Determining Ideal Target Audience

I'll chime in and agree to disagree with the other marketing geniuses out there. LoL. I'll see what I can type in 120 seconds, clock starts now.

I think that many individuals would love to believe that they are direct and with purpose. The real matter of marketing is that few people say what they believe, or even believe what they care to say.

That idea is profound in the matter of divorce.

Having been an active contributor to the statistics of divorce myself, I can honestly and with purpose say that most people considering divorce are actively fighting the perception of divorce.

I would actually market in groups that are "happy" whether that be church based family groups or in groups of working professionals. From my experience- everyone has at least one friend who comments on the unbalanced or doomed failure of someone they know. It isn't for a lack of caring or understanding, but rather a failure to communicate the proper steps of healing and honesty.

People who are fringing on divorce are not honest. They put blinds on, they deny the truth, and they do everything to create the facade that they are happy and complete.

It is up to the best friend, the sibling, or the mother or father... to pull them aside and say "if you want to succeed, you have to admit you are failing first"

Most friends and family fail to do so simply because they fear the reaction of a loved one they care about. It is very similar to working with an addict who you know will react poorly to the truth.

The strange matter of life- is that we are all addicted to love.

Time is up!

Whoa. this is tough without the whole in-person thing but I'll give it a shot. First of all, I'd like to address the "show" to which you're hoping to draw an audience. I think you might want to change it. Ultimately you're targeting a stage in relationships -- it's one where the couple is feeling that the relationship might not make it. That can be interpreted in two ways: divorce prevention or relationship strengthening.

Now if your show is about divorce prevention you surely will run into what Barry is talking about -- rampant dishonesty. Ultimately you'll end up making it something that will only be talked about in hushed conversations.

But, if you make it about relationship strengthening -- strength in even the most trying times -- it becomes something that anyone and everyone can talk about. And consider those who are truly on the brink of divorce. They could be open about going to you and open about recommending you. Or, those who know them could be open about passing on your information.

With that show you could certainly do seminars/workshops/whatever for church groups as Barry suggested. Or if you wanted to get more specialized you could develop a seminar for, say, women executives, and do a presentation for, perhaps, the WBO on balancing work and family.

Anyways, that's my two-cents.

In identifying your target market, you have to have to have to see things from their POV. I'm glad for what Barry wrote- because I've find this to be true with most of my clients- that they can't really see what's up with their market.

As the solution provider, you live in the world of the solution. But, they live in the world of the problem, and they talk about it completely differently than you do.

I'm guessing barry is dead-on- that by the time a couple at-risk for divorce actually says the word 'divorce' things are into or pretty-close to a no-return zone.

To return to your original question, I define a target market by three things: Who, demographic: observable characteristics. Married is a demographic.

Who, psychographic: non-observable values and feelings. Loves their family is a psychographic.

What, the problem: the problem in their own words. 'Tired of fighting all the time' is a problem in their own words.

So, for instance if you were to say: "I help married couples who love their families, but who are tired of fighting all the time" then you've successfully identified a group of people who can self-identify.

You know you've landed on an effective Who-Who-What when you say it to someone, and they immediately, without prompting or thinking about it, say: "Oh, that's me!" or "Jane needs to talk to you."

Does that help?

A quick note about the pricing. I think you'll have better luck with it if you frame it as $X for Y Benefit. For the troubled couple it doesn't matter so much that you're giving them three hours of your valuable time. It matters that they'll get for the money.

Amen to what Dominic said.

What great feedback. I'm so impressed. One thing I love about Biznik is the willingness successful people make to step out and ask for help from other successful people. Way to go, 21st century creative entrepreneurs!

My two-cents about niche-marketing in the relational domain is to know yourself well and share yourself with great ease. What is your story, what is your hope-based-on-experience?

If I'm thinking that my situation is both embarrassing and virtually hopeless, I'd love to meet a person who has been there and made her/his life about helping others break through some pretty typical barriers (i.e., isolating as a couple, negative-predicting, emotional-affairs with those who will listen, kids acting out parental tension, etc.).

I find people want to relate to me more than be impressed by my credentials or promises. If my lead message is "I love my family and we used to fight all the time, until we learned new ways to connect....you can too with my next workshop!"

Does that make sense?

Jessie:

I love all the posts you've received, the honesty and the great examples. There is some powerful teaching here and you are getting it!

Your refined audience is so tangible... committed, but stressed-out corporate executive families. Now I know where to find them and people will be nodding.

I noticed in one of your last posts that you used the term "preventitive" and I would invite you to see if you can let that go, or put it deeper into your benefit statements. As you briliantly heard, it's about strengthening and that is proactive and positive vs. preventing something. It's like trying to get me, who hates to floss, to do it! If I think about my mouth feeling cleaner, smelling sweeter, and helping my heart be happier, then I'll do it. When I get what feels like the "lecture" on why it's good for me, I resist.

It sounds like you are all set with your WHO and WHAT (the outcomes you deliver). Now you can spot the behaviors of your target market, where they hang out, where you can network, write, speak.... it's exciting as I just read the evolution of all the posts you generated in one string. You have arrived!

Best to you, Gail

You've gotten some great answers, and I have little to add to the "finding/defining" question, however since price was brought up I will add this:

For only $495 you get: 3 hours of in-home system building we create a plan, tracking and reward system that will reduce the stress, arguing and fighting in your home. You will learn how to build happy times together so that blah blah blah.

You also get a workbook that helps you continue the process (blah blah blah)

A special CD designed so that you can listen together as a family and learn...

Plus my book "435 activities that keep families together"

All of a sudden $495 seems like a bargain, doesn't it?

Obviously it has to be tailored to what you can actually provide but I think you get the idea.