Chapter 001 · Part 01 · Transcription
You don’t know which customers really fit you
Problem
Ask three people on your team about your ideal customer and you’ll get four answers. You have no shared criteria for who you can really help. That’s why almost every inquiry ends up in sales – even if it later turns into a draining, unprofitable job.
How to spot it
- Every salesperson names different ideal customers.
- For new customers, you constantly have to build special solutions.
- You win jobs you regret afterward.
Why
An unusual customer buys, so the target audience is widened. Then another. At some point your customer profile reads: “Has a company and could pay.” Without clear boundaries, everyone sorts by gut feeling. That costs conversation time and makes delivery needlessly difficult.
Solution
Define with your team who your solution really fits.
- Compare a few good, lost and economically difficult deals. Bring in the colleagues who have to deliver after the sale. What was different about the good customers?
- Formulate three prerequisites and two grounds for exclusion. For example: a recurring problem, a responsible contact person and access to the necessary data.
- Check new inquiries against these criteria. Note whether each one fits, doesn't fit or is still unclear. “Unclear” means ask, not guess.
After one sales cycle, check whether the customers you rated as a good fit actually turn into good deals. The criteria should help you make better decisions, not produce a prettier target-audience slide.
Text of page 19, without the illustration on the left-hand page.
