9 EASY STEPS TO FIND NEW CUSTOMERS FOR START UPS

INTRODUCTION:

Startup business need mostly, proper attention to get first few customers, and then make them happy and retain them as long as possible. Often business, clogged down after first few sales, by the lack of proper and correct attention to the customers and clients. You may have a startup idea that is fantastic, that offers alluring and most attractive products and services, but you don’t have any clients, then what happens, it collapsed, despite good ideas.

So, finding and retaining customers and clients is one of the hardest tasks, initially and all through the business life.

Getting first few clients or customers and then gradually increase customer base and retaining the same is the task, any stat ups should consider to follow.

Here is the challenge of getting first few customers. The sales person and production team, delivery team and all should align their task in such a way, that brining new customers and retention of same gets p[roper and well thought attention.

Here I am highlighting here 9 steps (there are hundred, believe me!!) which are easier to follow and are composed version, any stat ups may follow, as below:

STEP 1: Hit the bulls’ eye (Target the customer)

i) While hitting, you must hit on target, exactly on target. All business has got its own target market or target customer, which grossly depends on type and characteristics of products or services offered, location of sales center/most availability to whom, which price point you are offering, how frequently do customers may need it. All these comprises to define target customers.

ii) Once you define to whom you are selling or offering, now Take the time to understand the characteristics of your defined market, like its size, which gender decide to buy, what messages to convey them for marketing activities, what’s their socio-economic location and types etc.

iii) Thereby now you are ready with your bow and string to hit the bulls’ eye!

STEP 2: Make a list (Of potential customer)

Planning a party with a list of guests is easier, alike, if you got a primary list of potential customer or clients, it will make your effort easier to go and reach your customer with exactly their need of products of services. You may follow few below steps to do this:

I. Friends & Family: Your friends and family are the most likely to purchase something from you, even if they're not your target market. Or, maybe they don't need your product or service, but know someone who does or would be willing to tell others about it.

II. Happy customers: If you've already made a few sales, call upon your existing customers to see if they need more of your product or service. Selling to an existing happy customer is easier than generating a new one.

III. Referrals: Call your friends, family, and prior customers to see if they know anyone who needs your product or service. Sweeten the deal by offering a referral incentive.

IV. Research in net: This is ideal for business-to-business (B2B) businesses. If you know the ideal customer or client, you can go online and search for them, and then reach out to them directly. While you can do this online for all businesses, it works particularly well for doing local searches of businesses you want to work with. Social media is another great way to connect with potential businesses you'd like to work with, especially LinkedIn.

V. Exhibition or Fairs: Showing or exhibiting in a formal fair, where likely to see and experience potential customers, are a great way to make a list of potential clients. You may show your products or services in the fair, you can make sale for sure and you don't make a sale, events can allow you to build your contact list.

VI. Workshops and seminars: The easiest way to show off your expertise is speaking, either at a conference, or buy setting up your own workshops. If you're nervous about speaking, consider joining a panel at an event.

VII. Local community contact: Always consider joining your local community meets/organizations/clubs etc. where you can network with other local businesses, attend workshops, and more. Another option is to join groups involving your target market. For example, if your market is for moms with kids, join a mother’s community group. Again, this is another thing that can be done online through social media, such as LinkedIn.

VIII. Social Media: Now a days, best places to connect and build a relationship with potential clients and customers is the social media, for any products or services. You should have a alluring appearance in the Facebook or Instagram, twitter etc., and not wanting to annoy them with constant sales messages, you can interact and converse with them, increasing their awareness of you as well as building a relationship for your services or /and products.

IX. Take services from professional ad farm: While this can be expensive and often achieves low results, but if you're in a bind, you can purchase their services for finding out potential customers and then by direct mail marketing, but you can also call or email , you may reach them.

STEP 3: Go to them

Now you know your customers, and you got a list of them to start with, now it's time to reach out them. May follow few of the below ideas:

I. Over the Phone: Extremely good voiced, composed pre rehearsed & practiced female or male tone can reach out to potential customers by asking what they need and then present your product or service as a solution, you'll have probably may get a better result. Use an easy flowing, conversational script to introduce your product or purpose for calling. Remember, telling isn’t selling. If you are doing all the talking, the likelihood of convincing someone they need your product or service isn't going to be high. Asking questions and presenting your product or services benefits turns the focus of the call onto them instead of you.

II. Close with a call-to-action, such as asking them to commit to a trial period or giving you an email or physical address, so you can send additional information. Finally, if an individual says they are not interested, ask them if they know of someone who might be and get a referral.

III. Email: While email isn't as effective as a direct conversation, it's less scary and often a great way to introduce yourself. The trick is to not simply send a "buy" email, but instead, offer something of value. Give a brief explanation of who you are, then provide a coupon or a free article on a relevant topic. Review the anti-spam laws, which require you to include an unsubscribe option to every contact. Here are some additional resources on email marketing.

IV. In-Person: There are many ways to meet potential clients and customers in person. You can walk into their business. Or you can call and make an appointment to meet. In many cases, you can meet prospects while you're out and about at the grocery store or on an bus, or wherever you may be.

V. It's important to remember a few key points to effective in-person selling. Don't tell them everything all at once. Instead, find out their wants and needs and tailor your presentation to show how your product or service is the solution to their problem. Always have sales material on hand to help you in this process (such as samples or catalogs). Make sure and end with a call to action and a promise to follow-up.

VI. Traditional Mail: Like email, direct mail doesn't have as high of an effective rate, but it's a great way to increase awareness of your business. Create the piece you plan to send, whether that is a postcard, brochure, letter etc. Once you have the finished piece in hand, you can either address and stamp them yourself, or hire a fulfillment house to do it for you. If you are mailing many pieces, there are both time and cost benefits to using a fulfillment house to address, stuff, and stamp. A fulfillment house is able to get a bulk stamp rate, which can save up to 40% off the postage price. However, a hand placed stamp may be less likely to look like junk mail.

STEP 4: Follow-Up and then Follow-Up Again

i) A “no” is sometimes may mean to say, “ok come next time” or “may be later”. The fortune is in the follow-up. Many a times, you may hear “no”. For some people, that “no” is firm. But for others, the “no” is only “no” for now. Many business owners hear “no” and give up. But 80% of sales are not made on the first, second, or even a third contact! It can take five or more contacts to achieve a sale.

ii) Finding customers and clients requires a thick skin and a strong belief in what you're selling. Just because someone tells you “no” today doesn’t mean it will be a “no” tomorrow. The trick is to have a non-annoying system of follow-up such as an email list, or agreement to call again in six months.

iii) Keep track of your communication with various leads and prospects by using some sort of free CRM database. Create calendar reminders to follow-up in the future with those who said no.

iv) The system for getting clients and customer is straight forward. You need a way to entice them to learn about you through your marketing efforts, then you need to build a relationship with them that will hopefully lead to a sale. During the process, you'll want to get their contact information either through an email follow up system or keeping your own contact management list. Finally, you want a system for staying in touch for as long as they're open to hearing from you.

STEP 5: Maintain delivery schedule, strictly

I. For the first order you may get, delivery just as per their preferred time, if it is a online sale. You may have numerous researches on it, fix the delivery man, train him or may take a professional delivery services from a company, but you got to make sure, delivery are done in right time, as per demand.

II. This reputation of maintaining schedules and timing, will have great impact, in future sales.

STEP 6: Maintain quality, just you offered

I. This is the most critical stage of continuing your sales and for repeated sales. Quality, is the most criticized parameters now a days, for any products or services you are offering. Engage professional hands on it, involve yourself physically for at least few cases, research and find and fix correct methodology, which will ensure proper quality of product and services. This will create happy customer. Happy customers refer you to many while an unhappy customer will negatively refer you to a lot more!

II. Check and take feedback form served customer about the quality of your product or services. Make a call to know it, always.

STEP 7: Availability

I. Once it is advertised, or launched, unless you declare about stock finished, you must have to have your product available. In case a customer asked for it and if heard that it is finished, a frustration creates and affect negatively and grossly.

II. Maintain an inventory level and by fixing re-order level, you can make your products available, always.

STEP 8: Routine appearance

I. Even you got your first few sales, to retain it and to speed it up as per your need, you got to appear with your products, by a routine schedule, through whatever media you prefer or you appeared before. Seeing is believing. So, once you appeared, and re-appear in every routine interval.

II. Fix schedule of appearance before hand, and follow it, exactly.

STEP 9: feedback

I. You all activities of defining, listing, approaching, selling, delivering, maintaining quality, appearing and marketing activities should be followed up, should set targets and goal, monitor and get feedback in a pre-scheduled meet or sitting with your team.

II. Feedback will always help you correct your approach, correct your ideas and help entire team achieve goal and targets.

Thank you.