Who Are Your "Most Likely" Customers

You'll notice I've used the words "most likely" in the above
question. Why didn't I just ask who are your customers?

That would have been too easy!

Effective research is all about asking the right questions.
If I'd just asked who's your customer, you might have
been tempted to answer "Well, I suppose everyone who
pays me is a customer." Yes you're right, but I already
knew the answer to that.

When you think about it, a "good business consultant" is
not one who has all the right answers. I believe it's the
opposite. A "good business consultant" is the one who
knows all the right questions to ask.

>From experience I've found that if you ask the right
questions, the answers will eventually become obvious.
I've also discovered that many owners of small businesses
know the right answers; it's just that they've never
asked themselves the right questions.

That's why I reworded the question to ask - who are your
"most likely" customers? To answer that accurately you
will have to really think about it. When you do, you'll
soon conclude that your "most likely" customers are
different from "Joe Public" (the general population).

How then are your "most likely" customers different
from the general population?

I ask this question because no two businesses are
exactly the same. Each business has the potential to
attract different people. Your product or service may
have specific features or customer benefits. There
could be a difference in pricing, the level of
service you offer, quality standards, presentation,
distribution, brand image, location, convenience,
guarantees etc.

With this in mind it is fair to assume that your
"most likely" customers, are different from the
general population. Your customers may be different
from the customers that your competitors have.

If you can identify how they are different, then it
will be much easier (and more cost efficient), to
reach them. You'll be able to target these prospects
in a way that makes them "sit up and listen."

If you can find out what makes your customers
different from the rest of the population, then you'll
save yourself a lot of money and effort chasing after
the wrong people.