We can generate higher ROI by properly segmenting customers and aligning higher-value propositions with higher-value segments. Appropriate for both business-to-business and business-to-consumer marketers, the Customer Value Analysis identifies best and least profitable customers, customers who should be marketed to less frequently, customers who shouldn’t be marketed to at all, lost customers to target for win-back, and high-potential prospects.

1. Do You Really Know Who Your Best Customers Are? A simple, highly effective way to generate higher ROI through the magic of the 80/20 rule By Steve Khederian, Director of Analytics, Catalyst June 16, 2011

2. Customers Are Not Created Equal We can generate higher ROI by properly segmenting customers and aligning higher-value propositions with higher-value segments

3. So Why Don’t We? 3 Many marketers believe they already know who their best customers are. They are often surprised to find out otherwise. Many marketers overcomplicate the process. The secret is to start simple.

4. The 80/20 Rule How to measure and determine customer value by segment

5. Beyond the Pareto Principle 5 20% of your customers will produce 80% of your sales. The trick is figuring out which 20% is the right 20%.

6. Beyond the Pareto Principle 6 Once you have determined the right 20%, you can focus your marketing strategy based on what each data segment is telling you: Which customers are worth retaining Which customers you should try to win back Which customers are worth cultivating Who’s actually costing you money to keep

7. Here’s How To Start A step-by-step guide to segmentation

8. Segmentation Steps 8 Determine your value segments based on whatever criteria drive your business: Sales Margin dollars Unit volume

9. Segmentation Steps 9 Rank your customers from highest value to lowest value for the most recent 12-month period.* The customers who produced 80% of total value are your High Value segment. The balance is Low Value. *This same approach can be taken using the last 90 days vs. the previous 90 days, or any other time frame that makes sense for your customers’ buying cycle.

10. Segmentation Steps 10 Do the same thing for the previous 12-month period and you will have High and Low Value segments from last year (Year 1) and this year (Year 2).

11. Segmentation Steps 11 You’ll also have new customers who had zero value in Year 1 but are now High or Low Value customers. And you’ll have lost High and Low Value customers from Year 1 who had zero sales in Year 2.

12. Sample Segment Distribution 12 For each of these segments, ask yourself: What happened? Why?

13. Tracking Movement Across Value Segments Year Over Year Defines Specific Targeting Opportunities

14. What am I Looking to Learn? 14 Each segment presents opportunities to impact customer behavior and grow ROI if you understand what happened and why. For each segment, ask yourself, “what can I do to move you forward?” Your goal is to drive customers into higher value segments.

15. What am I Looking to Learn? 15 Among customers who moved from Low to High, how can I better determine marketing spend? What about those who remained Low? Among customers who moved from High to Low, how can I proactively avoid value loss next year?

16. What am I Looking to Learn? 16 How can I find more Best Customers? How can I keep more Best Customers? How can I get more from current customers? How can I reduce churn and win back lost customers?

17. The Analysis Asking “what happened?” and “why?”

18. Analysis = Answers 18 Each intersection in the segmentation matrix begs important questions—the answers to which should: Shape marketing and sales strategies Drive growth Minimize attrition and churn Prioritize marketing spend Improve ROI

19. Analysis = Answers 19 What other secrets can you find hidden in your data? How about: Customers who should be marketed to less frequently Customers who shouldn’t be marketed to at all Lost customers to target for win-back Clues for more effective acquisition

20. Don’t Limit Yourself 20 Identify “red flags” so you know where to focus first. Then, identify other objectives based on what the data tells you. Each segment yields different information.

21. We’d be happy to talk to you about doing a segmentation analysis. It’s fast, affordable and extremely effective.For more information contact Mark D’Amico at 585.453.8338 or email: mdamico@catalystinc.com.

22. About The Author 22 Steve Khederian is director of analytics at Catalyst, a Rochester, NY-based direct and digital marketing agency, where he specializes in applying data to develop and implement integrated, multichannel sales and marketing programs. He is the former CMO of Modern Marketing Concepts and VP of client services at Concentrix. He holds an MBA from the Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester.