How much do you really know about your ideal client avatar? Can you effectively sell to them? Learn what you need to know about this person to influence them to take action.

I’m willing to bet that every B2B service provider you follow on Instagram has said the term “ideal client avatar” before. Including me.

Hi, I’m (not) the problem, it’s me.

Creating an ideal client avatar—the representation of the client you want to serve—is one of the first steps you should take when building your business.

But so many people think creating their ideal client avatar is knowing what this person looks like, where they live, how old they are, where they shop, and what their favorite brands are.

These attributes are all well and good, but if you’ve stopped here…

You don’t actually know anything about how to SELL to this person.

And THIS is a problem.

If you want to write copy that makes your person stop saying “Well I know I need this, but it’s not the right time” or “I’ll just think about this later” and actually DO something, you need to write something that’s meaningful to them.

And to discover what’s meaningful to this person, we have to go deeper. We have to create a more robust ideal client avatar that touches more on these surface-level attributes. We need one that identifies why these surface-level attributes exist and what they imply about this person’s behavior.

Today, I’m sharing all of the information I need as a copywriter about your ideal client avatar so I can write copy that I know will inspire them to stop kicking the can down the road and actually take action.

And it’s all stuff you should know, too, as the CEO of your business.

If you have these components built into your avatar, wonderful! I am so glad you’ve thought about your perfect-fit client so deeply. But if you haven’t considered these ideas before, please read on and learn why they are so important.

Ideal Client Avatar Component #1: Pain Points

We all struggle with something. If we didn’t, no one would be out here creating businesses to help sell solutions!

You have a solution to someone’s pain. Have you ever sat down and mapped out what that pain really looks like?

For example: Let’s say you’re a financial coach who helps women budget in alignment with their values. You may have identified your ideal client avatar as someone who struggles with spending or saving.

But if you stopped your analysis and description of what your ideal client is struggling with here, you’ve just scratched the surface. And if you really want to reach this person and get their attention, we’ve got to go deeper and show we understand what this person’s struggle to save or spend looks like in real life.

People who struggle with spending and/or saving likely struggle with other parts of their financial life. Maybe this person is trying to save for a house but feels like the process is moving too slowly. Your ideal client might feel ashamed he or she couldn’t purchase the expensive gift their partner wanted for their birthday. Maybe this person doesn’t have an emergency fund and is struggling with feelings of instability.

Think deeply about what a general struggle means for your ideal client’s life. How does it affect their day to day? Their short and long-term goals? The deeper you go, the fuller the picture of the person you want to serve becomes.

And when it becomes fuller, you can connect with and sell to them more effectively.

Ideal Client Avatar Component #2: Desires

Struggle isn’t the only reason people spend money or desire change. Its human nature to want things—and people also spend money on what they want.

What does your ideal client want? And how does that want manifest in his or her daily life? We need to apply the same thought process we used above to understand their desires, too.

We’ll stick with the example of the financial coach. Someone who works with a budgeting expert desires more control over his or her money. Why?

Maybe they want to meet a savings goal on a specific timeline. Someone might want to increase their contributions to their retirement or investments. Perhaps your ideal client wants to create an automated system where they don’t even have to think about paying bills.

There’s always more to the story when it comes to what people desire. Think deeply about where that desire might come from and what they might suggest about what life currently looks like.

Again, the more you know about what your ideal client’s life looks like, the better you can connect and sell.

Ideal Client Avatar Component #3: Limiting Beliefs

With so many solutions readily-available thanks to technology, why isn’t everyone taking the steps to address their needs and wants?

Well, many of us have these pesky thoughts that hold us back—our limiting beliefs. They like to tell us we can’t do things or that we’re not worthy of what we want for emotionally and ego-driven reasons. And they might look something like this:

Limiting Belief #1: I can’t create generational wealth in my family because my family was just never meant to be wealthy.

Limiting Belief #2: I can’t get on stage and teach people anything because they’ll think I’m a fraud or imposter.

Limiting Belief #3: I’ve tried to lose weight over and over again but nothing works and I’ll never feel good in my own skin.

See the pattern? Most of the time, our limiting beliefs stem from our insecurities or false narratives we tell ourselves. Psychologically, our brains are trying to keep us safe because new ideas, rituals, or routines feel foreign—and foreign is uncomfortable.

If you want to understand and connect with your ideal client, you’ve got to understand what thoughts may be holding him or her back. Then, you can figure out ways to address those thoughts and help them learn and believe in a new narrative.

Ideal Client Avatar Component #4: Objections

The sister to limiting beliefs are objections. Think of the last time you thought about making a decision to buy something and chose not to. What questions or comments came to mind? Those were your objections to that purchase.

It’s too expensive.
I don’t know how I would use this product or service.
I’m having trouble seeing how this would improve my life.
I don’t have the time to give this my full attention.
Is this really the best solution for me?

These are just some examples of reasons people choose not to make purchases. And if you want to speak to your ideal client in a way that inspires them to take action and make the purchase, you have to be aware of the reasons for not investing that come to mind.

If you know your ideal client focuses on the price of something, you’ll know you need to spend a lot of time talking to him or her about what value it will bring to their life.

If you know your ideal client has trouble finding time to do things, you’ll know you need to focus on showing him or her how your service can fit into their busy schedule.

Think about all the reasons why the person you want to serve might pass on your service and include them in your ideal client avatar. You’ll want to reference them from time to time to remind yourself how to position and explain your offers during your sales process.

Ideal Client Avatar Component #5: Buying Habits

Your ideal client’s buying habits is one of the most important pieces to your ideal client avatar. Because if you don’t understand how the person you want to serve spends their money or makes financial decisions, how can you sell to them?

Some people are impulsive when it comes to spending money. Others are strategic. Maybe your person buys things based off emotions or logic. They might be easily influenced by friends or family or the latest trends.

Knowing how your ideal client spends their money allows you to create marketing and content that meets them where they are.

If this person is influenced by family or friends, maybe an affiliate program is a good move for your business. Or if they’re an emotional buyer, you’ll know to play up the emotional role your service can play in their life on your website.

Maybe this person feels most comfortable running these ideas by their partner or spouse first.

However they decide to spend their money, you want to ensure it’s built into your marketing strategy so you are engaging your ideal client in a sales process that feels familiar and normal.

In conclusion

Marketing is all about talking to a real person. You want to make sure you know who your person is and what’s going on in their life so you can build a genuine and trustworthy connection.

Once your people start to see you as a trusted expert and capable of delivering the solution they need, you’ll see results in your sales process.

So…how much do you know about your ideal client? Is your avatar complete—or are there areas that require you to dig deeper?

Hopping on those market research calls or surveying your audience to learn this information is so worth it in the long run. If you haven’t done it yet, what are you waiting for?

Thanks for stopping by the blog!

If this is the first time we’re meeting—hello! My name is Val Casola and I’m a website copywriter and brand storyteller for creative and lifestyle brands who want to articulate their value and grow their business.

Come say hi over on Instagram or send me an email at valcasolawrites@gmail.com! Thanks for reading!

Photo by Katarzyna Grabowska on Unsplash