I’ve had this conversation countless times with retail business owners, and it usually begins the same way. They tell me about their latest marketing campaign, seasonal promotions, or new product lines. But when I ask them to describe their actual customers – not their ideal customers, but the real people walking through their doors – the conversation becomes interesting.
There’s often a pause. Then they’ll share what they think they know, based on assumptions, gut feelings, or maybe some surface-level observations. And here’s what I’ve learned: that gap between assumption and reality is often where the biggest growth opportunities are.
In this brief video, I walk through:
The customer data goldmines already sitting in your POS system or website
Why zip code analysis reveals more than you’d expect about your customers
How your email engagement patterns tell a deeper story
The value of observing your customers’ digital footprints respectfully
Simple questions that help align your marketing with customer reality
Why This Perspective Shift Matters
When we make business decisions based on our assumptions about who our customers are instead of who they really are, we miss opportunities. We create marketing that doesn’t fully connect. We stock products that remain unsold. We plan events that don’t attract the expected turnout.
The solution involves taking the time to mine your customer data and analyze it. Start by looking more intentionally at the information you’re already collecting and asking more insightful questions about what it reveals.
Your point-of-sale system, email platform, and customer interactions are constantly generating insights about who your customers are, their interests, geographic clusters, and engagement preferences. The key is knowing how to interpret these signals thoughtfully.
