One of my readers asked this question:  If I KNEW where my potential customers hang out, I'd BE there! How do I FIND them? 

The details of the answer  will be different for different businesses, of course, but the process for discovering the information is the same, no matter what the business or product.  It begins with asking yourself these questions. 

Who is the customer I want to sell to? 

Do you even know who your customer is?  That’s the first step in any business.  You cannot sell anything without some idea who your customer is going to be.  Are you selling to men or women?  Are they near or all over the country?  What kind of person is your desired customer? 

Tell me about her.  What are her living circumstances, high end or subsistence or in between?  This depends on whether your ‘product’ is high end or not.  Where does she shop?  Where does she get her news and information?  What professionals and what services does she use?  What issues are important to her—finances, nutrition, appearances, health, retirement, social issues, environment, or something else?  What are the problems she faces?  What would make her life easier?  What does she do for recreation?  Where does she socialize?  Where do her children/family go?  What does she long for?  Answer them¾especially as all these answers connect to what you have for sale.  If you don’t know, you could always ask your potential customers… interviews, surveys and questionnaires!  It’s called market research! 

When you can answer most of these questions about the person you want for a customer, then you will have a start towards going where you are likely to intersect with her and the people who influence her.  That’s where you target your marketing messages and materials.  That may be where you physically show up to network and give presentations.  You’ll also know what media, magazines, and communications types will reach her. 

It’s not enough to just have something neat you want to sell.  You must know and appreciate who your possible customer is.  Otherwise, you can’t reach her with marketing messages in places she is likely to see them. 

So the first three steps of good marketing are these:

     ►Have a superb product

     ►Know your customer

     ►Tell her how her life improves by doing business with you!

Don’t leave out the basics!

Ellie

http://beyondthesidewalk.com   books, workshops and help when you need it!