How to attract the right customers and clients to your business
It can be frustrating, in any type of business, to have the ‘wrong’ kind of clients on the books. Most successful entrepreneurs realise quickly that their services are not suited for every client, and take steps to attract the ‘right’ kind, however it is not always easy.
We have 5 simple steps on how to attract the right customers and clients to your business.
1. Be Knowledgeable and Self-Aware
It sounds very straight forward, but the first thing that you need to establish is who you are, what you do, your prices and, ultimately, what kind of customers and clients you want.
When DMS began in 2010 on the Gold Coast, our Marketing Strategy was to ‘get the business in!’ Like many business who start, you just want work to come in and you don’t always think about who you’d like to work with.
Being self aware and deciding what you want from your business and who you wish to attract, will help you refine your target audience. Be honest with what you want.. There’s no point saying you provide low-cost, budget services if you do not!
Knowing this will reflect in your relationships with potential clients and determine the types of clients you want to attract.
2. Costs v Results
Always draw attention to your business’s results and not the cost. Marketing yourself as ‘low-cost’ is not always be the right strategy. In many cases, it could be doing more harm than good. ‘Low-cost’ and ‘cost effective’ are not synonymous, and the best potential clients will know this.
Therefore your Marketing Strategy should be focused on two key elements:
- The results you get for your clients
- The proof that backs it up.
If you don’t wish to be known as the low cost option, then consider raising your costs. Prices set clients expectations of value and can act as a good filter of unwanted clients.
3. Square Pegs and Round Holes
There will always be customers or clients who are just inappropriate and wrong. This is why it is critical to try and ‘filter’ potential clients. If you have a mutual understanding of each other’s needs and goals, you will be able to assess if it’s a fit. The client can then do the same. After all it’s their budget!
To save wasting a lot of time, energy and resources, have the conversation about expectations, pricing and deadlines prior to begining working together. If you’re selling products, this still applies. Do not state you ship items in 24 hours if that is not always the case. In essence, be ready and willing to turn down some potential clients. Not every customer or client will be a fit, and the sooner this is realised, the better. Again honesty and self-knowledge is critical.
4. Change Your Perceptions
Try and view each clients as a relationship, rather than just a client. Simple psychology shows that the strongest and best relationships have a lot in common. Positive relationships are based on shared aims and approaches, and also factors like shared humour or philosophies.
5. Online Networking
There are many social media outlets these days, it would be silly not to use them to reach out to prospective customers. However, you need to be careful and employ the other points already mentioned to filter out the ‘undesirable’ customer.
Using Business Networking sites can help you locate members who could use your services. Make full use of the site by joining discussion forums or groups.
Your business should be treated as family and something you love and want to take care of. In the same way you wouldn’t introduce a bad contact to a good friend, you also don’t want to introduce them to your business.
If you have any questions about your target market or Marketing Strategy, then please do not hesitate in calling our Gold Coast office – 1300 367 334.