Wednesday, 26 October 2011

How to Acquire Customers

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

If you are in the business of providing a product or service to consumers, then it is important that you acquire customers. The more customers you have, the more your business will profit. There are many ways to acquire customers, and you may opt to use as many techniques as possible in order to grow your customer base. Use these methods to acquire customers.

Steps

  1. Market your business. To get customers, your business may market through any of the following mediums:
    • Print. This includes magazine, newspaper, coupon book and trade/industry journal advertisements. Place your print ads in publications that will most likely be viewed by your target market. For example, if you are a realtor, then you can advertise in real estate magazines or, if you own a mechanic's shop, you may choose to advertise in auto club magazines.
    • Mail. Also called direct mail advertising, this method involves sending printed marketing materials like postcards and brochures directly to recipients' mail boxes. For a direct mail campaign, businesses purchase mailing lists that target their market sector. For example, a home security system business would only mail to homeowners, rather than renters. Direct mail comes with the costs of printing, mailing and purchasing mailing lists, and is therefore less cost effective and not as widely used as Internet marketing. However, direct mail marketing is ideal for things like hand-signed messages and paper coupons.
    • Internet. In addition to having a business website, you may also use search engine optimization (SEO), banner ads, pay per click ads, mass emails, social networking sites, forums, directory listings, blogs and affiliate programs to acquire new customers from the web.
    • Flyers. Distribute flyers in public places where a lot of people gather, such as malls, trade shows, retailers, busy sidewalks and industry seminars. Additionally, you may acquire new customers by putting flyers on cars in parking lots, or handing flyers out door to door at apartment complexes and in neighborhoods.
    • Public relations (PR). You may opt to hire a public relations firm to spread public awareness of your business. Press releases and news stories are forms of PR marketing that can be orchestrated by PR specialists to help you get customers.
    • Television and radio. You may opt to broadcast commercials advertising your business. This type of marketing is best suited for large, far-reaching companies that have the budget for such an expense.
    • Signage. Billboard ads, marquee boards and storefront signs may attract customers to your business.
    • Mobile marketing. This involves marketing via text, graphic and voice messaging through portable electronic devices like mobile phones, smart phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs).
  2. Network. When you network with other professionals, you form relationships with other business leaders in order to spread awareness of your business and broaden your reach to new customers by way of association. Here are the fundamentals of business networking:
    • Attend business networking events. These may be seminars, trade shows, chamber of commerce meetings and/or industry club meetings.
    • Introduce yourself to other business owners. If you have a particular target in mind, then try to find a shared acquaintance to introduce you and put in a good word for you.
    • Hand out business cards. Tell your connections that you are looking to acquire customers, and give them extra business cards if they so request. Ask for business cards in return.
    • Focus on developing relationships. Be prepared to explain what it is your business provides and how you may help other businesses, as well as what type of relationship you are seeking from your business connections. Be personable and genuine, and remember that networking has to do with getting to know others just as much as it has to do with letting others get to know you.
    • Keep notes. Write down important details from your networking activities, such as alternate contact information, meeting dates and times, referrals and recommended resources.
    • Follow up. When you make contact with a useful business connection, follow up with a phone call, email or letter to request additional face-time. You may opt to schedule a short office meeting or to talk over lunch.
  3. Ask for referrals. Any time you make a new business connection or have a satisfied customer, make it a point to ask for referrals. Word of mouth is a great way to acquire new customers, and it doesn't cost you anything.
    • Make it a part of your follow-up routine to ask customers for referrals. Call, email or send a postcard to customers to ask about their experience with your business and, if they are satisfied, ask that they refer a friend.
    • Offer incentives. You may pay a small referral fee for each referral you receive or give away a freebie in exchange for referrals.
    • Make the process simple. The less you require the customer to do in order to send you a referral, the more referrals you will get. Try handing out tickets that customers can fill out with their name and contact information and give to the people they are referring, who will then return them to you.
    • Consider running a promotion to ask for referrals. Approach the referral promotion like a sales campaign. Advertise it, specify a time period and offer advanced incentives during that time period.

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Sources and Citations

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