I do not hunt. I certainly do not condone The Most Dangerous Game. Yet growing a small business in the digital age is very much like hunting. If you want faster, higher return results you need a Laser Focused Hunting Mindset.
Although I have never hunted, I have partaken in the bounty of the hunt from both a rifle and a shotgun hunting method.
Shotgun hunting works but leads to less than satisfactory results. Before the internet, the shotgun approach to mass marketing was the only real feasible way to get new clients. Like hunting, you end up not really getting exactly what you want. You maim (your budget, your psyche, your time) and end up with less than your ideal target. You also scare away a lot of other targets.
In the realm of the Digital Revolution, people are savvy to the shotgun approach. It is just noise to them.
When you hunt with a rifle, you get much better results if you are focused and have a steady hand. When you get laser focused and know exactly what type of client you are hunting, a new level of clarity comes alive. With a rifle you have to be laser focused. You start to get into the mind of your ideal client. You start to think about their needs outside of your realm of service. New thoughts in tracking them come with the clarity.
Where are your ideal clients hanging out?
What are your ideal clients online habits?
Who/what are they following/hunting?
(Guess what. Your ideal clients are probably also hunters.)
All of a sudden, this flood of marketing possibilities makes sense.
This type of laser focus on one target also helps you to decide faster. Just like hunting, it will dictate your choice of gear and choice of position. You can look at a marketing opportunity and instantly decide “Does this appeal to my ideal client?”
My most successful clients hunt only one very specific type of client at a time. Those that try the shotgun approach often see less than ideal results.
This does not mean that you will turn away others that enter your crosshairs. When you are out hunting you will still come across other business. However, you can also quickly decide if this business takes away from your hunt for your ideal clients.
It also does not mean you can not move on to another target once you are bagging this type of client. It does mean that once you commit, you will achieve a level of clarity, and will achieve whole new levels of success.
No animals or humans were harmed in the writing of this blog post.