| Best customers. | | | | spending more on you. |
| Most small business marketing efforts simply don't | | | | Each small business has its own unique challenges in |
| lavish enough attention on their best customers. Either | | | | first identifying who the most profitable customers are. |
| the small business doesn't know who its best | | | | It's not easy, no matter what the marketing gurus out |
| customers are, or it doesn't believe it's important to | | | | there say. It takes diligent work and perseverance to |
| "love them up". | | | | uncover and identify who these "best" customers are. |
| Well, your competition loves either of these marketing | | | | But, it can often be accomplished, provided the |
| mistakes. Each is especially effective at driving your | | | | entrepreneur who owns the small business possesses |
| customers into their waiting arms. Why hand over your | | | | the will to find out who the best customers are. Once |
| best customers to your competitors? Why not make | | | | you've made your mind up that you need to identify |
| your competition earn their customers the | | | | and market to your most profitable customer segment, |
| old-fashioned way, with costly advertising campaigns | | | | everything else boils down to strategy and tactics. |
| and sales promotions? | | | | And yes, it is possible your small business simply can't |
| Best customers may be just 20% of the total number | | | | target its best customers. Somebusinesses have no |
| of your customers--but they can easily drive 80% of | | | | way of identifying them; others can't find an |
| your profits. Not sales--profits. It's the classic Pareto | | | | economical way to communicate with their best |
| rule of 80/20. To leverage these best customers, you | | | | customers, once they do recognize them. |
| must first identify them. If you don't know who your | | | | But if you can accomplish both--identify and |
| best customers are, then how can you market to | | | | communicate with these top 20% who drive major |
| them? You can't, and your small business marketing | | | | profits--then you can seriously make more money. |
| will suffer because you'll pitch unnecessary advertising | | | | You can reach out to your best customers, incent |
| dollars at your least profitable customers, and spend | | | | them to keep returning and buying from you, and then |
| too little on your best ones. | | | | move forward in your prospecting and try to find other |
| Best customers deserve more marketing dollars. It's | | | | people who look like them |
| that simple. Your most valuable employees receive | | | | Remember: Brand (who you are) + Package (your |
| higher compensation, right? Then why don't you spend | | | | Face to the Customer) + People (customers and |
| more on your best customers? After all, they're | | | | employees) = Marketing Success. |