Some business manuals suggest you list your customers by name. You’ll have to use your discretion on this one, but I suggest you don’t, unless you have two or three big-name customers who will elevate you company image. One option is to make a reference to a more extensive listing in the back of your plan.
When describing your customers try to classify them into relatively homogeneous groups based on identifiable characteristics such as age, income, and occupation. This process is referred to as segmenting. Each segment has specific product or service requirements. By matching these requirements to your product more closely than the competition, your company can develop market share and profitability.
Don’t be intimidated by the idea of a market study. You don’t have to conduct a full-blown research study. A conversation over coffee with potential customers can also give you the feedback you need to home in on your customers’ needs and, develop a product or service they’ll buy.
Try to back up your estimates of prospective customers with valid letters of intent, purchase orders, and letters of interest. These substantiate your product’s market acceptance.
When estimating how many products you think your customers will buy, think first of their needs. Remember what I said about your customer being a friend. Would you sell your best friend one hundred more teddy bears than you knew he could handle? The best sales person I ever met lost hundreds of sales, because he didn’t think his customers needed what they thought they needed–but then he made thousands more later when his customers came back to him. They knew he had their best interests at heart. Sharp investors also know the key to success is taking care of your customers.
Anyone who thinks the customer isn’t important should try doing without him for a period of ninety days.