Shop for customers

Think that business is as easy as having a great product and getting the word out that you have it? Sure it helps to have a great product, and you’d never sell it without putting it in the front of your target market – but what happens if your target market doesn’t have much disposable income? What if they’re awful at managing their credit? Well, then you’re in a pickle.

A good example? Sport bikes. You know, the flashy little crotch rockets you see all the boys pulling out in the summertime. Well that’s just it, ‘boys’ pull them out. Boys tend to have less money (unless mommy and daddy are loaded). Boys tend to not care about their credit until it’s too late. How are you going to sell an $8,000 product to someone with no money and no credibility at a bank? Bottom line is, you can’t.

Yeah yeah, I already hear people pissing and moaning because I’m stereotyping – but when does a stereotype become reality? It becomes reality when you spend your entire existence trying to sell a product without success to a certain demographic, a product who’s counterpart, cruiser bikes (which tend to attract older men), fly off the lot the same week they arrive. I know from experience, I’ve been trying to get out from under two sport bikes for well over a month at my dealership and now summer is on the downhill slide.

Is this a personal rant? Maybe a little – but you can learn something valuable here. Before you go getting excited about a certain product or service, remember to shop your customer, too. Do some research into the people this product/service is going to attract and make sure the pocket books are deep enough to take on the expense you’re trying to throw their way. No matter how well vested you are in a product, if you’re the only one with the money to buy it, or at least the ability to borrow the money to buy it, it’s going to sit on the shelf.