🎯 What is an Ideal Customer
and why you need them!
We’ve all had those customers—the ones who focus only on price and try to knock you down at every opportunity. They dangle promises of “loads more work” if you agree to a cheap deal, but it usually ends the same way: you end up working flat out for next to nothing.
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I know—because it’s happened to me.
Your ideal customer will check these boxes:
âś… Pays full price
âś… Repeats jobs
âś… Long term value to youÂ
âś… Values what you do
âś… Refers others.
Do they exist ? – I hear you cry.
YES THEY DO !
Your Different types of customers.
Click the Button to decide on your customers you want to targetÂ
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âś… Why It Matters for Trades Businesses?
🛠️ How to Define Your Ideal Customer
Analyse your current best-fitting clients
Use data to spot who gives you the most value. Cognism suggests interviewing your “super users” to learn:How they found you
Why they chose you
Benefits they’re enjoyingÂ
Look for common traits
Traits like location, business size, job role, and behaviours (e.g., prompt payment, repeat hires, respect for your expertise) will emerge from real-world clients cognism.com.Use demographics, psychographics, and behavioural traits
“An ideal customer profile … is based on characteristics like demographics, behaviors, and values… allows you to focus your marketing on customers most likely to buy from you.” cognism.com+2vcita.com+2salesforce.com+2
Create a realistic profile or persona
Build a persona that encapsulates this perfect client—enough detail to align your messaging, marketing channels and even service design .
🧩 Practical Steps Tailored for Trades
List top clients and interview them about pain points, reasons for choosing you, and their experience.
Spot red flags: identify clients with late payments or demanding behaviour—these help define who not to target .
Define key attributes:
Location (e.g., suburbs requiring frequent return visits)
Client role (e.g., “busy mum needing prompt service,” or “restaurant owner keeping kitchens operational”)Â
Values (appreciates quality, professional advice, referrals)
A Funny poster of your Ideal, NOT so Ideal and DO NOT WANT customers.
