3 Ways to Attract the Customers You Deserve How to be the go-to problem-solver for your desired target market.

By Ivan Misner

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

If you've yet to read 2020's, The Connector Effect by Dr. Ivan Misner, Graham Weihmiller and Robert Skrob (or the current podcast it spawned), below is a crash course on all that these networking gurus preach when it comes to corralling the ideal customer.

For starters — and within two minutes, tops — write a response to each of the below questions or requests. Don't overthink your answers and know that the more you treat this as a lightning-round style exercise, the more you'll get out of it.

Describe your ideal customer

Many would-be marketers fail because they never define a target client. Instead, they use words like "everybody" or "anybody." Defining a target market gives referral partners a mental picture of the best customer to refer to you.

Answer the following if your clients are consumers:

  1. Think of a person who is already a great customer for you: what area do they live in?
  2. What is their family status and profession?
  3. How does their household income compare with the average?
  4. What are they planning, bragging or complaining about?

If your clients are other businesses, answer these questions:

  1. Think of a company that is already a great customer for you: What line of business is that customer in?
  2. What's the approximate size?
  3. Who makes the buying decisions for your product or service?
  4. What's the problem they are trying to solve when buying your product?

By being specific you are serving your chapter members by giving them a clear idea of your ideal patron. The more detailed you are, the more effective they will be in finding those referrals for you.

Related: I Started a Business, Now What? 4 Tips to Maintain Success.

What problems are you solving for these assets?

Too many business people talk about their products and services. This sounds self-serving but, in actuality, talking about the problems you solve makes you into a giver who attracts customers.

  1. List at least three problems your good customer has that makes them ideal for your business.
  2. What is the worst thing that could possibly happen to your clients if their problems aren't solved?
  3. What is the best thing that can happen once their problems are solved?
  4. Do you have success stories to illustrate how you help your customers? (Client testimonials are a great way to give your network a clearer idea of what exactly you deliver and they demonstrate that your group members can trust you to deliver what you promise.)

Related: 4 Steps to Become a Data-Driven Business

Perfect your presentation

Now let's pull the above information into a brief presentation.

Here are the three elements of the perfect business introduction:

  1. State your professional classification.
  2. Tell a brief story about a problem you solved for a customer.
  3. Request a referral – who do you know who is [insert target customer] who suffers from the issue you corrected. Be specific!

Once you learn how to create these presentations for your business, you can use this skill for any club, charity or campaign you lead.

Related: What Brands Need to Know About Social Commerce

Ivan Misner

Entrepreneur Leadership Network® VIP

Bestselling Author

Dr. Ivan Misner is a New York Times bestselling author and co-author of the bestselling book, Networking Like a Pro (Entrepreneur Press 2017). He is also the founder and chief visionary officer of BNI, the world's largest referral marketing and networking organization.

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

Business News

Costco Isn't Facing Devastating Surges in Theft Like Target and Walmart — and the Reason Is Very Simple

The retailer's CFO revealed its strategy during a fourth-quarter-earnings call.

Business News

'Please Fix This': Elon Musk Frantically Emails Employees During Livestream Glitch

Musk attempted to livestream his visit to the U.S.-Mexico border.

Business News

These NYC Roommates Created a Fake Restaurant and Accidentally Garnered a 2,000-Person Waitlist — So They Opened a Pop-up for Real.

The Gen Z'ers dubbed their apartment "Mehran's Steak House" on Google Maps during the pandemic.

Branding

Want to Improve Your Brand's Storytelling? Shift Your POV to Tell a Better Narrative. Here's How.

In a crowded digital media environment of voluntary engagement, brand storytelling isn't enough to grab attention. You must approach the story from the right perspective — your customer's.

Business News

Video: Mass Flooding Takes Over NYC Streets, Subways and Parks

All of New York City is under a state of emergency.

Personal Finance

5 Entrepreneurial Mindset Principles That Empower Financial Literacy

Adopting the right mindset is key to financial literacy. Follow these five guiding principles to enhance your understanding of wealth creation and growth.