Customers come in all shapes, sizes and relevance to you 

I’ve always thought that a company has several distinct groups of customers and you need to understand them all if you want to be successful. Each group needs to be thought about differently, although the end result you want is very similar.

The obvious group are the direct customers you already have and the ones you want to sell to.

But don’t neglect the other groups, your own company colleagues, your customer’s customer and those groups that can influence referral and recommendation of what you offer.

The thinking bit

It really goes back to creating a clear message which tells everyone why and how they benefit by trusting you and your company both before and when they buy your goods or services.

You might think that for the differing groups you will need different “messages” but the best message should convince all these groups. That is hard to create and even harder to deliver well.

The tough bit

Put yourself in the shoes of each of these groups and think simply. “What do I need from that company ?” -  “What problem do they solve ?” -  “Can I trust them ?”.

Human nature tells us that in business the question the direct paying customer is really asking is  “What’s in it for me ?”

Your employees may ask the same question as “Am I happy working here?”, “Am I appreciated ?”

Your customer’s customer and any general business wants to believe that their suppliers work with you because ultimately you help solve their problems and your “message” fits with theirs.

Assuming they have been as thoughtful as you !