A few months back, I shared my experience in the realm of pricing and target customers. I learned over the years that all customers aren’t good customers. Today, a conversation with a good friend who’s a solopreneur reminded me of this topic. After running his business for years, he now has more customers than he can handle.

He explained how he identified the type of work he excels at and enjoys. He noticed that customers who’ve been loyal customers for years share certain characteristics. When he meets potential new customers, he doesn’t try to sell to them. In fact, he looks for reasons to decline the work. He asks questions to determine if the work is in his sweet spot and these people are likely to do business with him for a long time.

It was very interesting to hear him describe his process. It reminded me of what I learned at CCAW. Understanding precisely who the target customer is can be an important milestone. It allows a company to focus its resources on the right customers and build a strong business around a loyal customer base.