How to Define Your Solution Statement and Understand Your Ideal Client
A solution statement is a concise description of how a proposed solution will address a specific problem or challenge. They’re ideal for entrepreneurs who want to define what they are going to do or provide to what group of customers in order to add value to that group.
It should be clear, concise, and easy to understand.
A well-written solution statement can be very useful in terms of persuading others to support your proposed solution and for helping yourself to be focussed on your core value add.
Do you want to attract more customers and grow your business? Do you want to create a product or service that solves a real problem and makes a difference? Do you want to stand out from the crowd and become the go-to expert in your niche?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you need to define your solution statement and understand your ideal client.
Your solution statement is a simple and powerful way to communicate the value of your offer to your potential customers. It tells them who you help, what you help them achieve, and how you help them overcome their challenges.
Your ideal client is the person who needs and wants your solution the most. They are the person who will benefit from your offer, appreciate your work, and pay you what you deserve.
By defining your solution statement and understanding your ideal client, you will be able to:
Create a product or service that solves a specific problem and delivers a desired outcome
Craft a compelling message that speaks directly to your ideal client’s pain points, desires, motivations, and preferences
Identify and reach out to your ideal client in the places where they hang out online and offline
Build trust and rapport with your ideal clients by showing them that you understand them and care about them
Convert more leads into customers and more customers into loyal fans
In this blog post, I will show you how to define your solution statement and understand your ideal client in simple steps. I will also share some examples and exercises that will help you apply what you learn.
Let’s get started!
How to Define Your Solution Statement
Your solution statement is a simple and powerful way to communicate the value of your offer to your potential customers. It tells them who you help, what you help them achieve, and how you help them overcome their challenges.
Your solution statement has three components: your target audience, your desired outcome, and your common obstacle. You can use this formula to write your solution statement:
I help [target audience] achieve [desired outcome] without [common obstacle].
For example, “I help young college graduates take their hobby of photography and turn it into a full-time career without having to stress about getting new clients” – Janna Kutcher
Now, let’s look at each component in more detail:
Target Audience
This is the group of people who need and want your solution the most. They are the people who have a specific problem that you can solve, and who are willing and able to pay for your solution. You should be as specific as possible when defining your target audience so that you can tailor your message and offer to their needs and wants. For example, instead of saying “I help people”, you could say “I help young college graduates”, “I help busy working moms”, or “I help small business owners”.
Go deep with your ideal client (target audience):
- What are their likes/dislikes?
- What do they love/hate?
- What does that tell you about them?
- If they could snap their fingers and make three changes what would they be?
- What are their biggest frustrations?
- What problem keeps them up at night?
- What are ongoing conversations that this person has in their head?
- What are their values?
- What lifestyle do they lead?
- How does your product or service fit into their lifestyle?
- What do they watch, read, listen to, spend time online with?
- What is their favourite social media?
- What are their favourite blogs?
Desired Outcome
This is the result or benefit that your target audience wants to achieve by using your solution. It should be measurable, tangible, and desirable. You should focus on the positive outcome that your solution provides, rather than the features or functions of your solution. For example, instead of saying “I help young college graduates learn photography”, you could say “I help young college graduates take their hobby of photography and turn it into a full-time career”.
Common Obstacle
This is the challenge or difficulty that prevents your target audience from achieving their desired outcome. It should be real, relevant, and relatable. It would help if you showed how your solution helps your target audience overcome their obstacle, without making them feel bad or guilty about it. For example, instead of saying “I help young college graduates take their hobby of photography and turn it into a full-time career without being clueless”, you could say “I help young college graduates take their hobby of photography and turn it into a full-time career without having to stress about getting new clients”.
More Examples
Fitness Coach:
I help busy professionals achieve their fitness goals without sacrificing their work-life balance.
Marketing Consultant:
I help small business owners increase their sales and profits without spending a fortune on marketing.
Career Coach:
I help recent graduates find their dream job without feeling lost or overwhelmed.
Financial Advisor:
I help young families achieve financial security without sacrificing their lifestyle.
Life Coach:
I help people overcome their fears and achieve their dreams without feeling stuck or hopeless.
Court Booking System:
My business provides a Software As A Service (SAAS) court booking system product called PlanIt-BookIt
Thinking of a solution statement that could apply to my product…
I help squash club owners and committee members, increase memberships, lower costs, improve communication and enable fast, easy and secure graphical booking of courts without having to worry about transferring over from an existing system or any associated set up work.
Tips and Best Practices
Here are some tips and best practices for creating a clear and specific solution statement that resonates with your target audience:
Use simple and concise language your target audience can understand and relate to.
Use words that evoke emotion and curiosity in your target audience, such as “achieve”, “without”, or “secret”.
Use examples and testimonials from your own experience or from other successful people in your niche to illustrate your solution statement.
Test and refine your solution statement based on the feedback and results you get from your target audience.
By defining your solution statement, you will be able to communicate the value of your offer to your potential customers clearly and compellingly. You will also be able to create a product or service that solves a specific problem and delivers a desired outcome for your target audience.
Now that you know how to define your solution statement, let’s move on to the next step: how to understand your ideal client. 😊
How to Understand Your Ideal Client
Understanding your ideal client is crucial for your business success. Your ideal client is the person who needs and wants your solution the most. They are the person who will benefit from your offer, appreciate your work, and pay you what you deserve.
By understanding your ideal client, you will be able to:
Create a product or service that solves their specific problem and delivers their desired outcome
Craft a message that speaks directly to their needs and wants
Identify and reach out to them in the places where they hang out online and offline
Build trust and rapport with them by showing them that you understand them and care about them
Convert more leads into customers and more customers into loyal fans
But how do you understand your ideal client? How do you get inside their head and heart? How do you know what they think, feel, want, and need?
There are many methods and tools that can help you research and learn more about your ideal client. Here are some of them:
Conduct customer surveys: You can use online platforms such as SurveyMonkey or Typeform to create and send surveys to your existing or potential customers. You can ask them questions about their demographics, psychographics, goals, fears, challenges, preferences, etc. You can also ask them for feedback on your product or service, your message, your brand, etc.
Hold customer focus groups: You can invite some of your best customers or prospects to a meeting or a lunch where you can have a conversation with them. You can ask them similar questions as in the surveys but in a more informal and interactive way. You can also observe their body language, tone of voice, expressions, etc.
Monitor social media: You can use platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc. to see what your ideal client is posting, liking, commenting, sharing, etc. You can also join groups or communities where they hang out and participate in discussions. You can also use tools such as Hootsuite or Sprout Social to track keywords, hashtags, mentions, etc.
Use Google Analytics: You can use Google Analytics to see who is visiting your website or blog, where they are coming from, what pages they are viewing, how long they are staying, what actions they are taking, etc. You can also use tools such as Quantcast Measure or SimilarWeb to get insights about your visitors’ demographics, interests, behaviors, etc.
Spy on your competitors: You can use tools such as BuzzSumo or SEMrush to see what kind of content your competitors are creating, what keywords they are ranking for, what backlinks they have, etc. You can also see what kind of reviews they are getting from their customers or clients.
Once you collect enough data about your ideal client, you can create a customer persona based on it. A customer persona is a fictional representation of your ideal client that summarizes their characteristics in a clear and concise way.
A customer persona should include:
A name and a photo
Demographics: age, gender, location, income, education, occupation, etc.
Psychographics: attitudes, beliefs, values, interests, hobbies, lifestyle, etc.
Goals: what they want to achieve by using your solution
Fears: what they are afraid of or worried about
Challenges: what prevents them from achieving their goals
Preferences: how they like to communicate, learn, buy, etc.
Pain points: what problem they have that your solution can solve
Here are some examples of customer personas that match the solution statement I helped you create earlier:
Meet Sarah, a young college graduate who loves photography and wants to turn it into a full-time career. She is frustrated by the lack of clients and opportunities in her field. She is looking for a mentor who can teach her how to market herself and get more exposure. She spends a lot of time on Instagram and Pinterest, where she follows other photographers and influencers. She reads blogs and podcasts about photography and entrepreneurship. She values creativity, freedom, and passion.
Meet John, a busy professional who wants to achieve a fit and healthy body. He is challenged by his hectic schedule and his lack of motivation. He is looking for a coach who can help him create a personalized workout and nutrition plan that fits his lifestyle. He uses apps and wearables to track his progress and performance. He watches YouTube videos and listens to audiobooks about fitness and wellness. He values efficiency, results, and balance.
Meet Lisa, a small business owner who wants to increase her sales and profits. She is overwhelmed by the complexity and cost of marketing her business online. She is looking for a consultant who can help her create a simple and effective marketing strategy that works for her niche. She uses email and social media to communicate with her customers and prospects. She reads newsletters and magazines about small business and marketing. She values quality, service, and growth.
By creating customer personas, you will be able to understand your ideal client better and tailor your product or service, your message, your brand, and your marketing to their needs and wants.
