End Goal: Develop a Strategy to get your first Customer #

Your first real customer or client is always the hardest.  You may get a little boost in the beginning from Friends, Family, or people within your network, but that first stranger who you have enticed to go out of their way to give you their hard earned money for something you are providing is a real challenge.  If you can get that first customer secured, then you can get your second and third and so on.

In previous steps, you identified our perfect customer, Demographic and geographic.  Now how can you best reach those potential customers.  There are many options available to business owners, but you need to find what works best for your business.  Each approach has pros and cons and are effective in different ways.  It is also important to note that as you grow your sales techniques will grow and change.

Cold Call: #

A cold call is the toughest thing to be good at but it is the most effective way for most small businesses to find customers, especially if you are business to business.  A tax accountant whose perfect client is small businesses has to find small businesses that need help and there is no replacement for cold calling.  It is important to note that cold call doesn’t necessarily mean a phone call, it often means dropping in on their business.

Again, this is the hardest thing to get good at and you will absolutely falter a handful of times before you get it figured out.  But you have to get out there and talk to people.

Cold Emails: #

Much easier than cold calling, but far, far less effective.  Only works well with a large list of potential customers.  I once sent out 12,000 emails to a large email list and I got 10 emails back.  3 customers I secured.  5 I couldn’t close.  And 4 that told me to go screw myself.  

Physical Advertisements: #

Billboards, bus bench, flyers, mailers, advertisements in bars & restaurants.  These certainly still have their place in the marketing world, but have become less and less effective as digital marketing has increased. 

Digital Advertising: #

The good old pop up ad is long dead, but google ads, affiliate links, etc. are all still very good.

Social Media: #

This is king for just about any business.  Small businesses have to make good use of the free resources that social media offers.  It may even be worth looking into their advertisement programs depending on your type of business.

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LInkedin, Reddit, Youtube shorts, tiktok. 

Sales Approach: #

Refer back to the Elevator Pitch.  Now that you have a little more to work with, a brand, basic financial data, you should be able to better refine our elevator pitch.  

Marketing Phases: #

Your marketing strategy will change over time.  For example, S&H started with cold calls, then as the client list was built I moved into more physical and digital advertising.  Eventually moving towards cold emails.  All the while keeping up with social media.