Introduction

“The golden rule for every businessman is this: Put yourself in your customer’s place.”

– Orison Swett Marden, American Author

One of the first lessons in Marketing 101 is this: Know your audience. Who are they? Where are they? What buttons can be pushed? What incentives need to be dangled? If you’re not armed with this basic information and more, it’s going to be a tough sell no matter what you’re offering, be it widgets or entire businesses.

This is especially true when it comes to marketing your company. By educating yourself about the different types of buyers in the marketplace, you can identify which is most likely to purchase your business, and then design a strategy to target that group of buyers. This is essential to developing a marketing strategy to sell your company. 

In the section that follows, I explore in detail the four different types of buyers and the goals, considerations, and risks associated with each. If you want to maximize the value of your business with your particular target audience, keep reading.