Helen Ewing

Find Loyal Customers



Posted: Monday, March 29, 2010

by Helen Ewing
The Ewing Group, LLC

Most small to medium sized businesses do not complain that they have too many customers. Quite, the contrary. Is finding your company's ideal customers only something that the large corporations can do because they have enough money to retain market research people or can smaller businesses use some of their techniques to increase their own bottom lines? Yes, you can use some of their techniques to help your bottom line.

Defining your customers by their demographic characteristics is how. As boring as this might sound, it has very useful benefits. The last thing you want to do is to spend your time and marketing dollars advertising your products or services to people who are least likely to buy them. Think about what kind of people would most likely be interested in purchasing your product or service. What kind of job do they have? Where do they live? How old are they? Are they male or female? What kind of income would they have? What level of education would they have achieved? Get your mind thinking of these kinds of questions and don't worry about finding the information just yet. Prioritize the list by listing those characteristics that are most important first.

To find the population demographic information in your geographical area of interest, use the census information at www.census.gov. On the left side of the home page click the American Fact Finder tab. Then click the Fact Sheet tab. Demographic information can be obtained for; the U.S., by state, by county and by city. By comparing the statistics from neighboring metropolitan cities, determine how many people having your prioritized characteristics (from above) live close to your business. The cities with the most people with the characteristics you require is where to focus your efforts that will have the greatest chance of driving customers to your business.

Next, identify where your ideal customers might go for connection with the community like; trade organizations, philanthropic organizations, networking meetings, groups oriented around hobbies or sports. Become a member and get involved in the group(s). As an example, these same groups may have sponsorship opportunities to participate in where you get very reasonable advertising exposure online, at events, in directories, or in newsletters. Your authentic involvement in groups is an excellent way for people to get to know you and for you to know them. This process forms the foundation for referrals which has been said to be the best form of obtaining customers.

As a rule of thumb, people will need to be personally exposed to you about seven times before a direct association or familiarity takes place. If you attend an organizational meeting once per month, you can see how this process takes time and why so many give up too soon. Attending an organizational meeting and serving on a committee increases your personal exposure more quickly. Becoming an Ambassador for your local Chamber of Commerce, for example, increases your personal exposure even more.

Lastly, the process of networking at organizations should be fun. Be creative and select those organizations that make you feel connected to their mission.

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