Find the Goldmine Within Your Business

Doing a current customer breakdown can help you find the goldmine within your business by determining who you should be targeting in your marketing efforts in the future. There is a goldmine right there and you may or may not see it?it's your customer base! But is it all of them? No ? definitely not. Then what the heck am I talking about?

You probably already have some great customers, probably not as many as you would like though. So how do you go about finding more of the kind of customers that make opening your doors worthwhile every day? The first step is to find out everything you can about the customers that you do have. Here's how to start:

1. Get Accurate Sales Numbers - How do you determine what a "good customer" is? More than likely it is a loyal customer who keeps coming back to spend money with your business. This is why the first step you take should be to determine how many sales each customer has and what total income each customer has provided you.

2. Decide What You Consider "Good" - Is your product or service a one shot deal? Or can your customers come back again and again? If they can come back, you'll want to find out their average order or purchase size in a dollar amount and also how many times they've purchased... You'll see that they'll fall into categories. Maybe 10% are big spenders but 30% purchase consistently. Obviously this will vary depending on what type of business you have. If you sell a product or service where it is unlikely your customer will need you again, figure out what range of purchase size makes up most of your income.

It really varies from business to business. For instance, if you're a Realtor you may sell many more homes between 100 and 200 thousand, but most of your actual income came from one giant purchase... Maybe a 2 million dollar home... You don't want to ignore your bread and butter. In this case, I would recommend marketing to the "bread and butter" public. So you see, you really need to evaluate your industry.

3. Once you've determined which are the best customers (the kind you'd like all the others to emulate) and have gotten all information concerning their purchasing habits with you: Find out how they found you, where they live, what they do for a living and even what their level of income is (if it can be tactfully worked into the conversation). It's good to get this information when the customers are making their purchase because they will be more likely to give it to you. If you keep customer phone numbers you could even do a short survey by phone to find out most of this info.

4. Look for Patterns - When you gather all of the information you may notice that 35% of your best customers are doctors, or 50% of them come from one area of the city. Whatever the pattern is that you notice, take advantage of it. Do specific mailings to a list that fits the same description as your best customers and you will attract more of them. A list company can find you a list that best fits so that you are mailing to those companies or individuals that are most likely to purchase.

Follow these steps and you will be able to increase you Return On Investment (ROI) from all of your marketing programs. And remember, Return On Investment is how much income you are generating from the leads you get in from your direct mail marketing campaign.

Marketing your business will help it grow, marketing your business to the right people can get your business booming. So, tap into your goldmine!

Joy Gendusa founded PostcardMania in 1998, her only assets a computer and a phone. By 2004 the company did close to $9 million in sales and employed over 60 people. She attributes her explosive growth to her ability to choose incredible staff and her innate marketing savvy. Now she's sharing her marketing secrets with others. For more free marketing advice, visit her website at http://www.postcardmania.com

In The News:


pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


Communication Breakdown - Dont Let It Happen To You

Do you have Communication breakdown?How are you communicating with your... Read More

Do You Really Need a Brochure?

The phone rings. Good news... it's a potential client. You... Read More

Medias Dirty Little Secret

I'm constantly amazed by all of the media reps from... Read More

Top Four Marketing Secrets of Building a Professional Practice

Building a coaching or consulting practice can be rewarding and... Read More

Tips For Developing An Effective Questionnaire

Developing the questionnaire is undoubtedly the most important part of... Read More

Incestuous Relationship Between Football and Marketing

Thousands eyes were fixed. Hearts were beating hard against the... Read More

Marketing Strategy 101: 10 Marketing Strategies I Learnt From My Oral Surgeon

This is how the conversation went on my follow-up visit... Read More

The Seven Keys to Marketing Genius: The Complete Guide to Increasing Your Marketing IQ

How smart is your marketing? Do you follow the crowd... Read More

Why You Dont NEED a Marketing Plan

If you pick up a copy of the November 2003... Read More

The Advantages of Full Color Brochure Printing

A brochure can be a great promotional tool, whether it... Read More

10 Elements Every Direct Mail Piece Should Have

Don't want your direct mail to end up in the... Read More

Promotional Bags: Your Company Details on Parade

The trick to a good promotion is to attach your... Read More

Marketing Lessons from Santa

If a nonexistent man can change the world and millions... Read More

Recipe for Success

Special event and a special recipe- hand it out on... Read More

Have You Sold Your Internal Customers?

You can make the sale. You know your core message.... Read More

How Much Is Your Popcorn Worth? Powerful Lessons In Marketing & The Psychology Of Selling - Part 4

Let's continue to discuss the various marketing principles that are... Read More

Grow Your Business By Getting Your Customers Buying From You More Often - 35 Ideas

35 Ideas to Spark Your Creativity:There are 3 ways to... Read More

What You Need in Your Marketing Calendar

Marketing calendars are used by many businesses to help keep... Read More

Networking the Media

The media is a business's absolute best friend. It is... Read More

Writing A Marketing Strategy

It is my belief that if anyone is to suceed... Read More

Professional Marketing

Have you looked for marketing advice on the internet recently?... Read More

How to Set (and Get) the Right Prices

Which product feature of yours is every buyer keen to... Read More

Create Your Own Rumors

A consultant new in the city asked me how I... Read More

Boost Your Business With Testimonials

When used correctly, testimonials can boost your response dramatically. They... Read More

If My Work is Good Enough

"If My Work is Good Enough, I Shouldn't Have to... Read More

The Secret to 100% Success With Your Marketing

There's a secret to marketing, which is so simple, yet... Read More

21 Must-Have Web Site Elements

Your Web site should be the cornerstone of your client... Read More

Translation and Your International E-Commerce Strategy

Most businesses realize that they are simply a click away... Read More

How Much Is Your Popcorn Worth? Powerful Lessons In Marketing & The Psychology Of Selling - Part 1

In the following 'special report,' I will reveal some very... Read More

How to Protect Yourself Against the Hidden Cost of Shipping to Trade Shows

Trade Shows are lots of work, but they can generate... Read More

8 Lessons in Strategic Marketing A La Daddy Daycare

I bet you thought the movie "Daddy Daycare" was a... Read More

Powerful Direct Marketing Numbers

Direct Marketing works!Why? It works because it's personal. It carries... Read More

Trade Show Promotional Products ? Boosting Booth Traffic

I was about seven or eight years old when I... Read More