Who Is Your Ideal Customer?
Keywords: key customers, small business, revenue streams, customer service
You have just spent at least an hour with an obviously well-to-do customer. You answer all the questions, point out the best deals, and practically do everything but kiss her feet. In the end, she very politely thanks you for your time, and walks out of the store empty-handed. Meanwhile, other customers have come and gone through the checkout line with a collection of small purchases. Who is your ideal customer?
Professional marketers will tell you not to spend you valuable time on quantity, concentrate on quality. For example: A single mother of two lives on a shoestring budget. “Beth” is very careful in how she spends her limited resources. The household budget does not contain a section for entertainment. However, she does have one vice-a latte.
Although “Beth” can purchase a self-serve latte at the local convenience store for less than half the cost, this mother will actually go out of her way to visit her favorite coffee shop. Although the coffees both taste great, why does she still drive an extra 6 miles to visit that particular store? The answer is easy. She has developed a relationship with the business. She always knows she will get a quality latte for her money, great service, and a little conversation. She is not just an open wallet. She is a loyal customer remembered by name.
Who is your ideal customer? Is it the person with the biggest wallet, or the non-descript individual who purchases a little with every frequent visit. She never asks for your time or service unnecessarily and always has a kind word. She is in the store so often; you are both on a first-name basis.
Instead of spending your time and energy increasing the quantity of potential customers, you need to discover the demographics of the 10% who actually contribute to your bottom line. Then, spend your time, energy, and money, catering to the people who actually give you the lion’s share of your business.
So, before spending a fruitless hour on a consumer, because you hope for a large one-time purchase, rethink your preconceived notions, and investigate the source of your good fortune. Is it really the occasional customer who will likely never darken the door again; or, is it the quiet, unassuming individual that you have come to know by name?
Show great customer service to every individual that darkens your door. However, never assume that your ideal customer dresses exceptionally well and obviously exudes a wealthy persona. Your ideal customer is the individual who becomes a loyal patron.
Paul Sutherland is an Accelerated Business Growth Coach. His company – Daniel Thomas International – www.dti.eu.com helps corporate and SMEs to grow their businesses with tried tested and proven techniques and strategies, increasing their bottom line profits in 90 days or less.
Previous Articles Highlighter:
Majorca Holidays End 2007 On A High (1)
The tourist situation for Malta was so poor at one stage that a British holiday company were seriously considering dropping it from their main brochures, and if others had followed Malta would have been relegated as a mainstream vacation destination to one of niche status for her culture, history, and diving holidays.
Benefits Of Family Camping Tents In S.E., Queensland (2)
You can even opt for the regular camping grounds. These make an excellent choice as they usually work out of their sleeves to make their guests experience the most pleasant one.
Basic Types Of Health Insurance (3)
One example is the Point-of-Service plan. If you are under a point-of-service plan (POS), you can keep your overall costs low by using a network of doctors and hospitals that have contracts with your insurer.
Day Trading Psychology - An Unspoken Rational Approach (4)
He has been trading the Market for 23 years. His support and resistance numbers have been published on the internet since 1996. Mike's nightly support and resistance zones are specific and incredibly accurate.
A Career In Auto Sales (5)
Remember that your job is to sell and this requires specific selling skills and thorough product knowledge. Your pitch has to be convincing and interesting enough to excite the customer to buy the product.
Things You Need To Know If You Are Considering Fashion Photography School (6)
This is not a career for men who want to meet models, but an admirable profession for a serious professional who has an eye for art, loves photography and has a deep admiration for fashion.
For Once Free Advertising Finally Delivers (7)
What's that you said, a Search Sub Engine, what is it and how will it drive free targeted traffic to your website without filling your in box with a useless load of crap.
Utilising A Search Sub Engine To Promote Your Online Business (8)
As well as your primary item, have a back up item available to sell to your prospect list. What method do you use to capture email addresses and where within your sales text should you ask for these details from your surfer.
Free Advertising, Search Sub Engines And Your Marketing Dollar (9)
So into the recycle bin goes isp submitters. Safelist submitters in my opinion get the top prize, the oscar for useless online twonk. Check out any of the thousands of programs available and the first thing they advise you to do is open anemail account where all your emails from other users can be sent so you can delete them without ever seeing them.
Search Sub Engine, The Essential Free Marketing Tool For Professionals And Newbies Alike (10)
But all is not well, and it's not been well since the beginning. You followed all the instructions from the very beginning, and remember, you're now so expert at using this tool that it seems like hardly any work at all.
Newer Articles Highlighter:
Six Sigma Culture And Personality (1)
Can we find a common language that will prove effective when we will set upon the task of achieving a complete cultural change across departments and divisions? Organizational culture can be defined as a set of attitudes, values and beliefs that are enacted on a daily basis within the organization.
The 3 Best EZine Formats (2)
Ultimately, you can decide which format is the best choice for you, though each winning format has its pros and cons. The text eZine is the most commonly published.
Heating Your Waterbed Is Hot (3)
A waterbed heater was an absolute requirement in the days when sleeping on a waterbed meant sleeping with the only thing between you and the vinyl water bladder was a bed sheet and possibly a sheet in combination with a mattress pad.
Film To Video Transfer Won't Bring Back Your Youth, But It Can Help You Relive The Memories (4)
Multiplexer: A multiplexer is a complicated system which actually project from the projector directly into the camera through a system of mirrors and lenses. The image quality is great, but they are not cheap - this is more of a professional solution.
Specialty Foods Are Special Gifts (5)
That same distinct lack of variety can rub off onto you as the gift giver. The distinctiveness of a specialty food gift is in the variety. A specialty food gift once upon a time meant something from the international food section of your local grocery store.
Proactive Retail Loss Prevention Techniques To Save Your Business Money (6)
Keywords: retail loss prevention, cctv systems, closed circuit television systems Retail loss prevention is vital to the success of your retail business. Shoplifters cause retailers billions of dollars in retail losses each year.
Bin Boxes - The Storage Solution You've Been Looking For (7)
Lay your hands on what you, or your customers, need with confidence and a smile on your face. This article published by editorial staff of the National Tollfree Directory.
Nationwide Paging - A Viable Tool For Modern Communications (8)
The use of nationwide pagers saves cost over constant cell phone use and provides quality service and convenience. This results in lower expenditures, while still maintaining real-time communication. After analyzing all the facts, it is clear that nationwide paging should be a consideration as one of the most suitable options for many different customer situations and needs.
Using Pagers To Stay Connected (9)
Regardless of the engineering challenges a two-way pager which is also called a two way messaging tool or two way interactive system, has been created. This unique, innovative system makes use of a large numbers of repeaters, permitting wireless transmitters that function at low power and have short antennas to reach at least one repeater from any point situated in the coverage area.
Using Expansion Joint Systems (10)
Metal expansion joints have been effectively used in a wide variety of situations since around the year 1940. For more information about Metal Expansion Joints and Metal Bellows Expansion Joints, visit Expansion Joint Systems at www.ejsus.com