Not everybody is going to love every single thing your business does.
Sometimes you may change or update a product or service that get’s some negative backlash.
You might decide to close a location, or open a new location, or terminate a service, or offer a new service.
Basically, sometimes you may zig, when ”Some People” wanted you to zag. (“Some People” can be defined as not your ideal customer or client)
But this kind of business evolution is important.
It’s how fortunes are made, empires are built, and lasting cultural movements are formed.
It’s also how businesses can rise above the noise and be heard in a noisy world.
If everyones wearing red, it’s going to be pretty easy to spot the person (Ie Business) wearing blue. (More often than not, you want to be the person wearing blue… metaphorically of course)
But here’s the kicker, what if “Some People” really like red? Or worse, what if they hate blue!
Well… that’s ok.
I wrote about how always seeking to be original at all costs can actually be a pretty risky strategy.
This is especially true if your target market doesn’t seem to resonate with your special blend of originality. Be that red, blue, young, old, modern, traditional, whatever.
The reality is however, that we can’t be all things to all people, so the goal should always be trying to be the right thing, to the right people.
This in turn builds true fans, brand ambassadors, and lifelong loyal customers.
Who Are Your Right People? (Ie Ideal Customers)
Ideal customers are those that are most likely to become your businesses brand ambassadors.
There seems to be a perfect fit between their needs, and the products or services you offer.
Before you identify your ideal customers, you first need to identify your businesses core defining principles.
These are things like:
1. What do you do?
2. How do you do it?
3. Why do you do it?
4. What makes your business unique?
5. What value do you provide to the marketplace?
These are your no-compromise variables.
They are in essence, what makes you, you. (Or your business, your business.)
When you know what you do and why you do it, you can then really hone in on who you ideal customer is.
This in turn is actually pretty easy, because your ideal customer will be someone who best understands, needs, and appreciates the value that you provide, and best relates to your core defining principles.
And ideal customers are by far the most likely to become brand ambassadors.
- (The flip side of this is to first identify a market segment, and then go about designing your business entirely around them. But we can talk about that another time.)
Be You, For Them
The beauty of first outlining your core defining principles is that it’s a lot easier to be authentic.
Authenticity is pure business gold as people don’t like to be “sold” to, but they do like to be “helped” by real and genuine people and businesses.
When you stay true to yourself and your business, you attract the right kind of customers.
The ideal kind of customers.
The kind of customers that like what you do, and how you do it.
Brand Ambassadors are made when customers like and appreciate:
- What do you do?
- How do you do it?
- Why do you do it?
- What makes your business, company, or organization unique?
- What value are you really providing to the marketplace?
And when they feel the same way.
The takeaway point is this.
The best way to build brand ambassadors is by being authentic and focusing on the people you can help, and forgetting about those that just don’t get it.
