TFC #16: Who Is Your Customer?

Have you ever looked at another business's success and wondered how they make it look so effortless? It's easy to assume that they must have some secret technique or magic formula that we're missing out on.

Here is what I am learning in my journey that I’ve been on the last couple of months. Be sure to keep reading to see how this relates to your business.

After I left Cabentry, I was faced with what felt like 100s of decisions coming my way on what path I would pursue next.

Part of me felt like I should do web design and custom software full-time because I loved being able to meet with and help small businesses in various industries.

Another part of me felt like I should pursue business coaching and help small businesses optimize their processes and become more profitable.

And finally, another part of me wanted to stay in the cabinet industry and help cabinet shops make more money and become less stressed.

I didn’t know which path to choose because I liked certain aspects of each option.

For awhile, I was basically telling people that I could do anything computer or business related for anybody.

It may seem like an obvious decision as you are reading this but I was very conflicted about it. I was hesitant to narrow my potential customers down to the cabinet industry alone. In my mind, the bigger the audience size, the more business potential there was.

I knew better. While working at Cabentry, I spent many hours researching and creating an Ideal Customer Avatar so I could better market to people. I read a lot of books on the idea of defining what your typical customer would look like. I knew that marketing works better with very targeted audiences and very specific messages.

Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller is a great read on this topic for those interested.

Regardless of all of those experiences, I struggled to get past the idea of only serving a very small group of people. I felt like I was missing out.

So what changed for me?

I became more and more comfortable with the fact that my business is not for almost the entire population.

I made up my mind that I was going to focus on being super relevant to 0.002% of people instead of barely relevant to 10% of people.

I made up the 0.002% so don’t dig too deep into the statistics.

That 0.002% would probably get even smaller by the time you factor out the people who don’t resonate with me or don’t like me.

Now, instead of vaguely saying I can help anyone with anything computer or business-related, I could say,

I help English-speaking, cabinet manufacturers, who build custom cabinets, that are innovative and open-minded, that are willing to invest in their business for machinery, software, and services, that are frustrated with their work/life balance, find ways to become more efficient and profitable through software and business advice.

By deciding who I am going to serve, I can create very specific messaging tailored to that specific group of people. I can create very specific content for them, and I can create very specific products and programs for them.

It still needs work because I don’t have any products or programs to sell other than hourly consulting, but it’s a good start. Part of the journey.

So how does this relate to cabinet shops?

A lot of shops will accept any type of job and do just about any type of work for just about anybody.

Part of this can be a good thing because it helps your team develop a broad skillset.

However, the problem is, when we don’t specialize in a certain type of work, or target a specific group of people, we become a solution that can easily be replaced by another company because we are not focused on meeting the needs of that exact customer.

For example, if we are trying to sell to dealers, contractors, luxury homeowners, family home, multi-family homes, and anyone else who might have an opportunity for us, how will all of those people resonate with us?

Similar to my story above, a lot of you might say, well I don’t want to limit the people I can potentially build cabinets for so I simply build anything for anyone.

Here’s the deal. It’s hard to become successful by focusing on everyone.

If you’re trying to serve everyone, there is a good chance people will shop around for different prices and be very difficult to work with because you haven’t positioned yourself as the obvious solution to their problem or need.

If you do anything for anybody and don't really focus on your customers, they are likely to feel undervalued, unimportant, and ignored. Customers want to feel like they are a priority and that their needs are being heard and addressed.

If you are working for the right people, you should be the hero in your customer's story by being a partner who helps them achieve their goals and overcome their challenges. You should listen actively to their needs, understand their pain points, and provide them with tailored solutions that meet their unique requirements. By doing so, you can become an essential part of their journey towards success and make a positive impact on their lives.

Are you the hero for your customers?

This week, take a minute to answer the following questions.

1. Who is my ideal customer?

2. What do they want?

3. What problem do they have?

4. Why do you want to help them?

5. Why are you able to you help them better than someone else?

Imagine if you stopped everything you were doing and focused 100% on serving your ideal customer?

Do you think they would feel it? Do you like they would feel valued?

Would it become more of an enjoyable experience for them instead of a necessary transaction?

There is a lot of pressure to be a custom shop like everyone else. One that will never turn down a job. One that will push through and do it anyways even when the customer is not a match for you and there is little to no profitability. One that works nights and weekends in hopes that things will change in a couple of years.

What if we became crystal clear with who we are serving and provide as much value as we can to the people who resonate with us?

That is when the magic happens and success begins to look effortless.

Thanks for reading. Have a great weekend.