What is Addressability?
Addressability is the measure of how easy or difficult it is to get in touch with your target customers. A highly addressable market can be reached directly, quickly, and cost-effectively — making sales far easier.
For years, I sold to the wholesale stationery, office products, and artist materials market worldwide. That market was highly addressable. I knew exactly who the customers were, where to find them, and how to reach them. They belonged to trade associations, and a complete target list was available. In that case, general advertising wasn’t necessary — focused awareness campaigns and direct selling were enough.
Why Addressability Matters in Sales Strategy
If your target market is well-defined, you don’t need to “market to the world.” Instead, you can invest your time and resources into reaching your qualified prospects.
Take this example: If you sell or rent table linen to London restaurants, broad marketing has a limited impact. The smarter strategy is to segment your target list:
- Identify the restaurants most likely to purchase.
- Organize them by area, size, and style.
- Launch a direct sales campaign — introduction letters, emails, phone calls, and in-person visits.
This creates a repeatable sales funnel that cycles consistently, ensuring every target prospect eventually has the chance to convert.
Unfortunately, many businesses overlook this obvious opportunity. They scatter resources on finding “new” markets instead of systematically conquering their primary one.
Questions to Sharpen Your Sales Process
To keep your sales strategy focused, ask yourself:
- Is my target market clear and well-defined?
- Can I create a specific list of prospects I can sell to directly?
- Am I spending resources on broad marketing when direct selling would yield better ROI?
Remember: if you know who buys your products and services, sell to them first. Forget the rest until you’ve maximized your core market.
A Lesson from Politics
Political parties understand addressability better than most businesses. They don’t try to win over everyone. Instead, they focus on:
- Loyal voters (their base).
- Persuadable voters (the swing group).
That’s it. Every campaign message is crafted to resonate with those two segments. The same principle applies to your sales strategy.
Final Takeaway
Who is your audience? Where do they spend their time? How can you connect with them most effectively?
Keep asking these questions. The answers will ensure your business stays on purpose, targets the right prospects, and keeps your sales pipeline full of qualified opportunities.