Everybody knows that a successful marketing plan contributes to sales and overall success for the company. But have you ever wondered how a marketing plan becomes successful? Contrary to popular belief, it’s not a specific type of advertising campaign or an internal team of brilliant marketing veterans; it’s truly knowing who your customer is, before acting upon anything else.

Customer profiling is the process of accurately defining who your ideal customer is. To accomplish this, attention to detail and research is a must. You must first describe your best customers – what similarities do they all have? Look at demographics, psychographics and behaviors and record all common traits.

It’s also important to understand your existing customers and their purchasing process. Why did they buy from you in the first place? How did they find you? Why do they continue to buy from you? What need are they fulfilling with your product or service?

And, where do these customers “hang out?” Is it primarily online or offline? Do they have hobbies in common with one another?

By now, you may feel like what we’re suggesting sounds too stalker-ish. Why is it so important to know these things?

• Most projects or marketing campaigns evolve through the opinions of executives, but executives often aren’t the end user. What they want or feel or need may not be in line with your ideal customer.
• Profiling existing customers makes it easier to find new ones. Potential customers become much easier to spot and opportunities to sell become more easily identified.
• If you truly know your customer, you can alter your marketing campaigns to speak to them and invent products or services that cater directly to them.
• You can stop “driving with your eyes closed.” Have you ever purchased a list of random contacts or advertised in a magazine with a very random circulation? In the past you have probably paid to reach people that never stood a chance of becoming your customers. If you know who your customer is, you can go after them and them only – no money wasted!

It literally PAYS to profile your customer – you can target the right people moving forward! If you’re interested in learning more about who your customer is, contact Natimarktoday