Did you ever have a crush on someone back in school and no matter what you did (or talked your friends into doing for you!) the object of your affections didn’t seem to even know you were alive?

So one day, when you were really down in the dumps and moping about it, you broke down and told your mom. But instead of revealing the magic secret that would finally win your crush over and give you the happy ending worthy of a Pretty in Pink sequel…

…She said you were a very pretty girl (or handsome boy) and she’s sure there are plenty of others who DO like you.

Turns out, mom would have made a pretty savvy marketer.

Because over and over again, small business owners keep beating their head against a wall trying to win the hearts of those who aren’t interested–after all, everyone should or could need their service–while overlooking the prospects who already WANT what they have to offer.

After all, we all know people who need to lose weight, stop smoking, change jobs, redo their website, get organized, get that roof fixed–but they don’t, right?  (It might even be us!)  But needing to fix a problem isn’t enough…they have to want to fix it enough to invest the time and money to do so.

So stop trying to capture their attention and “educate” them into wanting what you offer–and wasting a lot of time, money and energy in the process…

And start homing in on the prospects who already know they have a problem they can’t (or don’t want to) handle on their own and are already seeking some type of solution.

So Who Wants You?

The first time you go through these questions, think about the clients you’ve had …

• Which ones were quick to sign-up and didn’t need much convincing?  Do they have anything in common?
• What drove them to contact you?  Are there any common themes or events?
• Who are your “heavy users” that frequently use what you offer?
• What other products or services would a client buy to go along with yours? (e.g. someone seeing a nutritionist may also hire a personal trainer)
• What other solutions did they try before?  This includes courses and workshops they attended to learn how to do it themselves.

Then, go back through and answer the questions by brainstorming other possibilities that weren’t in your client list.

Remember too–we often talk about targeting prospects by gender, professions and industries, but you can target based on a behavior as well. For example, people who have had a certain life experience or bought items that are compatible with yours.

But regardless of how you do it, take mom’s advice and focus on the people who want you–it’ll simplify your marketing and dramatically boost your results while saving you a lot of time, money and gray hairs along the way.

Related posts to read:

5 Marketing Lessons from Online Dating

Pull the Trigger on New Clients

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