Who are your people?
I use this phrase a lot when it comes to connecting with people. But do you know who “your people” are?
A lot of people confuse the concept with an Ideal Customer Avatar (for more information on why that doesn’t work, check out this blog post). But they are NOT the same thing.
So, if I can’t find my people using an ideal customer profile, how CAN I find them?
Keep reading :)
What is “ideal”?
Here comes dictionary Tracy again!
Ideal is defined as, “existing only in the imagination; desirable or perfect but not likely to become a reality.”
Ooh, can you see the problem with this one already?
First of all, when it comes to connecting with REAL people, having them exist only in your imagination just doesn’t work.
Second, what is it that is actually making them desirable? Is it really their gender? Their age? Their household income? OK, I’ll give you a pass on the last one, as society has TOTALLY convinced us that it’s much better to hang out with the rich people. But are those the PRIMARY things that make them desirable for you?
Thirdly, we all know that there’s no such thing as a perfect human. So, we’re wasting our time trying to find one.
Lastly, and most importantly, finding them is “not likely to become a reality”. Good thing we did all that work.
OK, so let’s get rid of the “ideal” in the Ideal Customer Avatar. Let’s move on to Customer.
Is Everyone A Customer?
A Customer is a, “a person or organization that buys goods or services from a store or business.”
Simple. Someone who buys something from you.
But, when we meet someone, we don’t KNOW whether or not they may be a Customer. This leaves us with two options:
Treat them like a potential customer
DON’T treat them like a potential customer
Do you see the problem here as well?
If you don’t know enough about a person, your ability to put them into the right category doesn’t exist.
So, you guess.
And what happens when you guess wrong?
I’ll tell you what. It hurts your brand image. You might not think it does, but it does; 100% of the time.
So, what’s a better alternative?
People as People
When I talk about finding your people, it involves ELIMINATING any thoughts of people being “ideal” as well as trying to target shoot “customers”. Take away all of the things that the silly marketing industry is telling you important, and get back to the golden rule.
I’m a huge Dale Carnegie fan, so my favorite way of putting it is, “become genuinely interested in other people”.
That’s PEOPLE, people. Not customers.
Just people.
Who Are YOUR People?
They are people like you.
They have the same values.
The same hopes. The same dreams.
Maybe they share past stories, like having a corporate background, living in a certain place, or having children.
Maybe they have similar likes to you, like nerdy movies, dancing, or Lego.
Maybe they too like to drink tea instead of coffee, watch movies instead of TV, or like to go to the zoo.
THESE are the types of things that real humans bond over. Not gender, age and household income.
The most important thing to take into account?
How you FEEL when you are around them.
These are the people who bring you energy. Who are FUN to be around.
What could it be like if all your clients were also your karaoke buddies?
Finding Your People
Those people? The ones who believe the same things as you? Who want to make friends and network with other people who want the same things in life? Those people are EVERYWHERE.
Any given social media platform. Any given country. In any given language.
All you need to do is SHOW UP, and show them what you’re all about. Care about them. Help them. Listen to them. Find what you have in common. And build a relationship.
Some of your people will become your clients. Some of your people will become your biggest fans. Some will refer business to you. Some will be your friends. ALL of those people are worth having in your network.
I’m all about owning your personal brand, so you can be your authentic self with your people. If you want to find MORE people who believe that, check out the Your Business Peeps Community!
