More Customers, NOW!

I have not found a person yet to come up to me and say, I just have way to many customers.  We need to stop them from finding me.  Quite frankly, it is always the opposite!  We need new customers and to grow at a pace that is good for us and our companies.  Well, what can we do to increase our customer base.  We often here our friends tell us what has worked for them, but keep in mind that every business and industry for that matter is completely different.  Every business has different needs and different ways to attract new customers.

John Jantsch from Duct Tape Marketing gave a good break down of what three of the common ways companies try to get customers. He spoke of advertising, PR, and word of mouth.  These are the three common ways that many small business owners attempt to get customers.  Here is the list:

Advertising - potential high cost, often lower credibility, high, in fact ultimate, control - turn the ad on and off when you choose - control is the best part about advertising, you can launch a promotion on the day you want or need more leads and then turn it back down when you don’t

Public Relations - cost can be low, credibility is high - often a tiny mention in a publication can bring more leads than a full page ad in the same publication - readers love the third party endorsement, control can be low - you can’t really dictate when and if you will get any pub

Referrals - again, cost can be very low, credibility a little dependent on the source of referral but often high, control also out of your hands and based on your ability to educate sources properly.

Every form of marketing has its ups and downs.  Know what works for you.  All of these can help you to obtain new customers, and sometimes, FAST!