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n Where would you find a list of, say, potential joint venture partners
if you wanted to do it personally in a hurry?

n What is the average purchase per visit?
n What is the purchase lifetime of the average customer?
n How frequently does the average customer buy?
n What parts of your range are “cash cows”?
n How are they promoted?
n What parts are “stars”?
n How are they promoted?
n What items are “question marks” at present?
n How are you keeping the costs of market testing them within

bounds?
n What do you do to ensure that you can lose “dogs” without losing

customers?
(Note: Cash cows are established product lines that generate high
revenues without further investment. Stars are high potential
product lines that still require considerable investment but which
are selling well. Question marks are possible future stars but which,
at present need thorough market testing to justify a high investment
of time, creativity and money. Dogs are slow moving, low value
lines that probably cost more to supply than they generate in profit.
It is probably a good exercise to look at clients and customers using
the same definitions and the same nomenclature – but not in their
earshot!)
n What specifically do you do to lengthen the product life cycle of
cash cows and accelerate the wide acceptance of stars?
n What is your policy for getting rid of customers who are and will
remain more hassle than they are worth?
n How often do you communicate with your customers?
n How do you personalize communications?
n What is in your signature file for e-mails?
n Which host/beneficiary deals are bringing in the most business?
n Which are bringing in the most profitable business?
n Which are competition’s most profitable customers?
n What is your strategy for capturing them?
n What is your unique selling proposition online?
n What is it in the dirt world?
n What is your referral system?
n How do you reward referrals?

Making the right connections 173