How-To Articles

How to Find Your First Customers

Customers are the backbone of any business. They are the reason businesses don?t go under and the reason they start in the first place. It?s easy to see why we need them. What?s not so easy is getting them. There are two key concepts to remember when trying to attract customers?knowing your customers and knowing how and where to advertise to them. It all seems pretty straightforward, but you?d be surprised by how many people falter on both. Once you have those first customers, the key is to really understand them and then build a relationship with them.

1. Know Your Customers
   
   If you are looking to sell your product or service to businesses, look at the industries and types of businesses that have already purchased products and services like yours. Some companies within these industries may be unhappy with the service they receive from your competitors, so they are seeking fresh vendors. Chances are, however, that isn?t going to be the case. Your best bet is to approach up-and-coming businesses in those industries. They are usually in need of new products and services and are not yet set in their ways. Once you've researched a handful of businesses, consider the department, or even better the individual, most likely to purchase your product or service. If you don?t know which department or person to approach, make some phone calls and find out.
   
   If you're selling to individuals, I have one word for you? demographics. Know the demographics of those who purchase products and services like yours. Is it parents, women between the ages of 45-60, college students, teenage boys? Thoroughly research the market and find out. Knowing your ideal customer's inside and out will go a long way in helping you expose your product or service to them.
   
   Once you've pegged your ideal customers, evaluate their consumer habits. If you sell vinyl siding, you're not going to put fliers in the mailboxes of brick houses. The people inside the houses may fit the demographics, but they still aren't going to buy. Demographics are important, but you need to know more about your customers than how old they are and how much money they make. Find out where they look when they want to buy a product or service. Consider the circles that they travel in. Look at the frequency with which they purchase. Understand the reasoning behind their purchases. What it comes down to is you need to find a way to intersect your product or service with the consumer habits of your ideal customers. Put yourself somewhere where they can't miss you.


2. Know How and Where to Advertise
   
   Your ideal customers aren't going to come and find you. You need to push your way into their lives. They need to encounter your product or service several different times and through several different channels. The more they hear about you, the more likely they are to remember you.
   
   There are numerous avenues for getting your name out there. See what some of your most successful competitors are doing. If mass mailings or radio commercials work for them, give it a try. Keep your eye open for events that are likely to draw a crowd of your ideal customers, and arrange some sort of prize or product giveaway if possible. Never underestimate the power of a free sample. Whether it is for a product or a service, people rarely resist free. If they like it, then you have the potential for return business. They may also tell their friends.
   
   Many business owners decide to infiltrate their group of friends? asking for referrals and forcing them to get the word out. If they are your friends, they will be happy to help out, but play this card carefully. You don't want to bombard them with networking and advertising chores. They may start to feel overwhelmed and less enthusiastic about helping. Don't alienate them. They are, after all, still potential customers (and your friends).
   
   Running a huge ad in the local newspaper can create a big splash. But if that's all you have, people are going to forget about you as soon as they set the newspaper down. The key to making an impact here is repetition. If you can't afford to run several large ads in a publication, then run several small ones. You're trying to build name recognition.
   
   There is no one single avenue to successfully reaching your ideal customers. You're going to have to put some work into it and be willing to dig in to several different outlets, but do it anyway. The payoff is worth it.