Mass-marketing tactics are no longer viable options for most business operators. The cost of mass media can be prohibitive, even for very large businesses. Understanding who your typical customers are and what their needs and motives are helps you better design your business to suit. It also equips you to be more persuasive in your marketing efforts.

While some company leaders intuitively sense who their customers are, marketing research often leads to surprises. You may find that your prototypical customer is slightly different from what you assumed. By gaining more awareness of your customers, their buying habits and location, you have a much greater foundation from which to serve their product and service needs.