Whether you’re leading a manufacturing business or you’re a silver entrepreneur, it’s important to be clear on who you’re selling your products, services, or ideas to – literally. 

You can’t sell to just anyone and everyone. 

Therefore, having a clear picture of your ideal customer or your customer avatar will make it then easier for you to define your value proposition as they’re both interwoven. 

Based on the customer avatar worksheet by the Digital Marketer, here are some steps to create your ideal customer:

1. Look at their goals and values.

What are the goals and values important to your ideal customer? (ex. Quality, customer service, etc.) What are they focusing on? They have to match what you want to do. 

2. Look at their sources of Information

Knowing their sources of information is critical to help you determine “where” your customer is right now (ex. where they hang out online or in-person, books they read or stuff they’re listening to, gurus they follow).

3. Assign them actual demographic information.

This section includes all the usual facts – like the person’s age, gender, marital status, income, job title, and so on. Create a quote for your customer avatar to help you get inside the head of your customer.

4. Think about their challenges and pain points.

Not only will this help spur ideas for new products or services that can help solve your avatar’s problems, it can also help you write an ad or copy that speaks to their pain points, compelling them to take action. 

5. Look at the objections and role in the purchase process.

Think about the reasons your customer avatar might choose NOT to buy your product or service. These are called “objections” that must be addressed in your marketing. Your ideal customer’s decision-making process is paramount to the success of your marketing and sales campaigns. And so, it’s best to talk to whoever can make the buying decision. 

Build Multiple Avatars

Start by building a single avatar – but don’t stop there. Your business almost certainly has more than one ideal buyer. Any lucrative market segment – with a distinct set of goals, information sources, pain points, etc. – definitely deserves a customer avatar.