How to Target Your Market

In defining your target market, the human race is not your oyster. As a business vendor it is important to define your target market in common terms. You want everybody to take part of your services and goods. But, unluckily, from a marketing impression, no business has the money or other resources to attain the whole market proficiently.

Having a defined target market does not mean that your services or product won't meet the desires to people outside of your target market. This will always be the case. For example, there are rich people who shop at Wal-Mart, but the company's marketing dollars are not headed for this group because it doesn't imply its centre area of bargain shoppers.

Getting a definite market does not mean that you have to eliminate people that do not suit your criteria from purchasing from you. Rather, target marketing lets you to concentrate your marketing dollars and brand message on an exact market that is more apt to purchase from you than other markets. This is a much more efficient, affordable and effective way to reach possible customers and build businesses.
When choosing a market there are several key considerations, think about the natural expansion to your business. Natural expansions are the series of advanced backend products you present your clients.

Choosing your market can sometimes prove quite tricky. It does entail some research and some precise preparation, if to be done right. Sometimes you will find businesses who simply, off the top of their head say, ok well for our target market - lets say 'small businesses in downtown Vancouver'. This really isn't sufficient, especially if you want your business to succeed.
Your target market needs to be very definite. Using the example above, you would want to make a list of the types of businesses in downtown Vancouver. Then research those businesses to see what the average earning is or if they are valuable or have the disposable income to be able to afford your product/service. You would also indicate if it will be only brick and mortar business or if you would also target e-businesses. Obviously do some research and keep in mind the more you know about your target market the easier it is to create a marketing strategy to attract them.

An effective sales approach starts before approaching any potential customer (a.k.a. prospect). The sales professional knows what he or she needs to do and then continually monitors progress using the written sales plan.

Reason number two is a confusion between marketing skills (attracting attention) and selling skills (earning the sale) within the overall sales process. This confusion is partially responsible for the inability to secure the desired results of an earned (a.k.a. closed) commitment (a.k.a. deal). Now the organization has even more people in "Ketch-Up" mode and is working harder not smarter.

The final reason is more big picture in it affects the organization's culture. This type of behavior is not efficient or effective and does not build a culture of high performance. By allowing these actions to continue is an endorsement (think approval).

So if you are in sales management and wish to stop the bleeding of all that red ink, then evaluate these reasons. If you observe any of them, possibly you may wish to bring your sales team together to work to turn around these "Ketch-Up" sales approaches.