Does your business deliver A+ service on an average day?
A growing business relies on well-designed systems that can be run by average people.
If you’re relying on superhuman efforts (you’re over-dependent on your top employees, everyone’s putting in overtime, or the owner is never off the clock), any new volume creates a massive risk. When that star employee leaves or people burn out, everything either gets bogged down or done poorly – or both.
A business cannot sustain remarkable results over time by luck or hard work. It only happens by design. The reality is that you cannot do anything for everyone. You and your business are uniquely positioned to help a segment of the population achieve a specific result. Dialing in on who you’re for and what problem you’re solving means making difficult decisions about who you’re not for, and what problems you’re not going to solve.
Exceptional… For Who?
The easiest way to get stuck in a mediocre business is by failing to develop the tools to identify, connect with, and serve your best-fit customers.
To put it frankly, if a leader is unwilling to make hard decisions about their niche, or they’re too scared of turning anyone off, they must try to appeal to everyone… and the business ends up fading into the background.
Moving Beyond Demographics
When I ask a business owner who their target audience is, the answer is usually based on the target’s age, gender, and geographical location. Typically, it sounds like: “My audience is males between 18-40 in the GTA.”
That’s a start, but it doesn’t tell you anything about what they want or why they’re a natural fit for your company.
Here are 7 other factors you might incorporate to build out a complete profile of your best-fit customer:
Psychographics: What do they value? (some examples are: speed vs. thoroughness, relationships vs. efficiency, or innovation vs. proven track record)
Situational Factors: What brought them to you? Where are they in the lifecycle of their business or project? Are they a first-time buyer for this product/service, or are they looking to switch? Are they DIY-ers looking for expert guidance, or do they want a ‘done-for-you’ solution?
Motivations: What do they expect to be different after working with you? What’s the main problem they are trying to solve? And what’s the impact in their life that success will have?
Dislikes: What’s been their experience in working with others in your industry, or trying to solve their problem? (If you’re selling used cars, they might be coming in with a lot of resistance…)
Readiness: How much hand-holding will they require? Are they looking for quick action, or extensive nurturing? Is it an emergency, or are they planning ahead?
Context: Who or what are you competing against? What would they do if you didn’t exist?
Digging deep into developing your best-fit customer profile will help you refine your marketing strategies and key messages. It will speed up your sales cycle, improve retention, and allow you to scale using systems, scripts, and templates designed exactly for this kind of client.
One last point… none of this means you are only allowed to do business with someone who exactly fits your profile! Of course, others will find you and buy from you as well. But when you are confident your average employee, on a typical day, and give exceptional service and results to your best-fit clients, you’re ready to grow.
Determining your best-fit customer profile lets you make strategic decisions about where to excel, what to let go of, who to hire, and how to train your team. Rather than limiting your options, it allows you to be the very best at something unique – and that is always worth a premium.
ActionCLUB members are doing an exclusive hands-on workshop with me on Feb 20 to answer these questions and more…
Apply now to join us: Grab your tickets
And you can add it to your calendar here: Add to calendar
The 12 Week Year: By Brian P. Moran & Michael Lennington
The 12 Week Year is a useful reframing if you’ve ever noticed how easy it is for annual goals to lose momentum. By treating twelve weeks as a full “year,” the book encourages sharper focus, clearer priorities, and a healthier sense of urgency around what actually matters.
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