Know Your Customers

The first rule of sales is “You don’t ask, you don’t get.” This means first identifying your target market, (TM)  which can be done via market research and considering your own experiences, then LEARNING MORE about these people. The best way to learn about others is to ask them questions. This will both show them that you care and give you the information you need to qualify them, then to present your products/services in such a way that caters to their needs and/or wants.

For details on how to identify your target market, click here >> https://gtapreneurs.com/who-is-your-target-market/

Once you know your target market, you need to do two things to bring them into your sales/business development funnel.

1. Advertise your products or services – paid or free
2. Reach out to them directly

There are a wide range of ways to promote (advertise) your business, like social media profiles, posts and comments in groups; website; SEO; search engine and social media ads; mailouts; email marketing; Google Business Profile and other search engine profiles; directories; lawn signs, etc.)

To be most effective, your TM needs to be reflected in your promotions. For example, if your target market is men over 40 who like to fish, your promotions should feature men over 40 who are fishing. If you target is small business owners, then your promotions should feature pictures that show small businesses. The location of your TM also needs to be considered when sending out promotions.

For outreach on social media, you would select filters to narrow the search. For example, if your target market is female real estate agents in Toronto, you would search for real estate agents, filter by city and send messages to the women you find.

If your target market includes people who like to exercise, you could join a gym or talk more with the people at the gym you already attend. You could also join a golf and country club, angler’s club, dance classes, yoga studio, hiking groups, sporting leagues, etc.

If your TM is entrepreneurs or small business owners, you could attend business networking events.

Let’s say you have determined your TM and you talk with them whether they reach out to you or you reach out to them, what kind of questions should you ask to get to know them better?

I recommend starting with general conversation to build rapport. This could be something about the weather, special occasions, location, how was their weekend, etc. If they are an entrepreneur or business owner, you could ask them to tell you about your business. Then you could talk about something related to your specific offerings to see what they say. If they show interest, you could suggest another meeting or phone call to gather more info from them and to say more about what you offer. You could also ask them directly if they are interested in learning more about what you offer and if they would like you to email/mail it to them. In this case, you would follow-up with a phone call. If they don’t show interest or say that their family member or friend offers what you do, then tell them it was nice to meet them, thank them for their time and move on to someone else. Don’t spend too much time explaining what you offer if the person doesn’t seem interested. It is a waste of your time and the other person’s time. Move on to the next person, then next person, etc..

There are only so many hours in the day, so use them wisely.

For more great business growth tips, see our other blogs.