Ranking Clients By Importance

If you really believe that all clients are equally important, you will have difficulty maximizing your profitability. Of course, all clients are important, but some contribute more to the bottom line than others. Some are slow at paying and demand more than they are willing to pay for. Some are easy to work with; others are always seeking ways to get a refund. Some buy just one of your product lines; others buy both drop-off catering and larger holiday events from you.

There are certain clients that you just must say “yes” to, no matter what type or size of order they request. When the mayor’s office or an old friend or family member calls, you probably need to respond favorably to their catering requests. There are always exceptions.

Your entire staff needs to understand who spends the most money. Chances are you already know the two or three clients who spend the greatest amount of dollars with you, but do you know the sixth, seventh and eighth largest clients in your customer list? Track sales data for your clients to find your top 20 best buyers. The names on the list need to be on the desks of your staff so everyone knows them.


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