Read time: 3 minutes

Imagine tailoring your services to a customer who doesn't exist.

Sounds crazy, right?

But that's exactly what happens when you focus on targeting your "average customer”. It's killing your ability to attract leads and gain clients.

Today we're exploring why targeting your average customer is worthless, and why most customer personas you create are a waste of your time.

I give an interesting example from the US Air Force that puts it all into perspective for you.

It'll help you unlock explosive growth by focusing on the real needs of your ideal clients.

Let's get straight to it...

Stop targeting your ‘average customer’

Targeting your 'average customer' isn't good enough!

There's a key reason why too:

You overlook the details that matter.

Lemonade's CEO, Daniel Schreiber, put this best when he said:

As Schreiber puts it, targeting these statistical facts isn’t specific enough!

I came across an example a few years ago that illustrates this perfectly:

The Prince (King) Charles and Ozzy Osbourne Persona:

The problems King Charles faces are radically different from those of Ozzy Osbourne.

So next time, think about this:

Instead of targeting customer personas, target the specific problems and challenges they face.

Because when you target a persona, you target the average description of someone, not the intricate details.

This has major consequences as we will start exploring below.

The simple explanation:

Nobody fits the average!

Expanding on the Flaw of Averaging: The Case of the US Air Force

In the late 1940s, the US Air Force faced a high rate of aircraft accidents and pilot fatalities (excluding combat losses).

Per 100,000 flying hours, pilots crashed and destroyed 23.6 aircraft.

By the end of the 1960s, this figure dramatically dropped to 4.3.

One key man made this a reality:

Lieutenant Gilbert S. Daniels.

How did Lt. Daniels achieve this?

He recognised the pitfall of using "the average" to design solutions.

Let me explain:

US Army engineers had standardised the pilot cockpit design.

They based it on the average dimensions of a 1926 pilot.

Enter Lt. Daniels who revisited this in the 1950s.

He took body measurements of over 4,000 pilots.

What did he uncover?

None matched the average.

In his own words:

The flaw here is the assumption that a seat tailored to the 'average' pilot would accommodate every individual.

But it didn’t, not one bit!

This revelation highlighted the flaw in appealing to the mean, a phenomenon known as the "flaw of averages" or "averagarianism."

Daniels emphasised that designing for the average overlooked the unique characteristics of each pilot.

The airforce made changes

In response, the US Air Force implemented adjustable seats, controls, and other components to accommodate the variations among pilots.

The result?

Pilot performance improved and accidents saw a huge decline.

The pitfall of the average is evident

As Daniels demonstrated, recognising individual differences are crucial for success.

Remember, when it comes to your customers, just like in the cockpit, nobody fits the average - Not one!

Moral of the story:

Are you targeting the problems that matter?

Are you going beyond mere demographics?

Most business owners don't do this.

Please don't let that be you too!

And on that note:

Until this time next week,

Ryan