Small Business Strategies for Target Marketing: Think Like Your Customer

Do you want more customers? Of course!
Do you offer quality products and services? Sure!
Do you have a strong marketing strategy? I think so.
How well do you think like your customers? Ummmm....This is where the answers get fuzzy. Small business owners often have to wear many hats including marketing strategist. It can be frustrating when business is down and traditional marketing habits like postcards and yellowpage ads aren't working. Or maybe you're trying to take your marketing to the next level but aren't sure which way to go, where to spend your money. To begin any marketing strategy start by thinking like your customer.


Bill Stinnett, author or "Think Like Your Customer: A Winning Strategy to Maximize Sales by Understanding and Influencing How and Why Your Customers Buy" quotes his father in the beginning of his book by saying, "If you want to catch a fish, you have to think like a fish." When you think about it, it makes sense right? All you really need is a hook on a string to technically catch a fish. But instead we use lures and worms and stinky marshmallows to entice those fish to bite. Why? Because fish aren't looking for hooks. They're looking for flies, worms and bugs so we do our best to give them what they want. We're target marketing the fish. It's the same with our customers. A small business owner needs a strategy for direct and target marketing their customers. The first step is thinking like them.



Here's four simple ways to break down your business and think like your customer.



1. What kind of fish?

Who is your customer? Describe the person most likely to need or want your product/services. You might think that everyone should need/want what you have to offer but narrowing it down into groups of people will make it easier for your to create a strategy for those groups rather than trying to get everyone out there to buy. You use different bait for a rainbow trout than a halibut right? Your product/service is the bait so figure out what kind of fish is looking for you.



2. Why should the fish bite your lure?

Stay in your customers shoes here and think about it; "What is their motivation?" Fishing at noon when the fish is sleeping is not going to be as productive as when their starving at dusk. Thinking about your customers motivation might change your answer to number one above. You might realize that that one group has a weaker motivation to buy so you need to focus time and marketing to another whose motivation is strong.



3. Where do those fish hang out?

If you want to catch a salmon, don't go trolling in a pond! You might be used to marketing your product the same way you always have but if it's not working or you want to grow your business, you need to go where your target audience is. For example, if your customer is tech savy, you'll need to make sure you have a professional website since their likely to go online first. If your customers have kids, you'll want to partner with daycare centers or advertise in the school newsletter. Target your marketing around the areas and styles of the group of customers you're going for.

4. Position the right bait for the right fish!

Now that you are thinking like your customer - make sure your product/service is clear and available. A perfect example happened years ago when a pharmaceutical company shelved a cold medicine because they could correct the drowsiness it produced. Someone came along, took the same product, called it NyQuil and marketed it as a nighttime cold medicine. It became the largest selling cold medicine on the market. Just because your product is good doesn't mean it will sell, it must be positioned correctly. If your fly lure sinks to the bottom of the river, it doesn't look as appetizing as a fly that skips along the surface.

These four steps are not linear or stagnant. You'll always need to take some time and check in to make sure you're meeting your customers needs and marketing your business to it's peak. A strategy is always ready to change and plans for tomorrow.

Now go catch some fish!