Posted on Wednesday, 13th August 2008 by CopywritingCat
Before developing a website, your first will be, “Discover what your clients want.” But how do you find out what your clients and prospects really want?
“Ask your clients.”
That’s good advice…if you know *how* to ask, not just *who* and “what” to ask. For instance, clients often tell you what they think you want to hear. And they want to present themselves in a favorable light.
The answer:
Get your target audience to tell stories. They’ll become less self-conscious, especially when they describe an imaginary “typical” buyer of your services. They might be describing themselves, but they feel safer.
For example:
“Imagine a male who might buy my financial advising service. How old is he? What’s is occupation? What led up to the decision?”
“Tell me about someone you know who might hire a life coach during a transition time. What led up to the decision? What was the choice process?”
You’ll get tons of information and ideas. For instance, you might discover that several members of your target market paint disparaging pictures of the imaginary client. “She’s a ditzy type,” or, “He’s got a big ego.” Now you know why they avoid hiring you.
You’ll build bridges with clients. You can use their words to write content and promotional pieces.
Clients enjoy the exercise. You’re not asking them to think, let alone work. When I’ve used this method, sometimes I have to set time limits — we’re having too much fun.
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Tags: client attraction, internet marketing, market research, storytelling, website marketing
Posted in Professional Services Marketing, copywriting, creativity
