Help Make Productivity@Work More Productive

While the Declaration of Independence declares that all men are created equal, any business owner can tell you that all customers are not. Take the time to identify the characteristics of your best customers, and make the effort to seek out more of them. Doing so can result in greater customer loyalty, higher sales per transaction and increased profits.

One of the key ingredients of formal strategic planning is defining your customer. This is particularly important for small businesses because most simply don't have the time, resources or personnel to take a "shotgun" approach-peppering every potential customer with marketing materials-to prospecting, says Chicago-based Ray Silverstein, author of The Small Business Survival Guide and founder of PRO, a small-business peer group advisory board organization.

"Lack of focus is a problem that often comes up at our meetings," he says. "Companies try to be too many things to too many customers, thereby missing the chance to target their best potential customer. Ask yourself who is most likely to buy your product or service, what their characteristics are and what your capabilities to supply them are. In sales and marketing, the key is to hunt with a rifle, not a shotgun."