Before you invest any time, money or other resources into your marketing and promotions, shouldn't you start by defining who your ideal customer is?

Buyer personas define the traits and characteristics of your ideal customers. They help you understand your customers (and prospective customers) better, and make it easier for you to conduct your marketing activities around the specific needs, behaviors, and concerns of different groups.

An effective buyer persona should provide insights about your customers' decision-making process -- the attitudes, concerns and criteria that drive prospective customers to choose your services over those of your competition (or to not 'buy' at all).

Buyer personas help you to understand why a prospective client might invest their time and money in your solutions for themselves or their business. Personas should, at a minimum, answer the following questions:

1. Who are they? Define your ideal customer demographically - gender, age, and education
2. What is their market or industry? Company size, industry, revenue range, etc.
3. What does their day-to-day look like? What are they doing, who do they interact with, and what decisions are they required to make?
4. What are their primary challenges or roadblocks? Make sure to relate these challenges to the services and solutions you provide.
5. What are their goals and objectives? Your ideal customer will, at some point, need to address their goals for their company, themselves, their families, etc.
6. Where do they go for information? Try to identify what sources they consult to research solutions and how they make a purchase decision.
7. What’s important to them in selecting a consultant or advisor? Price, service, perceived value of your offering, ROI, your knowledge and experience, track record, etc.
8. What are their most common objections? Think about what you commonly hear from clients as to why they don't engage with an advisor - or even you, specifically - or why they perceive your consulting services won’t meet their needs.

The strongest buyer personas are based on market research, and include your own insights gleaned from your actual customer base (through surveys, interviews, etc.). Depending on your firm's marketing goals, you may have just one or two personas, or as many as five or more.

Once you understand who your target client really is, what they care about, and how they make decisions, then you can determine the best way to communicate with them to maximize your marketing investment.

Want a little help with building your own buyer personas? Click HERE to download a free copy of the worksheet.

Want to learn about marketing tips and techniques? Check out these free webinars.

We'd love to know what you think, please comment below or email Sue, slewis@corevalueforadvisors.com.

Registration is open:  #DRIVEGROWTH, the CoreValue-Powered Advisor Annual Conference. Boston MA November 6/7 2019.  Learn, Share, Network with this great community.  

Don't forget to forward and share.