Customer selection gives product design, pricing and communication a shared direction.
01 · The picture
Customer selection gives product design, pricing and communication a shared direction.
Follow the decisions
01Understand differences
02Choose a group
03Define value
04Test delivery
02 · The idea
How I understand it.
Customers differ in the problems they face, the benefits they value and the way they buy. Group them by meaningful differences, then choose a group the business can serve well and reach economically. Learn who uses the product, who approves the purchase and who influences the decision. These roles can belong to different people. Define the value that matters to the chosen customer and gather evidence that your offer delivers it. That choice should guide the product, price, channel and message. A broad market description gives little direction unless it explains a buying decision. Revisit the choice as evidence develops: attractive demand still needs a workable cost of acquisition, service model and competitive position.
03 · A fictional example
Put it into a business.
A software team initially targets all small businesses. Interviews reveal that independent dental practices struggle with appointment cancellations, while shops prioritise stock control. The team selects dental practices, studies reception workflows and tests a reminder service. It measures bookings recovered, reception time and willingness to pay before expanding its new feature list or spending more on paid advertising.
04 · Bring it into the room
Who is the customer, what decision are they making, and what evidence would make your offer valuable to them?
One decisionOne next actionOne way to check
Where this note comes from
An original explanation drawn from my saved learning material. The worked example is fictional.
Harvard OPM · Unit 1Course reading or session material
Marketing - Overview of Marketing Module Slides
Session faculty: Elie Ofek
PDF pages 3–7; customer analysis, segmentation, targeting and positioning
These notes collect my interpretations and applications. The schools and authors retain their original teaching materials.