Stop Trying to Sell to Everyone: Focus on Your Target Market and Win Big

The #1 reason most businesses struggle? They have no clue who their real customer is. They throw time, money, and energy at “marketing” without locking in on the people who will actually buy—and buy profitably. That’s the fastest way to burn out and stall growth.

But here’s the flip side—when you know exactly who your core customer is, and you focus your resources on delivering solutions they truly value, everything changes. Sales go up. Profitability goes up. Growth gets easier.

In this series, I’m going to walk you step-by-step through how to pinpoint your most profitable customers, spot emerging trends before your competition, and create offers your market can’t ignore—so you can take your business to the next level. 

It's All About a Target

Let’s say you have the perfect solution that you absolutely love. You love being apart of this type of business. You have all of these goals and aspirations about how much youwant to make and what youwant….. but the business fails. What went wrong?

Notice how many times I used the word "YOU". Here’s the hard truth: business isn’t about you. It’s about them—the people paying your bills. Whether you run a barbershop, engineering firm, church, or nonprofit, someone has to hand over money to keep you in business. If you’re creating products or services just because you want them, that’s not a business—it’s a hobby. A real business creates solutions the market sees value in and is willing to buy… for a profit.

What is a Target Market?

Our resources are limited, so we need to define exactly what groups of people who are most likely to use our brand. Our target market are those individuals who are MOST likely to buy from our brand. They are what we call the path to least resistance, meaning they will take the least amount of effort to attract for a profit. Our target is willing to buy our products and services at a price that delivers a profit, and it is a group that makes business sense for us to focus our efforts. 

Now will there be people outside of your target market who will buy from you... Absolutely, let them in. The more the merrier.  When you define a target market, we are not saying you can only sell to this group of people. You will sell to anyone who is willing to do business with you. What we are saying is what group is most likely to make a purchase, what group will be most profitable, and let's focus our resources on these individuals as we grow our business. We define a target market to maximize our limited resources and focus on the path of least resistance.    

Target Market - The group of customers who are MOST likely to make a purchase from your brand. 

PLEASE NOTE: In marketing, we always have many ways to say the same thing. So if you hear the terms target, target market, target audience, core audience..... we are referring to the same thing.

 

Why do we Need a Target: Real Life Example

Let me ask you something…

How many of you would love to sell your product or service to everyone? Probably all of you. But here’s the reality—it’s not gonna happen. Why?

Because…

• Not everyone wants the same thing.

• Not everyone can afford what you sell.

• Not everyone even has access to it.

I mean, there are foods in Italy I’d eat every day if I could… but unless I move there, it’s not happening.

Now let’s flip it. How many of you would love to blast your brand across every media outlet 24/7? Sounds great—until you realize…

• Your resources are limited.

• Even Apple can’t afford to market everywhere all the time.

That’s why you need a clearly defined target market—to maximize the resources you do have.

Restaurant Disaster Example

Imagine you open a restaurant and try to cater to everyone:

• One section is a fancy Italian date-night spot.

• Another is a casual Mexican joint for families with kids.

• And the last section? A loud, high-energy lounge for the weekend crowd.

Now your menu has Italian on page one, Mexican on page two, Chinese on page three, pub food on page four, and sushi on page five.

Sounds exciting? Nope—it’s a mess.

If you’re the loud lounge, you’ll attract the young nightlife crowd—but couples looking for a romantic date? Gone. Families with little kids? Forget it.

Why?

Because different groups have different needs—and often, those needs conflict. So in your attempt to satisfy everyone, you end up satisfying no one.

The Cost of Trying to Serve Everyone

A bloated menu means bloated costs:

• Huge food inventory.

• More storage space.

• More waste from unused items.

• Higher marketing spend to promote everything.

And here’s the kicker—you’re now creating solutions outside your core audience, which kills profitability. Not only do you risk making something nobody wants, you’ve built a business model that’s expensive to run and hard to scale.

 Your resources are limited, you do not have the funds to cater to everyone.

• If you create solutions outside of your core target, you could chance losing profitability.

• Not only do you create a product that no one wants, you create a business model that is very costly.

Confusing Brand Example

Let’s make it even simpler.

When you walk into Walmart for a watch, you expect something cheap and functional. That’s their brand promise. But imagine Walmart suddenly decides to only sell $3,000 designer watches to attract “high-end” buyers.

Would you buy one? No.Would high-end buyers even shop at Walmart for a watch? Also no.

Now they’ve confused their brand, alienated their core customers, and failed to win the new audience.

Bottom line: If you try to attract everyone, you lose focus. You make your business too complicated. And worst of all—you confuse the people who were already ready to buy from you.

Common Targeting Traps:

This why it is so important to identify who your target audience is. Here is a list of common targeting traps that can end up hurting your business:

1. Not understanding different groups of people have different needs.

   • These different needs often conflict with one another.

   • So in your attempt to satisfy everyone, because of conflicting needs, you end up satisfying no one.

2. Your resources are limited, you do not have the funds to cater to everyone.

   • You cannot afford to advertise to everyone, nor make solutions for everyone.

   • If you cater to groups outside of your core target, you spread resources thin risking a loss in profitability.

3. Confusing your audience by trying to attract everyone

   • Your brand loses focus if you try to be everything to everyone; no one will know what you are.

   • It becomes too complicated, you end up confusing your core audience, and possibly loosing them.

So how does Targeting work?

Let's look at 2 coffee brands: Starbucks vs Dunkin

Both coffee, but different targets:

•  Starbucks

  •  Premium coffee drinkers ages 16 to 70, often looking for a European cafe experience.

•  Dunkin’ Donuts

  •  Workers 16-70 on the go who want a quick, good cup of coffee at a reasonable price.

Notice the conflicts between the two targets (and see why we need completely different experiences):

•  One wants a premium cup of coffee, the other wants coffee at a reasonable price.

•  One wants quick service on the go, the other wants a true caffe experience.

Jeep vs Smart Car

We can see the same thing in the car industry.

•  Jeep

  • Car buyers who want a spacious, rugged SUV for an adventurous car driving experience.

•  Smart Car

  • Eco cautious car buyers who want a vehicle that is fuel efficient, small and compact, and lightweight.

Both car buyers, both looking for something completely different. 

Strong Target Market Strategy

A winning targeting strategy doesn’t just “kind of” know the customer—it is laser-focused on exactly who the customer is and why they buy. You’re looking for the path of least resistance—the group most likely to purchase, most profitable to serve, and easiest to win over. And here’s the key question: Why would they choose YOU over anyone else?

You also need to understand your target inside and out—what level of quality they expect, what they dislike, and what they’ll pay for. If you deliver exactly what they’re willing to buy for a profit, you’ll always have a business.

Once you know your target, pour your resources into serving them better than anyone else. Who do you need to target and when? Ignore the noise. Your resources are limited, so stay locked in on the people who will actually drive revenue. Build solutions that fit them perfectly. And if people outside your target buy from you? Great. That’s bonus money—but it’s not your focus.

Finally, feedback is your lifeline. Markets change. Customer needs shift. Competitors catch up. You can’t just “set it and forget it.” Create constant feedback loops to measure whether you’re still meeting their needs—or if you’re starting to slip.

Target Market Bottom Line

Your resources are limited. You can’t afford to chase everyone—and you don’t need to. The real win comes from identifying the core group of people most likely to buy from your brand. These are your path of least resistancecustomers—the easiest, most profitable people to attract. They value what you offer, they’re willing to pay for it, and serving them will move your business forward faster than trying to please the masses.

When you know who they are, you can focus every dollar, every piece of content, and every ounce of energy on creating profitable solutions and messages designed just for them. That’s how you protect your resources, maximize your ROI, and build momentum that compounds.Apply these strategies with focus and consistency, and you’ll give yourself a massive advantage—more clarity, more conversions, and more growth.

And if you’re ready to take the guesswork out of building a winning targeting strategy, join our exclusive SUCCEED membership. Inside, you’ll get step-by-step training guides, proven frameworks, and insider strategies to help you define your audience, craft campaigns that connect, and grow with confidence.

Success isn’t an accident—it’s a strategy. Let’s build yours.