One mistake I see a lot of small business owners make is to develop their marketing messages without researching the solutions their ideal clients are actually seeking.
Let me explain...
Many of us think of our marketing like this:
Come up with a business idea → Develop our service offers and marketing message -→ Seek prospects to market to
The problem with this is that it fails to understand one very important point:
Your business should be the solution to your ideal client’s problems.
The fact is, for most people, their search for your solution will come when they’re feeling frustrated with something in their life. So, your offer needs to speak to your prospects' fears, frustrations, wants and aspirations.
In that case, our marketing should look a bit more like:
Discover your prospects deepest aspirations and pain points → Develop your marketing message to position your offer as a solution → Attract your ideal client
Therefore, once you start to see your business as a solution for your clients, it makes the marketing journey far simpler.
Here’s my 3-step process to ensure your solutions are meeting your prospects needs and how to market them effectively:
The 3 main steps to map the perfect customer journey for your solution
STEP 1: It all comes down to RESEARCH
It starts with knowing who your ideal client is. Only when you know WHO you’re targeting will you be able to pinpoint the right solution.
Then, it pays to have a good view of the market you’re operating in and the alternatives your clients have instead of working with you. Take a look at my last post on how to conduct market research to get started.
The final piece of the puzzle?
Having a deeper understanding of what your ideal clients are struggling with, as well as the solutions they’re seeking.
The easiest way to do this is to simply ASK.
You can do this by surveying your email list and talking to existing and former clients.
Ask open-ended questions like:
- What are you struggling with right now?
- What would your life/ business look like in an ideal world?
- What prompted you to look for my services?
- What has working with me allowed you to do differently in your life/ business?
What’s the ‘keeping them up at night’ moment your clients are experiencing? At what point in their life or business does this become a problem?
You can then start to target your messaging on your website and social media to capture their attention at this point.
What’s the ‘transformation’ that working with you provides?
By transformation, we simply mean - how has their life or business changed since working with you?
It helps to think of this as the ‘Before ---> After’ transition. For example, in the case of a parenting coach:
Before: her prospects feel hopeless and guilty. Tired of yelling and chastising their kids, but not getting anywhere even after reading dozens of parenting books.
After: they feel confident in their parenting decisions. Confident to say no and maintain boundaries, which means their kids feel more secure too - so the home is a happier, calmer place.
Having insights from your clients about the specifics of those ‘Before’ challenges and the ‘After’ results, you can craft marketing messages that are far more compelling.
STEP 2: Be clear on how you help your clients get results
Now that you understand the ‘Before ---> After’ journey, it’s time to look at the ‘During’ stage - i.e. how do your clients get from point A to point B?
Map out:
- The steps required in your process
- The time investment your client will need to make
- The time frame before they see results
Being clear on these points means you can answer any FAQs or head off objections in sales calls with prospects.
STEP 3: Take stock of your current marketing & sales process
How effective are your current marketing efforts in communicating the transformation?
Take an objective look at your marketing assets - website, social media, email etc… Are they doing your solutions justice now that you have a clear idea of what your ideal clients are searching for?
How easy is it for your prospects to choose to work with you?
Does your sales and onboarding process make it easy for your prospects to say YES to your solution? Be sure to remove any unnecessary steps to connecting with you or booking a sales call.
It’s clear that understanding your prospects' deepest pain points and aspirations for their life and business is a crucial step in how you develop and market your business offers.
I hope this post has been helpful in reframing your marketing to ensure your solutions are meeting your client’s needs.
Struggling with visualising how this can work for your business? I’d love to help. Book your free, no-obligation, call here and we can chat it through.