Small Business Marketing Strategies All-In-One For Dummies

Chapter 2

Defining Your Customers

IN THIS CHAPTER

Targeting and reaching prospective customers

Examining your product line

Understanding the reasons why people buy products

Recognizing the importance of value

Extending and diversifying your product line

Every marketer mulls the same questions: Who are my customers? How did they hear about me? Why do they buy from me? How can I reach more people like them?

Successful businesses use the answers to these questions to influence every product-design, pricing, distribution, and communication decision they make. This chapter focuses on the only boss that really matters in business: the person with an interest in your product or service and an open billfold. Whether your business is starting up, running at full pace, or in need of a turnaround, you can use the information in this chapter to get in tune with the customers who will make or break your bottom line.

• If your business is going great guns, use this chapter to create a profile of your best customers so that you can attract more just like them.
• If your business feels busy but your sales and profits are weak, this chapter can help you differentiate between the customers who are costing you time and money and the ones who are making you money — so you can direct your marketing efforts at the moneymakers.
• If your sales have hit a frustrating plateau — or worse, if they’re sliding downhill — you need to get and keep more customers, period. That means knowing everything you can about ...