Identifying Your Ideal Customer

Written by Katie Petersen

Do you know who your ideal customer is? What is their budget? What is their home type? Do you know the steps your business needs to take to attract that ideal customer? 

 If you struggled answering any of those questions, you are not alone! Every year, many businesses (not just tree services!) fail because they do not know who their ideal customer is – let alone how to attract them! Luckily, there are a few simple steps you can take within your business to remedy this. 

 Create Company Values

It may seem obvious, but some companies first need to create their own values before looking at who they want as a customer. These values lay the foundation for who your company is and how the customer will view your business as you interact. What do you personally believe in? What do others in your company (family members, employees) believe in? How do these beliefs factor into your business? It is important to take the time to write these values down; they can factor into your mission statement and become the foundation for your tree care company.

 Identify Target Service

The next step is looking into what you want your target service to be. Let’s face it – you cannot be good at everything. Taking the time to figure out what you are good at and prioritizing that service can make all of the difference in the world for your business. First, perform a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) Analysis. This will help you categorize where you are and where you want to be. Next, look at the services you offer. Which services is your team best at? Worst at? Maybe your team is good at removals but you would like to grow the plant health care department. You may also want to look into what services your competitors offer. From this information, you can make an informed decision on what niche you would like your tree care company to focus on.

 Identify Ideal Customer

The final step is identifying who your ideal customer is. Based on your company values and your target service, you can now look at what customer you will need to focus on. What is their typical age? What is their living situation? Geographic location? Household income? Are they on social media? What are their social interests? Identifying the answers to these questions will help you figure out where your marketing and sales teams need to hit in order to reach this customer. 

Taking the time to outline your company values and target service will help lead you to your ideal customer. The more time you put into this, the easier it will be for you to eventually reach your ideal customer!

 If you are struggling with identifying your ideal customer, ArboRisk can help! Check out our Thrive Sales and Marketing Package where we take a deep dive with you on the best way to identify and reach your ideal customer!