Most start-ups find it difficult to secure their first sale, particularly if they are creating an innovative product in a new marketplace.
There are lots of elements customers will consider when having those first few conversations with your start-up. Does that customer have a need for your product? Are you a reputable brand? Is your business going to survive to be able to deliver and support the service you offer? Are you the right choice for them over your competitors?
So, choosing your perfect customer needs to be carefully thought out to ensure you start getting cash into your business and to reduce wasted time and effort.
Here are 6 steps to help identify your perfect customer….
1. Define your product from the customers point of view. Does your product meet your perfect customers’ needs and wants? Does it solve their problem? How does your product add value to your perfect customer?
2. What does your perfect customer look like? What are their demographics, occupation or business type? What type of products do they currently buy and what’s their current need? What are their most important qualities?
3. What benefits does your product offer that perfect customer and which ones are the most important? What is your perfect customers’ most compelling need that your product resolves? Why should that customer buy from you over your competition?
4. Where is your customer located and is your product targeted at their geographical location?
5. When will your perfect customer buy? Is it a seasonal product and is there a trigger that makes them buy at a certain time of the year?
6. How does that customer buy? And how does that customer make the buying decision for your product?
Being able to clearly define your perfect customer for your product or service will help your start-up get off the ground quickly. By clearly defining the key benefits of your product to customers who have a clearly defined need, highlighting what makes your specific product unique, will ensure your sales message is clear and targeted.
Undertaking early stage research will help in this process as well as looking at your competition and who they are engaging with. If you are already connected to a network of individuals who meet the criteria of your perfect customer, you will be able to hit the ground running. If not, you need to find ways to start engaging with the right network of ‘perfect customers’.
This is the fourth blog in a series for the Women in Innovation programme. Follow #WomenInnovate or sign up to our online community to stay up to date with future articles.