Emmanuel ChijiokeIdentifying the characteristics of a potential customer can be the difference between a timely sales strategy or definitive bankruptcy.
We cannot lose sight of the fact that, in every sense, both the product, the services and the company are basically configured from the projection of the ideal client , i.e of that potential customer that meets all the appropriate characteristics to access our product or services.
What or who is a potential customer or client?
A potential customer is any person who can become a real buyer or consumer of our brand because they meet a series of characteristics that make them prone to successfully end the deal or make the purchase.
In other words, if you run a bar, it is likely that all men between the ages of 20 and 60 in the USA or Nigeria are your potential customers.
Characteristics of a potential customer
To better understand the concept of a potential client, it is necessary to refer to a series of attributes or indicators that a person must possess in order to be considered one.
We will call these attributes the characteristics of the target customers and we will divide them into three groups,
- the personal ,
- the sociocultural and
- the environmental .
This works in orderly fashion to give a complete construction of the potential customer model.
Personal characteristics of target customers
These conditions are all those that must be met in the person so that he meets the buyer’s profile of our product or service.
Within this attribute, we have sex, age, race and physical conditions like height, body build, etc. All those characteristics that have to do exclusively with the person, in addition to those that are contextual, but are personal, such as economic projection (purchasing power) of the potential customer.
So, for example, if your business is high-performance sportswear, you will have a limited age range (12 – 50), probably a gender focus in some specialized lines, and obviously you will also have lifestyle references and so on.
Socio-cultural characteristics of a potential customer
On the other hand, we have a second important group of characteristics that refer to the particular socio-cultural condition of each person . At this point, we can find some pretty cool stuff that can help us set up our marketing campaigns .
In exploring this attribute, we find the issues of personal tastes and contextual idealizations of people.
Religious-spiritual beliefs, sports passions, musical tastes, ethnic or cultural derivations, etc… in short, all aspects help us to better understand the behavior and particular motivations of an individual or groups of individuals.
The importance of establishing the characteristics of potential clients taking into account socio-cultural factors is that it will give us a much broader spectrum than judging from the personal field only. Or in other words, a narrower spectrum in the strict sense of activity.
For example, a soccer-loving, Black, Christian, raised in a small town is probably not the best individual to purchase a cricket or hockey stick with pictures of Norse gods.
Being clear about these aspects can serve as a bridge when preparing an ad or working on your marketing strategies and campaigns that are driven by emotions .
Environmental characteristics of a potential customer
The third important group in which the characteristics of potential customers are classified is that of the environment. This is super important, because it creates strong needs in large groups of people, which is why it strongly marks market trends .
For example, if you go to certain cold regions of the world like Canada in the winter, it is literally impossible to move outside without a good supply of coats. For this reason, clothing stores have large sessions dedicated to jackets and coats.
This is not the case in the clothing stores located in Abuja, Nigeria, for example, where you can find mainly light clothing.
In this sense it is important to clearly establish what the real environmental conditions of your potential customer or your model client are. This will help you devise better needs-driven marketing strategies.
How Do I establish the characteristics of my ideal client?
The first thing I take into account is the flow of commercial activity of my company, that is, establish customer profiles based on successful sales that we’ve closed. With the information from my buyers, I can begin to look for patterns and work on them.
If for some reasons, you are not collecting information on sales that can help you in this regard, then it is time for you to consider doing it. Remember that information is power, and the possibility of identifying and working with the potential customer or client from your experience is extremely beneficial .
Model client
If you haven’t made enough sales, or any at all, because you’re just a start up, (starting your business), what you’re creating is a model customer, or a personal profile of persons that fits your product or services.
That is, the same as a real potential client, but from mere subjective speculation. For example, many game apps created with the young-child customer model in mind, after their launch showed great popularity among adults changing the perspective of the makers of the game who now look at and an adult instead of a child as a potential customer.
To profile your potential client, you only have to think about each of the three parameters mentioned above: personal, socio-cultural, and environmental.
Try to establish the greatest amount of information about your client in each aspect. Always focusing on the purchase cycle or circle of associated needs. Use forms to collect data, and running a survey campaign once in a while wont be a bad idea.
Closing Thoughts
We hope the issue is clear. In the same way, we always recommend that when carrying out marketing campaigns or larger business actions, you seek personalized advice from experts and do not end up making a lousy investment by wrongly establishing and targeting your model potential customer.
So far we come with the information on the Characteristics of potential customers . We hope it has been useful to you. We from the Thegrandly, want to keep you informed with the latest trends. Current events has showed us that those who do not adapt, do not sell.
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Emmanuel Chijioke
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