Understanding your target market is one of the sales basics. Knowing who you’re trying to sell to and what makes them tick enables you to engage with them and convey your message more effectively.

Often though, target markets are so broadly defined that they become like bricks in a wall with no personality. But it’s the personality that you need to reach in order to sell your stuff. So, instead of looking at your market as a bunch of people, look at it as just one person. 

For example, let's call her Eunice.

Now, make like a mind reader and get inside her head.

• What is important to her?
• What is her life like every single day?
• What makes her happy?
• What makes her sad?
• What makes her ANGRY(!!!)?

Check out her friends. Who does Eunice hang out with and what attracts her to them?

Next, think about the problem Eunice has that will be solved by using your product or service.

• Does she suffer with arthritis but is wary of doctors?
• Is she generous to her grandchildren but sometimes has trouble finding the perfect gift?

Whatever the problem, you have the solution for her - after all, Eunice is your Target Market!

Now let’s make it really interesting …

As the title says: If your Target Market were a celebrity, who would it be? Taking into account all the characteristics of your target market personified (i.e. your 'Eunice'), who in the public eye best captures that market?

Could it be Paris Hilton, Princess of Fashion? Perhaps Will Smith, all-round nice guy who can kick butt if he needs to. Dave Hughes for the angry man next door or Julia Gillard in a power suit? Dame Edna would be interesting … if she’s your Eunice, marketing’s going to be a blast!

Basically, it’s all about connection. Connecting with your market, looking him (or her) in the eye and making his day.

Who’s your Eunice?

A young monk arrives at the monastery. He is assigned to helping the other monks in copying the old canons and laws of the church by hand.

He notices, however, that all of the monks are copying from copies, not from the original manuscript.

So, the new monk goes to the head abbot to question this, pointing out that if someone made even a small error in the first copy, it would never be picked up! In fact, that error would be continued in all of the subsequent copies.

The head monk says, "We have been copying from the copies for centuries, but you make a good point, my son."

He goes down into the dark caves underneath the monastery where the original manuscripts are held as archives in a locked vault that hasn't been opened for hundreds of years. Hours go by and nobody sees the old abbot.

So, the young monk gets worried and goes down to look for him. He sees him banging his head against the wall and wailing.

"We missed the R !  We missed the R ! We missed the R !"

His forehead is all bloody and bruised and he is crying uncontrollably.

The young monk asks the old abbot, "What's wrong, father?"

With a choking voice, the old abbot replies,

"The word was ... CELEBRATE!!!"

(Ya gotta wince)

Credit for this one goes to Brian from wideformatonline.com - the online magazine for users of wide format printers in Australia and New Zealand.