“Customers buy for
their reasons, not yours.”- Orvel Ray Wilson
Before
you can market—and eventually sell—to customers, you first have to understand
exactly who those customers are. Understanding customers is critical to
creating, delivering and managing customer value. Without this understanding of
customer needs, it is impossible to develop successful marketing strategies. This
understanding must transcend simple demographics like age, industry and
geographical location to encompass the buyers’ wants and needs, as well as
their buying habits. This is also critical to uncovering opportunities you’re
your clients and target clients. Market research is a key part of defining your
position in the marketplace, who your target customers are, and understanding
what they want and desire. At the
beginning of any marketing campaign, it is crucial to conduct market research
that will provide you with answers to these all-important questions. After all,
a good marketing program is built on solid market intelligence—in other words,
cold, hard facts that will help reduce the risks associated with your campaign.
