How to Manage Customer Lists and Utilize them
How to Create Customer Lists
Customer lists are the lifeblood of a company. In this article, I will explain how to manage customer lists and utilize them.
It is said that a customer list is an asset in business.
By effectively utilizing your customer list, you can make them become fans of your company or products.
Once you’ve been able to win the hearts of your customers and become a fan of your company or product, it will ultimately lead to an increase in sales.
Table of contents:
- What are the benefits of using a customer list?
- Effectively use your customer list
- How to create an easy to understand customer list
- Appropriate marketing for each customer
- Customer lists are the lifeblood of a company
What are the benefits of using a customer list?
If you make better use of your customer list, you can get certain benefits from it.
Categorizing the market into groups according to their needs, behaviors, and characteristics is called segmentation.
It is common to use customer lists to do marketing on a large scale.
For example, if you want to introduce a new product or inform people about an event, you can send out information via e-mail newsletters to make a sales pitch at a low cost.
Since a customer list is a list of people who have bought a product at least once, there is a possibility that they will not be reluctant and will be interested in your product or service, even if you proactively inform them about it.
If you segment and make meaningful use of the customer list accordingly, it is assumed that it will lead to direct purchase of products, use of services, etc., and there are advantages such as being able to make a profit at a low cost.
By gradually cultivating your customers in this way, you can expect to increase your sales.
Effectively use your customer list
With customer lists, you can see what kind of customers you have as a company.
And by effectively using the customer list, you can expect to increase your revenue.
A customer list is meaningless unless it is utilized and used in business strategies.
And to make full use of the customer list, a segmented customer list is necessary.
As mentioned earlier, segmentation can help you develop accurate marketing.
When you segment your market, it is easier to develop products and create a market that suits your customers.
How to create an easy-to-understand customer list
The key to using a customer list is to make sure that it is easy to understand.
First, divide your customers into “needs” and “wants.” “Needs” refers to “purpose,” and “want” refers to “means.”
In general, wants are often expressed in words, while needs are rarely verbalized.
That is probably because “essential needs” are desires.
It is necessary to identify what the “essential needs” of customers are.
At this point, it is recommended to categorize customers into “still customers,” “sooner or later customers,” “anxious customers,” and “immediate customers” and make a list.
By categorizing customers into four types, we can approach them in different ways.
Customers who are not ready yet have low needs and wants.
If you can get them to understand the appeal of products and services, they may become “sooner or later customers” or “anxious customers” later on.
Secondly, “immediate customers” have high needs and clear wants.
Also, “anxious customers” have high needs but lack a clear understanding of their wants.
Lastly, “immediate customers” have high needs and wants, so they can be expected to purchase your products and use your services immediately through trial sessions and explanatory meetings.
In this way, classifying customers into four categories makes it easier to think about how you can approach them.
Appropriate marketing for each customer
The “yet-to-be customers,” “sooner or later customers,” “anxious customers,” and “immediate customers,” as mentioned earlier, have different needs and wants.
So, it is necessary to perform accurate marketing tailored to customers.
It is said that “yet-to-be customers” account for 80% of all customers, so it is necessary to approach them effectively and make them become fans of the company or product.
Next is the “sooner or later customers,” whose needs are not so high but whose wants are of interest.
As for the “sooner or later customers,” they often want to collect information about the near future.
Also, since “anxious customers” have high needs but unclear wants, it is a good idea to provide information about the actual experiences and impressions of people who have used your services or purchased your products.
Finally, there are the “immediate customers,” who have high needs and wants.
You can expect that they purchase your products and use services, so prepare for trial sessions and information sessions.
It is necessary to implement management methods that are suitable for each type of customer: “yet to come,” “sooner or later,” “anxious,” and “immediate.”
Customer lists are the lifeblood of a company
In this way, the customer list is considered to be the lifeblood of the company.
Of course, you should make a list of customers that are easy to understand, but if you have a large number of customers, you must also think about how you can effectively use it.
Implementing a CRM system, a dedicated tool, can help you increase sales speedily and help you make business decisions.
As a company, you may want to aim to acquire immediate customers.
However, for a company to be profitable and grow in the long run, it is necessary to utilize the customer list and approach customers according to their situations.
