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Identifying and understanding customers - EduqasIdentifying and understanding customers

It is very important for a business to identify and understand their customers. Businesses use a process called segmentation to help them achieve this.

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The importance of identifying and understanding customers

Rikke explains how she used technology to help her identify and understand what her customers want

For a new business, it is very important to identify who its customers or potential customers are and understand what they want. Identifying, understanding and meeting the requirements of customers means a new business can do two key things: generate sales and make its more likely.

Generating sales

Generating sales is much easier when a business has a clear idea of its customers and what they want. This enables the business to provide a product or service that directly meets customers鈥 requirements. For example, a business may decide that its target audience is customers who follow non-meat diets. As a result, it would only source vegitarian and vegan-certified items and food. Because this strategy would be based on an understanding of what its customers want, it would be likely to generate more sales. However, if this same business tried to sell items derived from animals, such as leather jackets or ham sandwiches, it wouldn鈥檛 be understanding the requirements of its customers. As a result, it would be less likely to generate sales.

Business survival

Survival is one of the main aims of a new, small business and usually relates to the business continuing to operate for at least 12 months. Generating sales through understanding the requirements of potential customers, a business has a much greater chance of survival. One thing that is key to business survival is keeping up with the changing requirements of customers. Businesses must adapt their products and services to suit these changing requirements.