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Tune Out the Noise and Dial In Your Ideal Customer

Writer's picture: Lisa LiberatoreLisa Liberatore


The economy is shifting, prices are rising, and everyone has an opinion about what’s next. As business owners, we could spend all day reading economic forecasts and panicking over market trends—or we could throw on our metaphorical noise-canceling headphones and get to work.


One of the best ways to stay profitable in uncertain times is to focus. Specifically, focus on your ideal customer—the one who actually needs and values what you offer. If you don’t have a clear picture of who that is, don’t worry. Let’s do a quick crash course.


Step 1: Get Rid of the "Everyone Is My Customer" Mindset

If you’re trying to serve everyone, you’re serving no one. The key to growth is specificity. Saying your customer is "15-30 years old" doesn’t work because a 15-year-old high schooler and a 30-year-old homeowner with kids are in completely different life stages. The same goes for income—someone making $30K a year isn’t spending money the same way as someone making $150K.


Step 2: Define Your Ideal Customer in Detail

Here’s what you need to know:

  1. Demographics (Who They Are)

    • Age: Pick a 5- to 10-year range that makes sense. (e.g., 27-35, not 18-45)

    • Gender (if relevant)

    • Location: Urban? Suburban? Rural? Which city or region?

    • Income: Are they making $40K or $150K? Big difference.

    • Job & Education: What do they do for work? Do they have a degree?

  2. Psychographics (How They Think & Act)

    • What are their biggest challenges? (Financial, time, stress?)

    • What motivates them? (Security, status, adventure, convenience?)

    • What are they already spending money on? (Competitors, adjacent services?)

    • What social media do they use? (Facebook? TikTok? LinkedIn?)

  3. Buying Habits (How They Spend Money)

    • Are they impulse buyers or do they research for weeks?

    • Do they prefer online shopping or in-store experiences?

    • Do they buy based on price, quality, or brand loyalty?


Step 3: Create a Customer Avatar

Now, take everything you just outlined and bring it to life. Give your ideal customer a name, a backstory, and a personality. Here’s an example:

Meet Jake, 32

  • Lives in a mid-sized city, earns $85K/year as a project manager.

  • Engaged, saving for a wedding, and thinking about buying a house.

  • Listens to business podcasts and follows finance influencers on Instagram.

  • Shops online for convenience but values high-quality brands.

  • Willing to pay more for products that simplify his busy life.

When you market your business, think about Jake, not “people aged 25-40.” The more specific you are, the easier it is to attract the right customers and filter out the wrong ones.


Step 4: Audit Your Business for Alignment

Once you’ve identified your ideal customer, ask yourself:

  • Does my brand speak to them? (From website copy to social media posts, is it written for them?)

  • Am I marketing in the right places? (If your customer is on LinkedIn, but you're advertising on TikTok, that’s a problem.)

  • Is my pricing aligned with their expectations? (Luxury buyers won’t trust a product that seems too cheap. Budget-conscious customers won’t consider something too expensive.)


Final Thought: Stick to the Plan

Once you define your ideal customer, commit to them. Ignore the noise. The economy will keep changing, but people still spend money on things they care about. Your job is to make sure you’re speaking to the right people in the right way—consistently.


Now, go put on those metaphorical noise-canceling headphones and build a business that actually connects with the people who need it most. You've got this!

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