Business Plans For Dummies, 3rd Edition

Chapter 7

Getting Up Close and Personal with Customers

IN THIS CHAPTER

Taking a wide-angle view of markets

Comparing good customers with bad customers

Investigating your competitors’ customers

Looking closely at customer behavior

Creating loyal customers

Getting to know the neighbors is a fine way to make for a happier home life. And for business? More than almost anything else, how well you know your customers ultimately determines how successful you are in your business plans.

But we’re the first to admit it: Not all neighbors can be ideal. In fact, some can be the proverbial ones from Hades. So how do you figure out what makes good or bad neighbors — or customers — tick? It can be downright frustrating. In your business plans, you may be tempted to throw up your hands and leave the entire mess to the so-called experts — marketing gurus, consultants, or perhaps astrologers. Don’t. This chapter shows you how to acquaint yourself with your customers so that you can offer them more ...