Taking the extra time to develop detailed profiles of customers you need to acquire is well worth it.

After all, why invest a lot of time in a relationship with a customer who buys from you once in a while? Or is struggling to pay your invoices on time? Start things off right by going after a select group of people or businesses who will deliver on what you need to thrive.

When creating your customer profiles, don’t be shy in stating some of the more obvious desirable characteristics about your ideal customer such as:
a) Purchases multiple times per year;
b) Purchases in volume;
c) Has good credit rating & pays on time;
d) Doesn’t price shop;
e) Places a high value on developing loyal business relationships;
f) Good planners & communicators;
g) Well organized & financed;
h) Happy and appreciative of the products or services you sell.

The last one is interesting? In my opinion life is too short to spend time with people who don’t appreciate you – especially when there are plenty of people who will.

Ask yourself if you are selling to another business or person? For most companies, selling to a business rather than to a person or resident has tremendous advantages. Most noteworthy is the fact that businesses tend to purchase more volume, more frequently. As a general rule of thumb, if you can sell to a business and not a resident – do it.

The biggest time waster for many new businesses just might be the fatal mistake of developing relationships with the wrong customers. Don’t do it!

To prevent this problem, develop very specific profiles of your ideal customer and aim to make relationships with them.

Why invest a lot of time in a relationship with a customer who buys from you once in a while? Or is struggling to pay your invoices on time? Start things off right by going after a select group of people or businesses who will pay you often and on time!

Are you a business owner?

Do you want an affordable & quick to implement idea to get more business?

The answer is simple. Make it easier for your clients to do business with you.

Take a few minutes and visualize yourself as a potential client of your particular business. That’s right – put yourself in your client’s shoes for just a few minutes. Ask yourself how easy it might be for a prospective client to do business with your firm. Be honest.

On a scale of 1-10 (10 is excellent), rank you business’s ability to attract and retain new customers. Here it goes, just follow the steps below.

How easy is it for a new business prospect to:

1. Hear about your business?  (score =     )
2. Learn about your business? (score =     )
3. Hear from others who have done business from you? ( score =     )
4. Try your product and services? (score =     )

Assuming you didn’t rank 10 out of 10 for every question– think about how more effective you could be at attracting & retaining clients if you were to change a few things and increase your score for each question.

You would only have to improve each area a little bit and it could add up to substantial differences to your bottom line.

If you try this, let me know how it went by responding to this posting.

President of d-Commerce Business Consulting and Co-owner of OfficeSmarts Corporation

In just a few meetings, Dan can create tremendous value for clients by helping them connect with the key profit drivers within their business & marketing plans.

Dan is passionate about his new role as leader of the Manitoba Marketing Network, a group of business owners who volunteer by providing marketing mentorship to Manitoba small business owners.