Practical guides
Choose the right target market: start with businesses that fit
A focused selection makes your commercial approach more relevant and helps your team prepare for each contact.
Start with customers who fit your organisation
Consider the organisations for which your offer already creates value. What do they have in common? Their activities, size, location, reasons for working with you and the people involved can help shape a new selection.
There are several starting points
Former customers, signals from account managers and businesses you notice while travelling can all be useful starting points. An external business list may also help with research. Always check quality, currency and permitted use. A name on a list is not permission to use every contact channel.
Research the organisation and the person
Before making contact, understand what the business does and why your offer may be relevant. Then identify someone who can discuss the topic. A job title helps you prepare, but the conversation will establish whether you are speaking with the right person.
Keep improving your selection
Record what you learn. Why does your story resonate, or fail to? Which questions recur? Use those insights to refine the target group and your reason for contact. Research and customer conversations reinforce each other.
