Market research? Sounds dull AF, boring and soooo time-consuming, doesn’t it?
Yup, so I thought so. But, I’ve found a way to make it life-affirming, confidence-boosting, and (mic drop) fun!
Plus, profitable.
But, before we get to the meat, let’s figure out if you need to do any research.
First, a question. Who are you? Are you a life coach, a social media consultant, nutritionist, a therapeutic healer?
Heads up, you’re not any of the above. You are a problem solver.
I am a problem solver. You are a problem solver. All biz-owners are problem solvers.
We are all in the business of solving problems for our people. But if I was to ask you what problems you solve for your clients, what would you say?
Hmm, errm, gosh?
(Sorry, but, in these noisy, internety, shouty times, hmm, errm, gosh ain’t gonna cut it)
There is only one way to get to know your people’s problems and that’s to ask them.
| Why? Cos your people are fed up with being yelled at, advertised to, manipulated, dehumanized and commoditized (I know I bloody am) So when we come across a business that talks our language, that gets where we’re at and speaks to our deepest desires, we open our eyes, hearts, and pretty often, our wallets.
And you know the best way to talk to your people? Just talk to your people.
Have a gander at this post I published recently.
From this one wee post, I booked 9 interviews with people that identified as my ideal client.
And chatting with my Bettys’ I learned:
- how to improve my offers so they get the results they crave
- what content to create that they wanted to read
- where they hang out online so I can get to know them better
PLUS, I got 2 new clients!!!
If you’re new to business try this approach to market research.
Simply, email your list (if you have one, if not email your personal network), put a post on your social channels, and directly invite people into a conversation with you.
Ask them what they care about, what they want and what’s stopping them from getting there. (Click here for the actual Qs to ask)
Market research is easy to do; in fact, it’s so easy that we don’t recognise we’re doing it most of the time. The opportunity to be curious arises every time you chat with a client, put up a post or respond to a message.
If you’ve been in biz a while, and still not sure what problems you solve, try these three steps:
1. Make a list of your favourite clients; the ones you totally loved working with and they had great success with you.
2. Contact them and ask for 20 mins of their time. (In exchange, you can offer them a free 20 min coaching session, advice or discount on a product)
3. Book a call with them and start asking Qs…
..but, what Qs Rachael?
Easy, use the STEAR model:
S: Situation. What situation were they in before working with you? What problems were they experiencing?
T: Thoughts: And what did they think about their situation?
E: Emotions: How did they feel about their situations/problems?
A: Actions: What did they try to do to overcome the problem?
R: Results: What results did they crave? What were their big desires?
Wanna see an example from my world?
Situation: my clients struggle to explain what they do and what’s different about them.
Thoughts: they think, “I’ve been in business for years, why do I still struggle with this?”
Emotions: they felt frustrated, embarrassed and begin to doubt their future success
Actions: before they worked with me, they bought online courses or followed marketing experts to try to get clarity…or did nothing and just hoped it would all fall into place!
Results: they want to confidently and easily articulate why they’re so flippin brilliant, so the right people take notice.
Can you see how just asking these 5 simple questions can give you tons of insight into your people’s struggles, desires – their inner and outer experience?
How would it feel to have all this intel pouring out of you when you sit down to create content, or get on call with a potential client?
Pretty darn powerful yah? |
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| So m’friends, leave behind the ahhs, umms, and I don’t knows and just get out there and ask your people how you can help them. Unleash your inner-problem solver!
It really is the simplest way to achieve business clarity, boost your self-confidence, and make a difference to those you want to make a difference to.
Promise ???? |
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