One of the toughest changes any company has to make when it decides to scale is who they prospect and sell to. It starts with knowing your target customer.
Most early-stage businesses use chameleon selling. This is where they hunt for leads and then customize and adjust their products and services to the needs of whatever prospects they find.
While you can build a good business this way, you won’t build a scalable business.
In order to grow systematically, you need to focus on a small, limited set of products and services that serve the needs of a target set of customers.
This is the only way you can hone your processes proficiently, train your people effectively, and consistently deliver a quality product or service.
There are three key questions to ask to really nail down who you serve and who your target customer is.
Defining your target customer is not about turning business away. It is about being clear on who you can serve best, so your people, processes and offers can all be built around them. Answer the three questions honestly and write the answers down. If you want to see how this connects to growth, have a read of why focusing on sales growth drives profitability. For some general background, there is a helpful overview on Wikipedia.
