Growth & Scalability Comes From Knowing Your Target Audience Better Than They Know Themselves
One morning eleven years ago, I looked into the bathroom mirror…and what I saw looking back at me scared me.
I didn’t pull out my phone and take a picture, but I can tell you it looked an awful lot like this:
I was still in my mid-twenties.
And in that moment, I had a scary thought:
“Wow, is this IT?? Is this what owning a business is really like? Feeling forced to deal with clients that are never satisfied all day long? Will it be like this for the rest of my life?”
That may sound a bit dramatic, but at the time it was an absolute reality.
Here’s why:
For about 18 months I had hustled to get my photography company off the ground…
…by offering cheap or free photo shoots to build up my portfolio, all sorts of grassroots marketing, and saying ‘yes’ to practically every photo opportunity that came my way…
…and then dragging myself home, say a quick ‘hello’ to my wife, and plop myself in front of the computer and start editing away.
It was not exactly the dream I had of being my own boss.
As you probably know, I turned the tables and never looked back.
Here’s one the ‘lightbulb moments’ that did it for me:
I discovered that I didn’t have to accept whatever type of client came my way…that I could actually attract a specific type of client…one that I actually WANTED to work with.
Long story short, that ‘a-ha’ resulted in doubling my annual revenue year after year, being flown out to shoot events all over the country, and working less than I ever had before.
I won’t lie – that growth and recognition felt nice.
But what’s really turned my life around is taking what I’ve learned and sharing it with others…
…and helping others to experience that same life upgrade.
And I’m talking about those that have just launched their ‘big idea’…to those already in the trenches that are looking to break through to a higher level.
“Success and happiness in life is never meaningful until you make it about someone else rather than yourself.” I couldn’t agree more.
The key is to zero in on who you are best equipped to serve.
Who is that perfect client that you would magically clone again and again if you could?
What outcomes can you help that person achieve every time?
What type of person gets you stoked out of your mind to help?
To do this effectively, you need to DIVE DEEP. It’s not just a surface level, name/age/city sort of thing. It’s a hopes/fears/dreams/goals type of thing.
When I went from “anyone interested in photography”…
…to “working professional with an established career, lives in the city, loves the outdoors, values her time and is willing to hire professionals because the results will be far superior, is afraid of not creating a truly memorable experience for herself and her family/friends, prioritizes relationships above all, wants her photographer to capture all the emotions and candid moments without being all up-in-yo-grill all the time…
…that’s when things started hummin. I got deep with who I serve best and why. And it made everything SO MUCH EASIER.
Yes, it takes time. And research. And conversations. And questions.
But it also gives you specific insight. And that insight gives you powerful leverage. Because instead of marketing to the masses with a generic message, you are now honing in a very specific person who, when they read your message, will think to herself “What the?? Is this person talking specifically to me?”
(yes, I’ve had clients tell me that before)
Taking the time to truly understand who you’re passionate about serving (as well as who you are NOT) will provide a fast track to growth and scale that are hard to come by otherwise.
Announcement: I will be holding a 3-day Golden Client Identifier Challenge at the end of April to help you go deep with exactly who you want to serve.
Fill out the form below to receive more information about the challenge once it’s officially set.