Who do you sell to? Who is your target audience?

The intent here is to keep you focused on the most important clients, the ones most likely to buy, and the most profitable to your business and to ensure you are offering products or services that are truly NEEDED by your customers.

It’s helpful to talk about these first two topics together – who you are selling to and what you are selling are obviously interrelated. However, to simplify the task, we separate the two ideas, then think about the changes you want to make to either or both, going forward. Documenting this information in specific and clear terms provides a reference point for the action plans that follow in step #4.

For example, your marketing and sales plans start with a clear understanding of your target market, those indi- viduals or companies who will have the greatest need for your product and services. This may seem obvious, but I find that many organizations do not have this information readily at hand and in a format that everyone in the company can understand.

As you review and revise this information on a regular basis, you and your teams will better understand who your best customers are, and what changes you need to make to your products and services to continuously add value for them. This document will become a useful record as you evolve your business over time.

As with all the other parts of your plan, it’s important to continuously clarify What you are selling and to Whom you are selling. This is a good place to involve a wider circle of employees to put this information together. The test of this document is when everyone in the company can recognize a potential new customer and know how to categorize a new lead. – and to know who isn’t a likely prospect, so you don’t waste time and effort there.

Depending on the size and scope of your business, you may have a relatively short criteria list or it may require a matrix or spread sheet to clearly explain your current situation.

Note: as you get more clarity in this section, it may influence your thinking about your Unique Business Proposition and Purpose. With Plan Genie you can quickly move back an forth from one section to another to refine and improve your document.