How strange that we small businesses so often forget to target customers as a priority when hunting for that elusive increase in sales turnover.

Yet statistics consistently show that the cost of gaining business through prospecting is anywhere between 3 and 10 times as expensive as increasing sales through current customers.

Armed with that snippet of information it would be odd not to address the issue of how to target customers to maximise sales.

Target Customers To Maximise Sales In 10 Steps:

Make sure that you work through these steps in sequence. It’s important.

1- 80:20…Prioritise. Always remember that 20% of your customers will provide 80% of your profit. Work out who they are and focus on them. Now target customers who are in your bottom 20%. Ditch them.

2- Customer service.  I’m not just talking good customer service. I’m talking mind busting customer service. Good won’t differentiate you from the competition. 80% of customer service is giving the customer what they want when they want it. 20% is the personal relation building, touchy feely bit. Get the 80% right first without fail. Then worry about the 20%.  And don’t forget to give your customer some fun while you’re about it.

3- Solve your customers’ problems.  This is really an extension of mind busting customer service. Put yourself inside your customers’ head and work out what their problems are. Now solve them. If you can’t work out what they are then ask. These problems should be completely unrelated to your company’s current dealings with that customer. (Because you have already sorted that with your mind busting customer service haven’t you.) Don’t forget that to give is to receive, your payback will come in due course.

Now that you’ve sorted points 1-3,  target customers in your top 20% and make the most of points 4 to 6.

4- Feedback.  Asking your customers for feedback is a great sign of business maturity. It will also make your customers feel good. You might actually learn something too.

5- Testimonials. Whilst your customers are thinking about what’s wrong with your business for your feedback, they will also be considering what’s right with it. They will puff their chest out with self importance if you ask to use it for a testimonial.

6- Referrals. While your luck’s holding, ask your customers to recommend your company to their own contacts. Extremely powerful.

Your customers are now suitably warmed up. In fact they think you’re fantastic. So strike while the iron is hot and prepare for some direct selling.

7- Upsell.  Your customers are obviously happy with your widget X. Target customers who may be even happier with your widget X deluxe.

8- Cross sell.  Don’t assume that your customers know your full range of products even if you have told them a dozen times. They’ve got more important things to worry about. Tell them another dozen times.

9- Raise prices.  Contrary to popular opinion, customers will accept price rises provided that they understand i) why your product represented good value in the first place and ii) why a price rise is necessary and reasonable. Surprisingly customers are often under-informed about the products they buy and consequently don’t use them to their full potential.

10- Sell other products. There is no reason why you shouldn’t wholesale other companies’ products to your customers if you can be competitive on price. It obviously helps your economies of scale and reduces the number of individual deliveries your customers need to receive. Potentially a win win.

And there you have it. 10 simple steps to target customers to maximise your sales revenue. Charity begins at home so make the most of it.

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