Understanding your target market is CRITICAL.

So, let me share this example from an insurance commercial with you:

“Are you between the ages of 18 and 80?

Then you are eligible for life insurance”

This is horrible.  In my opinion, it comes from a mindless marketer who is out of touch with today's marketing methods.

And this just amplifies me how important it is to know WHO our target market is for our business.

Think about it.

18-80??

This is like saying “hey, are you someone who is BREATHING? Then you can get life insurance”

Talk about casting a wide target market net.

What about the emotional message? WHERE is it?

What DESPERATE desire or NEED are these dudes tapping into?

I would imagine an 18 year old has a different need (if any) from a 75 or 80 year old when it comes to life insurance.

So this marketing FAILS.

Because it’s called “shotgun” marketing.

Even if they get clients, they could be getting a WHOLE LOT MORE – EASILY – if they knew what to say in their advertising…

…TO a specific target market audience.

And they’re not the only ones.

I see this target market mistake OVER AND OVER with entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Heck, my favourite are some of the realtors I’ve talked to. They have a “cast a big net” mindset.

I always imagine seeing a realtor billboard with them pointing to a picture of a globe. The slogan says “do you want to live here? Call me, I’ll find you the best home.”

As funny as this sounds, there ARE so many entrepreneurs (not just realtors) marketing like this.

Because they are trying to cast a HUGE net to grab as many prospects as possible.

If you can’t tell me simply, in one sentence who you’re helping, and what you’re helping them with…you’ve got some work to do.

Let’s take the realtor example again.

Here is a REAL answer I get when I ask “who are you helping?”

“Anyone who wants to buy a house”

That’s still not good enough.

It’s TOO broad. It's NOT a target market.

What they need is a statement that defines the market a bit more – something that helps ‘open the door’ to conversations.

Just so we’re on the same page, I’ll give you an example of who I help:

“Entrepreneurs who are struggling with marketing and selling their products or services online.”

Even though that’s relatively “broad”, when you read it, I think it’s pretty clear that I focus on:

– people who ALREADY HAVE a product or service.
– And not those who want to create one.

Even though I COULD help the latter.

I’ll make this target market example easier playing out how this might work for me at a networking event or something:

Let’s say you’re a coach or consultant who wants to sell more coaching spots. And you’re struggling with Facebook ads (read: marketing).

Don’t you think it might pique your interest if I said “I make it easier for entrepreneurs to market and sell their products and services online” when you ask what I do?

Notice I didn’t say anything about Facebook ads here because I don’t KNOW that yet about you.

But I did (in this example) hit the CORE need. You “need” to get your Facebook ads working.

So now, you might go on to tell me how your Facebook ads aren’t converting.

Perhaps you’ve already bought programs that promise to teach you how to run Facebook ads. But it’s STILL not working for you.

Can you see how this situation opens up an opportunity for me to invite you to join my Strategic Profit Lab Insiders’ Circle?

Because in my Strategic Profit Lab Insiders’ Circle, I’m actually holding your hand, walking you through step by step actionable information that can get you results quickly and not just ten years from now.

Now.

Before you think about sending me a message telling me “you need to be even more specific”, I’m not talking about a headline, a webinar title or anything along those lines here…

I am totally aware we need to be more specific in the actual marketing message of the “thing” we’re selling.

Such as “I help coaches master Facebook Ads to sell their services.”

But for this blurb, all I want to focus on, is how to get the attention of my ideal prospects in a crowded space.

I'm looking for them to ask “what do you mean?”

The same goes for you.

What’s your “door opener?”

WHO do you help?

WHAT do you help them do?

Without sounding like it’s a rehearsed elevator pitch?

Forget about marketing yourself as the EVERYTHING to EVERYONE.

And btw, whenever you’re ready to dial in your marketing message, consider joining us over at the Strategic Profit Lab.

– onward.

Joey

This is a repost of my response in a Facebook group to someone who wants to sell online, but having challenges.

It really doesn’t matter what the product or service is…

…if you’re having trouble selling it – HERE’S the question to ask yourself:

Are people LOOKING for your product or service?

You know me – I’m very blunt and to the point.

Because I don’t think we have the luxury of wasting time if we want to sell online.

The online world just moves too quickly.

So my job is to help you get really clear so you can sell online.

Here we go:

There are TWO ways of marketing our products and services to sell online.

1. FIND a hungry market looking to fix or prevent something and create the solution – this is the easy way.

2. CREATE a product or service and then try to FIND the market to sell to – the harder way.

In this particular instance, she was in situation #2.

I'm not saying you CAN'T sell your product if you’ve created it first, and trying to FIND the market.

Nor am I suggesting you scrap the entire idea and throw in the towel.

I AM, however, saying it’s HARDER to sell online if you create a product first, and then going out to FIND the market to sell to.

Again, my job is to call out the elephant in the room, put my “client” into reality and we work from there to make things work.

So, if you’re asking questions like:

“what do I need to do to make people see they need my training”

“how do I make people understand they need this?”

“where do I find people who would want my product?”

I'm sorry to say, this is a CHALLENGING position. (I say that with the most love)

So I want to help you sell online.

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If you need to convince or show people they need something…

and it’s not working…

Your marketing needs a different ANGLE.

I'm thinking about the Heimlich as an example.

Most people don't think about it – or even WANT it (until they really need it)

But it can be a lucrative business if the MESSAGE is positioned in front of the RIGHT market in the RIGHT way.

For example, if the Heimlich message said:

“How many seconds does your child have to live after swallowing something that blocks her airway?

In the few seconds it takes you to learn the Heimlich, you could save your child's life – or anyone else around you“

It's not the best copy or example…but I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this.

Even writing this example, it pulled on my OWN heartstrings because I have children.

And THAT'S my point about how to sell online

Now, I would imagine YOUR product doesn't take ‘seconds' to learn.

However, if it’s not selling, you need to find another angle to position it EMOTIONALLY.

Here’s another example.

Let’s take a look at selling insurance.

Most people don't buy protection for themselves.

They buy insurance because of the people AROUND them.

Example.

If I wanted to sell a dude some insurance, I might say:

“Let's say for a moment, you close the door behind you today and go to work as usual. But you don't come home. Something happens and you die suddenly. Now, you've left your wife and kids alone. Does she know how to carry on? Does she know where you left the deed to the house? Does she know your passwords for the files, bank accounts?”

As you can see, if I'm selling insurance or some sort of protection – I'm not talking about the preventing the person from dying;

I'm talking about the dude's wife and family and what could happen AFTER he dies.

So these examples are not “copy” templates or anything like that.

I’m just spit-ballin’ off the top of my head just to give you an idea of how to approach the market from different angles to sell your products and services.

Here's another related post: 3 Must-Know Internet Marketing Questions

Hope it helps