The trick is to determine what uniquely identifies your best customers. Fortunately, deriving this information is not difficult, and in many cases can be obtained from innocuous questions. Consider a manufacturer of baby goods and the fact that families with new babies often purchase multi-passenger vehicles. This manufacturer could build an effective mailing list by surveying recent car purchasers and noting which respondents had traded in sports cars for SUVs. Your information gathering technique of course will vary, but the identifying information always comprises the same three pieces -- demographic information, geographic location, and purchasing history. Demographic Information
Consumer behavior varies with age, sex, education, income, occupation, marital status, and family size. These demographic parameters are typically used to describe consumers, but they're not an exhaustive list. Perhaps the current brand of car or credit limit would more accurately determine your customer base, which reveals the dark side of demographics -- choosing which demographics to discard may be occasionally difficult. You may find yourself fighting the urge to know every minute detail about your customers. Bear in mind that too much information can be just as paralyzing as too little, and remember to choose wisely, because demographic information is the foundation of your customer analysis. Geographic Location
Trends in apartment renting and home ownership have proven the old adage "birds of a feather flock together," amazingly correct. Geographic location analysis paired with demographics reveals clusters of people with similar characteristics living near one another. This type of analysis creates maps where your customers live, which can yield additional clues on where to look for new customers. It's also worth noting that purchasing behavior is remarkably consistent within specific geographic areas, reflecting shared lifestyle traits. Market segmentation studies can build upon geographic analysis to produce studies of various customer types as well. Purchasing History
When did your customers last make a purchase? How often do they buy? How much do they typically spend? You can use these questions to assign a value category to your customers. If you're a consumer goods and services provider, you have all the purchase information you need right in your sales records. If that's not enough, or if you run a different type of business, you can find generalized purchasing history in census data.
Using what you know about current customers to identify likely new customers increases your chances significantly of finding new best customers. That in turn generates sound data to guide your product offerings, promotional programs, and overall marketing strategy.
Catenate, LLC is a web-based provider of detailed easy-to-use targeted geodemographic reports, through the Catosphere (http://www.catosphere.com) and related marketing services.
http://www.catosphere.com
Wendy Cobrda, CEO
We all know that nothing runs without a plan, and... Read More
Writing a business plan is no easy task, sure you... Read More
Creativity is one of the greatest tools for success in... Read More
Strategic planning is vital while starting a new business or... Read More
Writing a business plan for a franchised outlet of a... Read More
Private equity firms have raised so much capital over the... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains fits multiple services market niche and healthcare... Read More
"Most great plans aren't. They are just nice, high-level ideas."That's... Read More
Most companies that are worthy of raising venture capital have... Read More
ACTION PLANNING: Action Planning is a process to develop strategies... Read More
With a heightened awareness of opportunity, ideas can often be... Read More
Scenario OneDuring a recent presentation, a business owner was given... Read More
Do you work in or own a business that's affected... Read More
When looking at Akron carefully one cannot help but notice... Read More
If ever there were an industry where we want zero... Read More
To stop a computer virus you must understand how it... Read More
I'm not talking about posting the HBO schedule on your... Read More
Why do so many companies languish and watch as their... Read More
When someone mentions business planning we have been conditioned to... Read More
It's easy to lose sight of what needs to be... Read More
It doesn't take a Terrorist Act, Tsunami or Earthquake to... Read More
Business rises and falls on leadership. According to business guru,... Read More
Why cut costs now? Efforts are multiplying to cut costs... Read More
In Ohio: besides the 3-Cs you should look at Akron,... Read More
It is always said "If you Fail to Plan, you... Read More
maid service near Glenview ..Diversify - to make diverse, give variety, to balance, to... Read More
Please take a moment before you read any further and... Read More
I've either been involved with or held a process-related role... Read More
Anyone who has been watching the Idaho Market Carefully for... Read More
The decision to sell, or not to sell your business... Read More
The time when a website was just a simple set... Read More
You know you need a business plan. You probably realize... Read More
A significant advantage of some business ideas is that the... Read More
A business plan precisely defines your business, identifies your goals,... Read More
In 1997, David Steele was making the transition from a... Read More
The first step in starting a restaurant is proper planning.... Read More
Building a dynamic small business is a constantly evolving, increasingly... Read More
Does your overall business strategy include the recruitment of college... Read More
Ask Yourself three simple questions that affect your strategy planning...... Read More
Scenario OneDuring a recent presentation, a business owner was given... Read More
You have heard that there is extra money on the... Read More
As a business owner, you've likely created a hurricane plan... Read More
David E. Gumpert, author of Burn Your Business Plan, often... Read More
If you are in the parking business and own or... Read More
While writing an article recently on effective ways to bridge... Read More
A menu is the foundation of any restaurant; Guests will... Read More
Fun From The StartFor those with the will to start... Read More
It is always said "If you Fail to Plan, you... Read More
How are you feeling today? Good, not so good, great?... Read More
Experts estimate that 90 percent of Australian businesses are overspending... Read More
Strategic Planning |