How to attract your first customers?
Getting your first customers is the first milestone that actually remarks you have a business here. After all the paper work is done, the business plan is ready and the doors gets open to the public, savvy business owners realize everything is only starting. By this point, many have not even been thinking how they are going to reach out to potential customers. Is it always about a press release, a marketing plan or sending out emails to prospects?
Tapping the first customers is a manageable goal but also it requires hard efforts and thought. It comprises old-school networking face-to-face and plenty of time behind the computer. Developing a clear idea about your business model and its perfect-customer profile should be the first priority. Once you know what your customer thinks like, needs and searches for, you can outline those things together with viable solutions to win him over.It is very important to be able shortly and understandably to explain what your product or service can do for them that demonstrates its value. Your second step is to establish a web presence if you do not have one already. You can consider creating a personal website, listing on a social media channels where prospects can easily find you and read more about your popularity among consumers.
There are other cost-effective ideas that can help:
- send personal emails and follow ups – brainstorm a list of your class connections, club members, former colleagues that might be your initial warm contacts.
- invite your friends, relatives and connections into your business community.
- use the phone – call folks and interested parties to chat about what you are doing with your business.
If you are thinking about advertising to get exposure, offer special discounts or bonuses for sending in to prospective clients. Advertising in newspapers, TV and printed materials is a sure way to be seen, however it does not guarantee you direct leads and sales. If you still consider this type of promoting your brand, be sure to display your ad in the relevant sections where your interested group is more likely to see it.
Word of mouth, referrals and growth hacking ideas are efficient ways to reach out to your target audience. Once you map your mind around cost-effective and results driven opportunities for getting customers, you will know where to find the best fish in the sea and catch it to use.