How to Write a Business Plan

ChApter 8 | WRITE YOUR MARKETING AND PERSONNEL PLANS | 143

makes sense to address your advertising,
promotions, and other marketing activities
to a single person instead of a group.
Of course, no two customers are exactly
the same. But if you can personalize your
marketing program to a typical customer,
it will be more effective because it will
seem more friendly to your customers.
The easiest way to do that is to create a
mythical target customer and individualize
that target customer so that you consider
her a friend. Be as specifi c and as personal
as you can. If you have friends you hope
will be your customers, describe one
of your friends. Include age, education,
occupation, income, hobbies, family status,
reading preferences, favorite television
shows, favorite music, and so forth.
In the accompanying sample, Antoinette
describes her friend and target customer,
Terry Chen. With Terry in mind, it is very
easy for Antoinette to write ads, letters,
and fl yers and to decide how and where
to promote her business. For example,
television ads are unlikely to reach Terry
since she has so little time to watch TV.
Radio ads during commute time can be
effective, but may cost too much.

Decide How to Reach Customers

Once you describe your target customer,
it’s easier to create a list of possible ways
to reach that person. One of your jobs as
a businessperson is to decide which of all
the possible methods of communication
will give you the most exposure for the

Antoinette’s Dress Shop:

Target Customer

Terry is 32 years old and has a college

education; she is married and has a son,

Jimmy, in elementary school. She works as

a salesperson for a large corporation and

makes about $65,000 per year. Her husband

Peter makes a little more than she does, but

the family needs her income to support the

lifestyle they have chosen.

Terry’s work is not a hobby for her; she

is very serious about it. Her work makes her

travel frequently and she calls home at least

twice a day when she’s on the road. Since

the business world is very competitive in

the era of downsizing companies, she must

present a good image while maintaining a

strict budget.

Terry keeps current with the latest

movies and enjoys dinner out with Peter

once or twice a week. She watches mostly

children’s programs on television in order

to spend time with Jimmy, whenever the

TV is on. She reads business journals and

economic reports and occasionally reads

some fashion magazines. Mostly, she gets

her fashion sense from seeing current styles

in the workplace. Her greatest regret is that

she has so little time for Jimmy and Peter.