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There is no one way to get customers. It should be a multifaceted approach, not only for the foreseeable future, but also to create enough inbound traffic so that in two years, after taking the right actions today, your offer will practically fill itself. Therefore, getting customers should be a system. Like gears in a wheel, there is an integration, and if one gear is off, you can’t expect the most effective results.
Here are six essential elements to get more customers. The system is the acronym PEOPLE. After all, it is – more people, more customers – what we strive for.
Related: 3 Easy Ways to Attract More Customers Fast
1. Prospecting
Often the number one stop that keeps a company from getting more customers is starting with too small a number at the top. There aren’t enough prospects to convert into customers to begin with. This creates too much pressure to convert the limited number of prospects. What happens when there is pressure to sell? Or worse, the customer feels the pressure? They back up and it becomes a self-destructive cycle.
The solution is to have several active and continuous prospecting systems, feeding prospects all the time. It’s best if these prospecting systems can work like a machine, delegating tasks until you or a sales rep may need to intervene.
With continuous prospecting systems, this is where the biggest reward can be a bit down the road. But here’s a caveat: When do most people stop prospecting? When they are busy. What happens then? If they slow down, there aren’t enough people knocking on the proverbial door. So the feast-or-famine cycle continues. Systematize your prospecting so that there is a constant and steady flow of opportunities.
2. Exposure
Again, this is more long-term thinking, but it’s so important for your future. Exposure comes from the content you publish: writing articles, podcasts as a host or guest, books, live streams, and social media. Rarely are the results immediate, causing many people to give up before seeing rewards. Think of it like building lurkers (people watching you you have no idea they are there). While it may sometimes feel like you’re screaming in an echo chamber, chances are there are prospects out there watching what you’re doing.
These “lurkers” build a relationship with you. They find you as a trusted source for their needs. If you continue to provide value, they will step forward and then begin the spectator-to-customer journey.
Exposure requires discipline. Keep publishing valuable content. Get exposure in whatever media you can. But don’t try to do everything! Put yourself strategically in front of your target customers as often as possible.
3. Open to relationships
We know businesses are built on relationships, right? The suggestion here is to be Open to relationships. Sometimes the value of contact with someone is not immediately apparent. Perhaps in our effort to protect our time and keep at bay the number of people who “want to pick our brains,” we may not remain as open as we might think. If you have everything you need right now, this may not be the most essential element for you. However, it also offers the greatest chance of a fairly immediate return.
You have no doubt had the experience of a random encounter that led to something – a chance meeting or a moment of synchronicity. It could have led to immediate business, a great introduction, or building a relationship. It has also been the story of great romances.
The thing is, we don’t always know what’s around the corner and who to meet. If you remain open to relationships, you increase your willingness to put yourself in situations where a favorable meeting of the mind, or heart, could occur.
Even now, well after the lockdown and pandemic, many people are not as active in interacting with other people. They may not attend networking events or attend professional gatherings, leaving them less open to relationships than is best for business growth. Create as many opportunities as possible to make something good happen!
Related: 4 Steps to Get More Customers Now
4. Promotion
Promotional efforts are usually paid ads with expected results in the shorter term. This could be paid social media advertising, email marketing, marketing articles, or any other endeavor where you expect a little more of an immediate ROI.
Promotional efforts are a good balance with other efforts and satisfy the desire to act now and hope for more immediate results. That’s not to say it’s always a short-term strategy. An entire business can be powered by paid and unpaid promotion over a long strategy. The difference is that for promotional efforts to be effective, there is typically a need to closely monitor ROI, be it return on money or time invested. A proactive promotion strategy will get you taking action toward your goals.
5. Lead Magnets
The concept of a lead magnet says it all. You lead a prospect into a deeper relationship by offering something truly magnetic. It is a point of direct value exchange. You deliver value. The potential customers choose a more committed relationship with you, at least in the form of an email.
The purpose here is clear and intentional. You lead a prospect closer to you through an exchange of value. It’s like the demand in a sale. If you don’t ask, you rarely get it. If you don’t lead, you don’t offer your expertise. Or as Wayne Gretzky said, “You miss 100% of the photos you don’t take.”
The purpose of a lead magnet is a direct request, or exchange, to open a prospect’s channel to become a customer. This more immediate action is an excellent balance with other actions that are longer term.
6. Exceptional
What’s the absolute easiest way to get more customers? Make those you have insanely happy by being exceptional. Yes, exceptional.
Anything less than exceptional may not be enough to make your business memorable or inspire referrals. This also requires a system to retain your existing customers and inspire referrals.
To nurture this potentially bountiful system of getting customers, I highly recommend following carefully and continuously implementing strategies to increase customer loyalty and referrals. It is often the lowest hanging fruit and can reward you with the fastest results.
Related: Want More Clients? Get quality referrals from existing customers
As a good system should be, it’s about a healthy balance. These six essential elements include efforts that will pay off in the short and long term. Think of these six elements as a checklist or elements of a healthy ecosystem. When each element is taken care of, you create a consistent flow of inbound customers, now and in the future.
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