Successful advisers understand that marketing is about developing meaningful conversations with their preferred clients (and referral sources).
So, what makes a conversation meaningful? How do you make sure you’re engaging with your preferred clients and not timewasters? How do you provide them with helpful information instead of annoying them?
The first step is to understand who your ideal or preferred client is. Then, the more you know and understand them, the better you will be able to truly engage with them. Developing client avatars (aka client personas) can help you develop that level of understanding.
In this podcast, we’re joined by Jenny Pearse, Owner of Jenesis Consulting, and avatar expert. Lifespan advisers may remember Jenny from her fabulous presentation at our National Conference last year.
WHAT: What’s an avatar?
An avatar (or persona) is a representation of your ideal or preferred client. Rather than simple demographics of your target audience, avatars are semi-fictional characters based on detailed research of your actual clients. They look to uncover the needs and wants of your ideal client.
Ideal client profiling with avatars looks at psychographics – or what makes people tick. This includes a person’s values, politics, secret fears, secret desires, and what wakes them up at 2am.
WHY: The Power of the Avatar
At the most basic level, developing personas allows you to create content and messaging that appeals to your target audience. It also enables you to target or personalise your marketing for different segments of your audience and how to articulate the needs in the words of that particular target or “avatar”. It helps you to develop a clear compelling message that attracts ideal prospects to you.
If developed and used well, avatars can change the way you do business, not just your marketing. They can be an integral part of creating and maintaining a client-centric practice. By orienting your team around your avatar/s, you assure that your entire practice is working together to reach the right clients and serve them well.
HOW: Understanding Your Ideal Client
Your avatars should reflect your best client relationships – relationships that generate the most revenue over the longest period and sustain a working partnership. Think about your best clients. How do they communicate? What are their persistent and emerging challenges? How can your services provide meaningful solutions they can understand and value?
With well-defined avatars, your practice will have insights into questions like:
- What pains are you solving for your clients?
- What form of content is meaningful to your ideal client?
- How do your potential clients want to engage with you?
Well-developed avatars will assist you to engage in meaningful conversations with your preferred clients more effectively and efficiently. They are key to turning strangers into prospects, prospects into clients, and clients into raving fans.
Huge thank you to our guest Jenny Pearse, and remember to email lyndal.higgins@lifespanfp.com.au for your short Avatar questionnaire.
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