24 • 100 GREAT BUSINESS IDEAS
“The Key to Happiness” was a self-service system designed to help
customers. It worked by using questions to fi nd out which of the fi ve
categories best suited the customer and which location would serve
them best. As a result of this system, business grew both in the
short term, as customers found what they wanted, and in the long
term, as satisfi ed customers kept returning.
In practice
- Understand your clients. Who are they, and what do they want
from your business? Customer feedback and surveys are useful
sources of information to help you gather this information. - Segment your market. Divide your customers into meaningful
groups based on their personality, demands, and other relevant
factors. - Brainstorm ways your product can be tailored to best serve the
interests of these individual groups. - Assess each new client, to decide which of the “customer groups”
they belong to—and then provide them with a more personalized
service. - Match all the elements of your offer—particularly pricing and
extras—to precisely meet the needs of each client segment. - Ensure that people in your business understand, value, and
tailor their work to satisfy each type of customer. - Be prepared to add new groups as required.