We, in sales, talk about market segmentation a lot, but could we be more savvy by knowing our specific customers better?  If we focus too much on the ‘big picture’ do we lose the customer connection that makes the sale?

Peter Drucker certainly had some sales savvy when he said that ‘the purpose of a business is to create a customer’* and that we should ‘know and understand our customers so well the product/service fits them and sells itself.’

Here is an exercise that every sales person can do to tune into to their ‘ideal buyer’. Take a few minutes to think about your best customer (or buyer). Think about a real person; the one who gives you lots of business and supports you when your company brings out a new line of products, etc. Draw an illustration of that buyer; where they work; who their customers are, or who they work for or with; what they do to build business and what they do outside of business. Don’t worry if you have absolutely no talent for drawing, you don’t have to show your illustration to anyone. Just drawing will active both your right and left hemispheres so you can see your customer with fresh eyes!!

Try to create a well-rounded illustration of that person, and once you have, store it somewhere close at hand. As you think of new aspects of the person, add them to the illustration.

This exercise does two things, it allows you to attune to specific characteristics that you see in your ‘best buyer’ which could be a marker for another fantastic customer. Once you are on the lookout for these characteristics, you will spot prospects who carry these markers more easily – thus allowing you to shorten the sales cycle and gather ‘best buyers’ to you. You will also begin to understand the drivers of those best customers (buyers), to connect with, and understand them more fully. The outcome? Better long-term relationships with your preferred buyer and more business along the way.  Win-Win!!

The Practice of Management New York,: Harper, 1st ed. 1954 ; Routledge, 2012

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