Have you ever had to meet a stranger somewhere?

Last summer, Marshall and I took the train from London to Birmingham. There, we were supposed to meet my dear friend Ben’s girlfriend, and we ride with her to Ben’s family’s farm on the Welsh coast, near St. David’s.

I had heard lots about Ben’s girlfriend in the time that I knew him—she felt like a friend already—but when it came down to it, I didn’t know if I would recognize her. The Birmingham train station was huge. How would we know her out of the crowds of people?

Turns out, she knew us. She waved, came running, and we hugged her and proceeded to her car. (And nearly got stuck in our parking spot, but that’s unnecessary for this story.)

Okay, but what does that have to do with copywriting and business?

Just this: if you don’t know who you are looking for, you will never find them.

In the bustling Birmingham train station, Marshall and I just wandered around… outside, inside, looking for our friend we hadn’t met yet. But if I remember right, we didn’t hardly know who we were looking for. Maybe I had a picture of her? But I knew I would hardly recognize her in the middle of the crowds. And I knew that if we didn’t find her, we wouldn’t be able to get to the Sutton family farm.

Wandering around in your business is not going to get you anywhere.

In fact, it can hurt you.

If you think that blond girl might be the one you’re looking for… or that one in the black… or that tall one… you’ll end up directionless and with no idea how to find the person you’re looking for.

If you, instead, have a clear picture of who you want to work with (ride with, in this illustration) you will be able to identify them quickly and ask “Hey, are you___?”

As you “ask strangers if they have seen this person” (aka market to your ideal client) you will be able to give descriptions that say clearly whether or not your person is nearby, or where you can look for them.

Also, if you ask a few people “Have you seen her?” …if they DO see her, they’ll tell her you’re trying to find her too.

So, the moral of the story: know who you’re looking for. In a train station, yes—but also in your business. It will make all the difference in getting where you want to go.