Finding customers is not as difficult as you think.
One of small business biggest challenges is ‘Where do I find customers?’. Now you may wonder how a business coach is going to help you find customers.
A business coach is going to make it simple by working with you to break the process down into manageable and attainable goals, give you guidelines, tips and tricks on what to do to find new clients and increase your sales and profitability.
Now don’t get me wrong you will still have to do the work and bring you’re A game, but the process will no longer be a daunting task that you feel like you will never surmount.
Let’s look at some of the strategies you can employ to increase your customer base.
- Know your ideal client intimately. Who they are, what they do, where they hang out, what their needs are? You can even go as far as to determine their age, gender etc. This will enable you to market in the right places, because you are targeting the space where this ideal person spends most of their time. It will also help you to not waste valuable time trying to recruit clients that do not fit the mold.
- Measure your marketing. Once you start to market, (and yes just start!) it doesn’t have to be perfect, keep track of where you have marketed and what has been successful and what not. A business coach can help you make this a quick and easy task, and it will be invaluable when deciding where to spend your time and money in marketing or advertising.
- Ask for referrals. Do not just wait for them to come to you, take charge by implementing a system for actively soliciting referrals from your satisfied customers.
- Network. Generate good old-fashioned word-of-mouth by participating in networking organizations and events. Especially network with other business owners within your contact sphere, meaning they have the same clients as you but are not in competition with you. An example of these types of relationships are attorneys and accountants.
- Re-contact old customers. Everything old can be new again—including old customers who haven’t done business with you in a while.
- Improve your website and social media. These days, consumers and B2B buyers alike find new businesses primarily by searching online. That means your online presence has to do some heavy lifting to attract new customers.
- Get positive online reviews and testimonials from existing customers.
- Participate in community events. Raise your profile in your community by taking part in charity events and organizations.
The most important thing about attracting new clients (and keeping old ones) is building relationships. Whether it be with colleagues, fellow business owners, clients, suppliers etc., if people know who you are and have a good knowledge of what services or products you provide, and that you provide a quality service, they will find it easy to either recommend or buy from you.
And remember building a strong, solid client base is a marathon, not a race.
Now go out and find those customers!
