Keep your eye on the target

Give yourself access to your customers' suggestions. It's a point that I certainly harp on. Your business might be YOUR baby, but it's THEIR Saturday dining choice, THEIR go-to grocer or THEIR place to get a cup of coffee. Helping them provide you with feedback is essential, but it's also the easy part - there are so many ways to do it (Ask me about one way, in particular, that can increase business while helping you fix embarrassing problems).

The much more difficult task is making feedback work for you. Suggestions are self-serving. Each customer is primarily concerned with his own interests. Comments you receive will likely be all over the board - you very well may find that some contradict others. So what do you do when one customer tells you they like your music but could hardly hear it - and another tells you, the music is distracting?

You need to remind yourself who you serve. Who is your target market? 

Maybe you've spent a little time defining your target. I hope you have. If you haven't, it's not too late. I recommend you consider these points:

1) Who will most appreciate your product or service?

2) Do your strengths (and your USP) tend to best serve a specific demographic?
3) What sort of person will make the best customer for your business?

So maybe in your "suggestion box" (whatever form that might take, online, paper questionnaires, Facebook surveys, etc.) one customer complains that your prices are too high, while another suggests you provide more upscale menu offerings.

You know who your target is. What does your target want? Whom might you alienate. Be mindful of what other consequences there might be. Of course, look for trends in the comments.

If you act, act in the best interest of your target. You can't make everyone happy, but you can frustrate everyone trying. 

Consider this: Subway doesn't try to make the best sandwiches; they make inexpensive, fast, fresh sandwiches. I would guess their target is 20-25 year old, young adults on the go. It doesn't mean it's all they serve by any means, but by gearing decisions toward their target helps people know what they're getting. It establishes their brand. When they adjust their menu, interior design or advertising, they adjust it to woo these people. 

Another sandwich shop, such as Panera would likely cater to a slightly older, and less busy target market. Tell them they're not as quick as Subway, and they'll nod. They aren't trying to compete there. Tell Subway that Panera has better sandwiches, and you probably won't get much argument either. They each know who they serve. They each know their niche. 

When you consider the decorating, marketing, prices, hiring employees - everything down to the way you answer the phone, know who you serve. Keep your eye on the target. 

Need help with your aim? A Vairenpoint Marketing planner can work with you to narrow your focus, and feel confident in your direction. Visit http://www.vairenpoint.com for more information.

Are you on the map?

The other day, I was looking for a home appliance store in an unfamiliar town. Friends suggested they might have an item I needed. So, my journey began, not on wheels, but online. I didn't care to drive up and down every street until I happened to come across this store; I'd much rather know precisely where to go. I wanted a map. 

In my attempt to avoid looking everywhere for this appliance store, Guess what I found? Not much. Instead of driving through town looking for the store, I got lost on the web. Or more accurately, this store was lost on the web. 

In my case, I was determined to find this particular location. I got their phone number from a friend who recommended them, called the store and asked for directions (as well as, of course, verifying that they did have what I needed). It took extra effort and quite a bit of luck to achieve this. For instance, it was lucky my friend happened to know their phone number. It was lucky for the store that I had so much patience.

In any event, being able to find a business is essential to being able to work with a business. Consider how much impact location has had in the past on small business. Securing a highly visible, Main Street storefront might have been their entire marketing plan.

Can a potential customer find your physical location? In many industries, of course, customers need to be able to literally get to you. Can they find your website? Can they find some other shred of evidence that you exist? Can they find you if they don't know your name? Could they happen to find you by searching for a product or service you offer? 

Some businesses do such a nice job of turning their websites and their different listings into highly visible, "Main Street" locations. Others are letting their competitors have their share of new business by turning out their figurative "lights." Are you on the map?

If you found this useful, you may find you'd like working with a Vairenpoint Marketing planner at http://www.vairenpoint.com to help your business overcome these challenges and more.