How well do you know your target audience? And, more importantly, how well do you put that knowledge to work for your benefit?
Where are they located? What do they look like? What do they like to do? Are they aware of your products and services? What is their perception of your products and services? What is their buying process? How do they use your products and how much do they use on an annual basis?
The reason I ask these (and many other) questions of prospective clients and employers is that the answers can shed a great deal of light on opportunities to improve the performance of sales and marketing activities.
We’ve all seen promotional efforts that made us wonder “Why am I getting this?” when the goal is to deliver the right message to the right person at the right time in order to get the right response. Well, somehow I doubt that confusing the buyer is the ‘right response’!
That’s why it’s critical to invest the time upfront in order to understand the impact of demographics, psychographics, behavioral variables and technographic segementation on our actions. Or, in simple terms, ask the right questions so you can deliver the right message.
Let me put it this way – if a prospective buyer approaches you and asks for information in order to determine if your products and services would be appropriate for their needs, do you respond with “Here’s a 10% off coupon!” or “What are your needs and expectations?”
What information do you need in order to increase your ability to provide prospective buyers with the right information? How have you made capturing this data part of a formal process? And how do you consistently act on this information in order to ensure success?
Figure that out and you will see conversion rates increase, referrals increase and retention increase.
