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[ # ] Ideal Client Focus Programme - A Business Case
February 21st, 2006 under Sales and Marketing

Consider a company, ABC Consulting Ltd, with ?¢‚Äö¬¨1M revenues per annum with 40 clients.

50% of ABC Consulting?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s revenue is from what it defines as Ideal Clients which consists of 10 clients. The company classes these clients as Ideal as ABC has greater expertise in the problem areas and can deliver with least risk, greatest success and thus greatest profitability.

In analysing ABC?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s projects to Ideal Clients, 10 clients, the company achieved 40% gross profit on those projects. Projects to Non-Ideal Clients were averaging 25% gross profit, to 30 clients requiring more time to manage.

The reduced margin was typically on projects outside ABC?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s strengths and risks were taken in lesser known areas of the project which caused some element of overrun.

Financial breakdown of the company?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s revenues and gross profit can be represented as follows:

Ideal Clients Non-Ideal Clients
Revenues ?¢‚Äö¬¨ ?¢‚Äö¬¨500,000 ?¢‚Äö¬¨500,000
Number of Clients 10 30
Gross Profit % 40% 25%
Gross Profit ?¢‚Äö¬¨ ?¢‚Äö¬¨200,000 ?¢‚Äö¬¨125,000

In reviewing the table above it can be clearly seen that working with 10 Ideal Clients is producing almost twice the Gross Profit than dealing with the 30 Non-Ideal Clients.

If ABC were to transition their business to focus on Ideal Clients only this would allow them to be dealing with fewer clients to achieve similar Gross Margins.

If ABC were to win 10 more Ideal Clients then the total figures would be as follows:

Ideal Clients
Revenues ?¢‚Äö¬¨ ?¢‚Äö¬¨1,000,000
Number of Clients 20
Gross Profit % 40%
Gross Profit ?¢‚Äö¬¨ ?¢‚Äö¬¨400,000

According to the above example, for ABC Consulting the benefits are as follows:
?¢‚Ǩ¬¢ The basic financial value of focussing on their Ideal Client is ?¢‚Äö¬¨75,000 per annum gain to their Gross Profit.
?¢‚Ǩ¬¢ They are also dealing with fewer clients, which requires less time and resources.
?¢‚Ǩ¬¢ They are more focussed in their business sales and only chase very relevant projects and clients which now they are more likely to win due to their very evident and successful track record
?¢‚Ǩ¬¢ Due to their focus and resulting greater expertise, they are in a better position to deliver a higher value service to all their clients and thus charge more premium and value based fees.

Is you business ripe for such a change?

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[ # 1025 ] Comment from Daniel LeRiche [July 22, 2006, 9:22 pm]

While on the surface this line of thinking appears attractive, I’ve experienced otherwise with my clients:

1) Ideal customers are usually from narrow marketet segments, for example Pharmaceuticals. Thus making the business vulnerable to specific industry cycles.

2) Mixing customer types help introduce and force inovation, which are often your future products.

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