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The Wrong Target
A lesson learned from big-time Olympic losses
Athens, Greece. Summer of 2004. The Olympic Games are in full swing.
Matthew Emmons is now one of the most prolific marksmen in American shooting sports, but at the time it was his first chance at Olympic glory.
It was the men's 50m rifle three-position final, and Emmons had a glaring lead. All he had to do was make a halfway-decent final shot, and the gold medal was all but his.
He aimed, steadied, breathed, squeezed and fired.
It was a fantastic shot, with only one little problem: he was aiming at the wrong target. The last shot scored an unthinkable zero, plummeting him into 8th place.
Your New Target
Even if you feel like you are aiming at the right target in your business, there might be an even better one lurking.
In marketing the term “Target Audience” is commonplace, referring to your typical customer. Who’s buying what you’re selling? How old are they, where do they live, what sorts of things do they like?
If you are like most small businesses then you probably know your current audience well: where they live, what music they like, what transportation they prefer, how they talk, how they walk, how they vote, and maybe even how they wear their hair.
But what can happen when you have your “Target Audience” archetype defined in such detail is that you forget that other people exist… other people who might love what you do.
The thing is, you may have another audience who would absolutely love what you have to offer, but don’t know that you even exist.
Try looking for a new target this week.
 | Onward and upward, (I’m a small business owner, advisor, and advocate – learn more here) |