Testing
Your Idea Worksheet #1
Getting To Know Your Customers
Part of the process
of developing a marketing plan is to think through who you are marketing
to. Close you eyes and picture your ideal customer coming in to your
office or store. Then complete the questionnaire below. There are
no right or wrong answers. This exercise is designed to help you identify
your target market.
Who do you expect your
potential customers to be? Are they a certain age group? If so what
age group? Young adults, older adults, middle age?
Your potential customer
group must have the money to purchase your products or services. Does
the age group have the money to spend on products or services you
plan on offering to them? Explain.
Do your potential customers
have certain characteristics or interests in common? For example,
are they all young parents? Do they all love golf? Are they business
owners? Do they all take vacations?
What are specific needs
or wants your customers have in common which your product or service
will help fulfill? For example, do they have yards which need to be
kept up? Do they have children that need to be cared for? Do they
have cars which need to be serviced? Do they own businesses which
need office supplies? List their needs and wants.
Where will your customers
be located? Where do they live and work? Where do they drive to and
from? Will your customers in the same community as your business?
Will they be on the West Coast? In another country?
How will you reach your
customers where they are located? Can you reach them by phone? By
radio? By mail? Person to person? With a flashing sign? List ways
you could get the attention of your potential customers.
What steps will you take
to ensure that what you have written down so far is true, or find
answers to the above questions you may not yet know? Will you interview
people in person or on the phone? Will you mail questionnaires? Will
you go to a meeting or trade show meet them, ask questions and observe?
Are there others who may
know information about your customer group? For example, if you are
opening a tire store, what other businesses provide products to car
owners? Contact them to find out information about how many potential
customers there may be, where they come from and what their buying
habits are. What other businesses or individuals are you aware of
who may be communicating with your customers?
What aspects of your product
or service do your potential customers (or current customers) value
most? Is it quality, selection, convenience, availability, affordability?
How do you know this? How can you find it out? What steps will you
take to find out?
Next
Worksheet...
