Anyone in sales knows the importance of having a target to aim for. But how many of these salespeople are going about it in the right way?
There are dangers of not having a focus. Whatever market you're in, you most likely have a lot of competition standing between you and the consumer. Narrowing your focus to one specific demographic give potential customers a reason to notice you before the rest.
"If you're not differentiating yourself in the marketplace, what happens is the consumer looks at price as being the motivator. If you don't know specifically which customers you are speaking to, you are actually speaking to no one.
That means you can't be afraid to exclude certain types of consumer from your marketing or to target your advertising at small groups. Some customers will feel left out, but those are the strategies necessary for a successful business.
Know your Unique Selling Position
Your USP is the one thing or idea that sets your business favourably apart from your competitors'. It's a statement of the advantages you bring to your customers that differentiate you from your competitors.
Think about what makes your business unique and distinct? Why should people buy from you and not from your competitors? Do you promise great value, benefits or service?
Where does your target market live? What keywords are they using to search for my product (try keyword search through Google)? What does my target market look like? How do they talk? What trends are they focused on? What price range would they pay? All of those questions are critical to how you design your campaign and where you run your campaign.
Put yourself in your market's shoes– Once you’ve got your target market narrowed down, it’s time to step into your market’s shoes. Write down as many concerns that your target market might have with your product. This is where you put a "defense" into your selling campaign. In this way, you can erase their fears by thinking of it first.
Different Kinds of Targeting Strategies
Some of the most popular and frequently used targeting strategies are consumer marketing strategy, behavioral targeting, contextual targeting, and segment marketing. The common link of most of these targeting strategies is based around identifying the needs of your target audience and tailoring your marketing efforts so that you meet their needs and wants.
The bottom line is that you cannot go after new clients blindly. Do your homework – know where your market is – really understand their pain points and needs – and be ready with ways to alleviate these "pain points".
Marco Giunta
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