A business always has customers. In order to achieve results you need customers. Is it effective to have everyone as a customer? Anyone can be a customer; however, the business needs to determine the primary customer: the customer that the business evolves from.

The definition of a customer is one who values your products and services and has a relationship with your business whether it’s transactional or emotional. Transactions are the buying and receiving of products and services while emotional attachment can be recommending the company to others, even though nothing has been purchased. The two are important to differentiate; however, having both a transactional and emotional experience is the ultimate goal in delivering the best customer experience. The organization’s role is to find out who these primary customers are and adapt to their needs in order to prosper.

What are some examples of primary customers?

• Wal-Mart: The everyday consumer who is looking for value in everyday services and products.
• Starbucks: The consumer who wants a quality beverage with quality service.
• NASA: A government organization dedicated to increasing the knowledge of its customers: the scientists, engineers and staff explore space, advance science and aeronautics research.
• Toastmasters: A non-profit organization to help its customers develop stronger public speaking skills anywhere around the world.
• Bose: A high quality audio brand to deliver best in class sound to consumers in the home, in the car or on-the-go.
• ExxonMobil: To provide petroleum and natural gas to its customers (consumers and corporations) globally.

Identifying the primary customer helps the business adapt to their needs in order to continuously be successful in their market. Whether it is prices, quality of product, quantity of product, different services or the size of the business; all these factors need to take into account the customer the business is serving. No longer is the “business process” of “I’ll create a business and customers will hopefully choose my products”, as every corporation that has thought that has already implemented it.

The primary customer helps the business create a market in order to satisfy their needs. The primary customer helps drive the business’s mission and values. The primary customer is the one that controls the fate of the business and its employee’s survival; as to not cater to the customer’s needs reflects lack of focus and direction, and mismanagement of the business as a whole.