now. You have successfully navigated through the challenges they are currently facing, have gained experience and wisdom, and can help them solve their problem.

When you get clear about whom your Ideal Client is, you can share the successful experiences of your journey with them. Moreover, they will pay you for doing this!

To help you further define who your Ideal Client is, carry out the following action items:

1. Focus on the values and qualities of your Ideal Client; what are they? Do they value expertise, creativity, or having fun?

2. If your "brand" archetype is "ruler", you're probably not going to attract "jester" type clients.

3. Make a list of your past clients. What do these people have in common with you?

4. What "excites" your clients (Hint: it will excite you, too!)?

5. What do these people expect from you?

6. Think about your journey. What did it take you to get where you are? Be willing to share this expertise, and profit from it.

Give yourself permission to proceed to seek out, find, and work with your Ideal Client. Working with people who are not your ideal clients, with whom you do not share the same values, is energy depleting, unproductive and unprofitable.

Shift your focus to include both the "inner" and "outer" worlds when defining your target market and Ideal Clients. If you do, you will naturally attract more clients and income into your business!

Copyright 2008 Bonita L. Richter and Profit Strategies.