Selling hardest to the wrong customer.
The business could earn more from customers seeking custom work, but its marketing emphasized standard orders. I helped make the more valuable buying need clearer in its reporting, website and sales approach.
- Business
- Custom cabinetry / e-commerce
- Engagement
- Fractional advisory, roughly one year
Custom orders grew from around 30% to 50% of the business. Revenue increased from €2.5M to €3.6M and net margin from 15% to 19%, taking annual profit from approximately €375K to €684K. Both the volume and the mix of work contributed to the improvement.
What the business needed.
The furniture business generated around €2.5M revenue at a 15% net margin. Its channel reports disagreed, making it difficult to decide where to put the marketing budget. The owner needed a clearer view of which customers and orders were worth building the business around.
Where progress was getting stuck.
Price-sensitive standard orders received much of the attention, while higher-margin custom buyers were underserved. Inconsistent attribution also obscured which acquisition activity brought those buyers in. Understanding the customer mix and the reporting together made it possible to choose a more useful commercial focus.
How I helped.
- I reconciled attribution and redirected spend away from campaigns that only broke even, giving budget decisions a clearer basis.
- I made custom orders a more prominent route through the website and sales process, so a buyer seeking made-to-measure work could find the right offer.
- I reworked positioning and the commercial conversation around what mattered to those customers.
What changed for the business.
Custom orders grew from around 30% to 50% of the business. Revenue increased from €2.5M to €3.6M and net margin from 15% to 19%, taking annual profit from approximately €375K to €684K. Both the volume and the mix of work contributed to the improvement.
The profit figures reconcile to revenue multiplied by the stated net margins. Both volume and product mix changed.
Where I took responsibility.
I led the commercial analysis, customer focus and direction of the attribution, website and sales changes. My role was to connect the reporting with decisions about which buyers to pursue and how to present the offer, then direct the people carrying out those changes.
Could this help your business?
If revenue is growing but the margin disappoints, look at the kinds of customers and orders making up that revenue. I can help you understand which relationships support the business you want to build and bring that focus into your offer, marketing and sales.
An anonymized engagement. Figures are rounded from client reporting and engagement records.
