My customers come from all sorts of different backgrounds, but they all share the same need for high quality child care. All the same, there are times when I need to try and get new customers, so I have a good think about who? what? where? and when? Here are some things I got out of a business magazine I found when I was stuck at the station one time. I think they're useful, even if not all of them are relevant to me:
Ten things you need to know about customers
- Who they are. If you sell directly to individuals, find out your customers' gender, age, marital status and occupation. If you sell to other businesses, find out what size and kind of business they are.
- What they do. If you sell directly to individuals, it's worth knowing their occupations and interests. If you sell to other businesses, it helps to have an understanding of what their business is trying to achieve and the shape of their business cycle.
- Why they buy. If you know why customers buy a product or service, it's easier to match their needs to the benefits your business can offer.
- When they buy. If you approach a customer just at the time they want to buy, you will massively increase your chances of success.
- How they buy. For example, some people prefer to buy from a website, while others prefer to do it face-to-face.
- How much money they have. You'll be more successful if you can match what you're offering to what you know your customer can afford.
- What makes them feel good about buying. If you know what makes them tick, you can serve them in the way they prefer.
- What they expect of you. For example, if your customers expect reliable delivery and you don't disappoint them, you stand to gain repeat business.
- What they think about you. If your customers enjoy dealing with you, they're likely to buy more. And you can only tackle problems that customers have if you know what they are.
- What they think about your competitors. If you know how your customers view your competition, you stand a much better chance of staying ahead of your rivals.
