Who is your ideal customer?

[TallTayl]

When building a business, the only way to truly succeed and profit is by knowing your “ideal customer”. We can’t be all things to all people, it’s impossible. We need to whittle down that giant group of potential customers and identify who it is we want to sell to. When we know who those people are, and figure out what motivates them to buy, it’s much easier to get them to fall in love with us and support our businesses. 

 

What age bracket is that ideal person in? 

What financial bracket?

what do they do in their free time? 

Where do they work? 

What do they wear, drive, watch? 

Where do they SHOP?

 

in the beginning of a new brand or venture we’ve all made the same mistakes. We sign up for craft shows because there are loads of people walking around. It does not matter what our product is, how well it’s made, packaged or displayed if “our” customer does not shop there. 

 

Are you able to identify who it is you’re targeting? How well are you able to reach them? 

[Laura C]

47 minutes ago, TallTayl said:

in the beginning of a new brand or venture we’ve all made the same mistakes. We sign up for craft shows because there are loads of people walking around. It does not matter what our product is, how well it’s made, packaged or displayed if “our” customer does not shop there.

 

Thanks for bringing these things up. Those are all great questions and not always easy to answer. And you make a good point above about the craft show. This is all stuff I'm going to have to seriously consider and research. I'm not doing shows right now, I'm not even selling anything right now, LOL, but they are in my future plans.

 

In my area, West Palm Beach to the FL Keys, there's tons of arts & craft shows, farmers markets, etc. all year long, particularly in the fall and winter when tourists and seasonal residents are escaping the cold weather up north. I've been wanting to get out there and be a vendor instead of a customer. 

http://www.sunshineartist.com/events/eventlisting

http://www.craftsfaironline.com/

Edited March 6, 2019 by Laura C

[kandlekrazy]

Today it's be one that I don't have to see or talk to, lol.  All this rain has made them all grumpy and everyone wanting a discount on everything!

[TallTayl]

9 minutes ago, kandlekrazy said:

Today it's be one that I don't have to see or talk to, lol.  All this rain has made them all grumpy and everyone wanting a discount on everything!

This means your target people are not “those” people.

 

#1) Raise your prices and

# 2) don’t have sales or discounts. Seriously. 

[TallTayl]

@Laura C  that tourist market is a huge advantage. People buy experiences and they buy based on experiences. They want a piece of something that moves them to take home. 

[moonshine]

2 hours ago, Laura C said:

 

Thanks for bringing these things up. Those are all great questions and not always easy to answer. And you make a good point above about the craft show. This is all stuff I'm going to have to seriously consider and research. I'm not doing shows right now, I'm not even selling anything right now, LOL, but they are in my future plans.

 

In my area, West Palm Beach to the FL Keys, there's tons of arts & craft shows, farmers markets, etc. all year long, particularly in the fall and winter when tourists and seasonal residents are escaping the cold weather up north. I've been wanting to get out there and be a vendor instead of a customer. 

http://www.sunshineartist.com/events/eventlisting

http://www.craftsfaironline.com/

If I were in your area I would be all over it - huge tourist attraction and when I visited the keys I bought everything in site 😂

Like TT said people buy experiences and who doesn’t like candles....A Florida line or collection with names based off big points of interest in that surrounding area I would think would be huge - especially in a more upscale jar and labeling

most flea markets I went to in southern Florida had jelly jar candles that looked like total crap .....boring....

we stayed at Casa Marina in key west and what I would have paid for a beautiful upscale candle that smelled like that place when you walked in had one been offered- I asked front desk if I could have some of that smell in a bottle to take home 😂

and actually I kinda found it in sweetcakes hotel costes - very similar 

so many things you could run with in that luring the tourist around there into taking a piece of Florida home 😉

 

[Laura C]

1 hour ago, moonshine said:

....A Florida line or collection with names based off big points of interest in that surrounding area I would think would be huge - especially in a more upscale jar and labeling

 

we stayed at Casa Marina in key west and what I would have paid for a beautiful upscale candle that smelled like that place when you walked in had one been offered- I asked front desk if I could have some of that smell in a bottle to take home

 

Yes, actually an upscale beachy/Florida line of candles and wax melts is something I have been thinking about. Key West is a fun place, the Casa Marina is very nice but we haven't stayed there in a long time. As you know, things can get real expensive real fast down there, LOL. That's neat that you bought a candle from a shop down there. 

Edited March 6, 2019 by Laura C

[Laura C]

14 hours ago, TallTayl said:

This means your target people are not “those” people.

 

#1) Raise your prices and

# 2) don’t have sales or discounts. Seriously. 

 

You know, I've been thinking about what you said and you bring up some good points. Since you have experience with this can you please provide some more insight? What's the cues to know when to raise your prices and what's the advantage of not putting your products "on sale"?

 

Here's my guess and I've touched on this before, the perception of quality and value. So if you value your products and price them accordingly then customers will value them too and be willing to pay a good price for them. And that would also mean not to have "sales" as well because it looks like you are devaluing your products. Am I close? I also need to do some more reading and research on this matter, I find it interesting.

Edited March 6, 2019 by Laura C

[kandlekrazy]

14 hours ago, TallTayl said:

This means your target people are not “those” people.

 

#1) Raise your prices and

# 2) don’t have sales or discounts. Seriously. 

This is in our antique malls and our vendors set their prices so not much control over that.  Due to tv shows like American Pickers, everyone thinks they can ask for discounts in stores.

[TallTayl]

41 minutes ago, kandlekrazy said:

This is in our antique malls and our vendors set their prices so not much control over that.  Due to tv shows like American Pickers, everyone thinks they can ask for discounts in stores.

Sooooooo..... these are not your ideal customers then..... what if Joanna Gaines name were on those things? 

[TallTayl]

1 hour ago, Laura C said:

You know, I've been thinking about what you said and you bring up some good points. Since you have experience with this can you please provide some more insight? What's the cues to know when to raise your prices and what's the advantage of not putting your products "on sale"?

Think about retailers in your area that are ALWAYS on sale. Kohls, JC Penney, etc. How do you view their offerings? Would you be happy to pay full price for anything? 

Now compare that to, say, Forever 21 where (aside from the clearance racks) people pay top dollar for similar items happily. 

 

Shopping is an emotional experience. Purchases are largely made based on some desire.

- How will those things make you look/feel? 

- Are you trying to mark some event?

- Are you buying to remember some time in your life that is special?

- Do you want to look and feel luxurious?

 

When i started my first soap brand I was clueless and lost.  I wanted to do something with my young daughter. My story was the same as nearly every newbie to the flooded soap market. I wanted all the buzzwords like all natural, organic, etc.  But that was not "me". And people knew it. I did all the big craft shows, fairs, festivals, etc and learned quickly that even though I live in a very affluent area, my target people did not shop at those types of places. My pool of potential customers were people like me... People who would just rather make the stuff themselves. Everyone can buy from the same exact online raw material sellers, slap on an Avery label and sell it for some modest price. Why would they buy from me?

 

I was at the end of the line after pouring money into the struggling business after 3 years of treating it like a hobby.  I was considering cutting my soap bars in half so I could sell them at a lower price in the hopes of getting some cash flow. Then when looking at the numbers it was just not worth it.  At my very last event when  I was figuring out how to liquidate everything the universe intervened. My neighbor at that event was an artist who claims top dollar for everything she makes and has waiting lists all over the world. She introduced me to my dream pool: the ren faires. My niche market was and still is fantasy. Storytelling. Evoking a feeling that motivates my people to buy without questioning prices.  If I made it, chances are they "need" it. It took 4 full years to figure out that faire. We almost didn't make it to be honest. My hubs wanted to pull up stakes, cut our losses and get me back to corporate work.  I watch new merchants come and go every day. I listen to the complaints from merchants not making money. Their stories are all the same. They don't know how to reach this crowd and don't want to change or evolve to keep people coming back. It's hard, expensive and very frustrating. When you give in to who you are, and who you want to cater to it's not "work" any more. I love everything about it, thinking about next season before this one even starts. I'll share the next chapter of this story shortly.

 

Quote

Here's my guess and I've touched on this before, the perception of quality and value. So if you value your products and price them accordingly then customers will value them too and be willing to pay a good price for them. And that would also mean not to have "sales" as well because it looks like you are devaluing your products. Am I close? I also need to do some more reading and research on this matter, I find it interesting.

I raised my prices 10% last year and sold more than ever in a failing year. There's something to having the confidence to move forward. Having the confidence to turn down (politely) offers that are insulting or not what I want is empowering and motivates the right people to be VERY loyal. 

 

I don't need ALL the customers, just the ones who are thrilled to support my business, evangelize  to their family and friends... When that happens you're no longer trying to "sell" to them.

[Sebleo]

Thank you @TallTayl .  This post is very timely for me. ❣️

[Laura C]

29 minutes ago, TallTayl said:

 I don't need ALL the customers, just the ones who are thrilled to support my business, evangelize  to their family and friends... When that happens you're no longer trying to "sell" to them.

 

44 minutes ago, TallTayl said:

She introduced me to my dream pool: the ren faires. My niche market was and still is fantasy. Storytelling. Evoking a feeling that motivates my people to buy without questioning prices.  If I made it, chances are they "need" it. It took 4 full years to figure out that faire. We almost didn't make it to be honest.

 

Thanks so much for your response. That's awesome info and makes a lot of sense and I enjoyed reading your story. Good for you, good for sticking with it. It's funny you brought up the Renaissance Festival because I love going to them, I love the costumes, especially the fairies and all that fun, magical stuff.   Our festival opens this weekend and my daughter and grand-daughter are coming in town so I hope they will want to go.

[Trappeur]

I have never been to a fairy festival before/no less heard of one but I LOVE fairies and would love to go to one

Are there any in the north georgia mountains or headed down towards Atlanta cause I want to go to one.

 

Trappeur

[TallTayl]

16 minutes ago, Trappeur said:

I have never been to a fairy festival before/no less heard of one but I LOVE fairies and would love to go to one

Are there any in the north georgia mountains or headed down towards Atlanta cause I want to go to one.

 

Trappeur

There are Renaissance fairs and festivals in every single state throughout the entire year! I’m sure you can find one near you. They’re all different and they’re all fantastic

 

 

[Laura C]

28 minutes ago, Trappeur said:

I have never been to a fairy festival before/no less heard of one but I LOVE fairies and would love to go to one

Are there any in the north georgia mountains or headed down towards Atlanta cause I want to go to one.

 

Trappeur

 

Oh they're a lot of fun. Here's some links to ones in GA.

https://www.everfest.com/e/georgia-renaissance-festival-fairburn-ga

https://www.atlanta.net/events/georgia-renaissance-festival/

https://www.garenfest.com/

[Quentin]

I don't know who my customer is and don't know how to find out. The truth of the matter is I don't have any customers. All I've done so far is spend money. 

[TallTayl]

20 minutes ago, Quentin said:

I don't know who my customer is and don't know how to find out. The truth of the matter is I don't have any customers. All I've done so far is spend money. 

At the very early stages it seems paralyzingly impossible to think about who you most want to market to. Start asking yourself who “you” are, why you got into this, what you’re passionate about. Basically settle on your story, and begin storyselling.

 

 

[kandlekrazy]

22 hours ago, TallTayl said:

Sooooooo..... these are not your ideal customers then..... what if Joanna Gaines name were on those things? 

Ha! Probably, but I've been to her store and 90% is new from China, very disappointing.

[TallTayl]

13 minutes ago, kandlekrazy said:

Ha! Probably, but I've been to her store and 90% is new from China, very disappointing.

No doubt ... there’s only enough vintage picked stuff to go around to supply the raging demand.  It’s her story and design eye people are seeking. I totally love the story, having seen some very early home designs that were cringeworthy to their concept now. Very inspiring. 

 

Her relatioship with chip and her family have helped in my own home. It makes it easier to add another critter to the farm, lol. What’s a sheep or two after DH opened the door with a mini donkey for my birthday? It’s only logical, right? Hahahahahahaha

[Paintguru]

This is a great thread.  I do feel like I know who I am...a science nerd that likes to experiment, make things, and improve things...but the tricky part for me is how to turn that into a "brand", brand it as something a target customer would want, or even if I want to brand it off myself vs. choosing a brand/target audience outside myself personally.  The worry early on is you make a mistake because it is so hard to change course with all the red tape involved in running a business.  

[TallTayl]

Excellent points @Paintguru

the one thing you will always do is evolve. Set your business GPS to where you would love to end up.  If you pick the wrong path this time, just let the GPS recalculate the next best path. 

 

A nerdy line line sounds really interesting. You have a great built in story. Share your ideas, trials and wins/losses with your intended market and let them fall in love with you. This line seems like you could introduce a load of one-off things that help test the water and keep things fresh.  People don’t buy impulse and non essential products as much as they buy brands they love, people they want to help succeed. 

 

Check out Outlaw soaps, for instance.

https://www.instagram.com/outlawsoaps/

https://outlawsoaps.com/

 

i met her in person while speaking at a convention.  She showed up with blue hair, a Wonder Woman tiara and spandex blue clothes. She shared her stories about being terrified to speak to potential customers, how she plowed through it and how her brand evolves every living day.  She is her brand.  Her logo is from a tattoo she got years ago. She’s quirky, fun, and totally on brand on point with everything. Test marketing is super easy when you have an audience that gets a kick out of getting to know YOU!

[Laura C]

1 hour ago, TallTayl said:

Check out Outlaw soaps, for instance.

https://www.instagram.com/outlawsoaps/

https://outlawsoaps.com/

 

i met her in person while speaking at a convention.  She showed up with blue hair, a Wonder Woman tiara and spandex blue clothes. She shared her stories about being terrified to speak to potential customers, how she plowed through it and how her brand evolves every living day.  She is her brand.  Her logo is from a tattoo she got years ago. She’s quirky, fun, and totally on brand on point with everything. Test marketing is super easy when you have an audience that gets a kick out of getting to know YOU!

 

She does have a unique brand and nice packaging.

[Paintguru]

35 minutes ago, Laura C said:

 

She does have a unique brand and nice packaging.

 

Definitely has a target audience too.  Good stuff.

[TallTayl]

Thought of the day on this topic: 

“I” am not usually my own Ideal Customer. “I” would look at an item offered for sale and probably just make it myself if “I” liked it enough. My wallet and bank account would be lighter than when I started. That is the opposite goal of a business. 

 

 

When we are at a craft fair, farmers market, Mall, etc. and see a few crowded shops with people happily parting with their money, what is it that motivates those buyers to open their wallets? How can we reach that type of person?