An Ideal Customer Profile is a small but mighty tool. Referring to a single-page document, you and your team can align on a number of things, from the products you sell to how you reach and serve your customers.
Here are five decisions your Ideal Customer Profile can help you make.
1. WHO to sell to
Don’t waste your time marketing and selling to prospects who are unlikely to become happy and loyal customers. By clearly articulating who your ideal customer is — and also who she is not! — you’ll be more effective and cost-efficient in your sales and marketing.
2. WHAT to offer
Your ideal customer profile can help you make decisions about what to offer your customers, including:
- Functionality, because you’ll know what they need
- Features, because you’ll know what they value most
- Integrations or tie-ins with other products, because you’ll know what other products or services they’re using
3. WHEN to reach out to prospects
Is there a moment when your prospects are more likely to purchase? Is there something else that happens right before your offering becomes relevant?
Try to find those magic moments and reach your prospects when the time is right.
4. WHERE to find prospects
Put your marketing dollars to work. What events do your prospects attend? What publications do they read? What content do they follow?
Learn where your prospects “hang out,” both online and off.
5. HOW to communicate with prospects
Skip the jargon and speak in your customer’s language. Then, deliver those words in a tone that is reflective of your brand voice.
