Ways to Find Customers 5
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
Is there any way to make word-of-mouth advertising happen?
The way to get positive word of mouth to circulate is to have a good product or service and bend over backward to please your customer. Calling customers to make sure they are satisfied with the product or service a short time after you've done the job is a good image builder and gives you an opportunity to ask for repeat business and/or referrals. When you get a referral, follow it up, using the name of the person who gave you the lead.
Are there other ways to use the web or online services to get business?
One way is to write articles about your area of expertise and submit those to web sites and online forums that focus on your area of expertise. If they publish them it helps get your name known and sometimes to bring in business. One consultant got a $4,000 speaking engagement because a seminar promoter had seen an article he had written posted in the Business Know-How website. Others have gotten customers for services they provide. Paying to advertise on the major search engine sites is yet another way to bring in business.
Do those little magnets, pencils, and other advertising specialties help?
Like business cards, they are a good way to get people to remember your name and phone number. Another excellent tool for helping prospects remember you when they need you is to have Rolodex-type cards made up with your business name. The little tab on the card could have either your name printed or the nature of your business (printer, delivery service, etc.).
Should I solicit business from a company I used to work for?
Former employers frequently are the first customers of a new business. They are easy to sell to because they know what you can do from experience working with you.
Can I solicit business from a former employer's customers?
It depends on the circumstances. If you signed a noncompete agreement (an agreement preventing you from competing with the employer), or if the employer regards his customer list as a trade secret and you copied the list, you could be sued if you solicit business from the former employer's customers. If you haven't stolen a customer list and never signed a noncompete agreement, you might try calling some of those contacts or sending out an announcement that you are now in business for yourself.
Can a home business use sales agents or distributors?
If you can get a sales representative to take on your product or service, and if the sales agent is efficient, the relationship can be very beneficial since it will let you concentrate on producing the product or service while the sales rep concentrates on selling it.
How can I find a good sales agent?
The best way is to ask the stores you would like to see your products sold in or companies you would like to have sell your products which manufacturer representatives they order products from. If you have friends or business acquaintances who sell to the same market you do and use sales representatives, ask them for recommendations, too. Finally, you could ask around at industry trade shows about good sales reps.
What do I need to do to convince an agent to represent me?
You will have to have a quality product or service and often a line of products. You will also need to show you will be able to fill orders if the rep gets your product into a popular catalog or store and that you can handle the paperwork professionally. If you can't deliver the goods or don't handle the paperwork professionally, it will hurt the sales representative's reputation and ability to make good deals in the future; hence, good reps are often very choosy about the companies with which they deal.
Should I tell customers I am homebased?
It depends on who the customer is. Huge department store distributors or mail order companies may not want to deal with homebased businesses because they fear they may not have the resources to meet customers' needs. Your best bet, usually, is not to volunteer information about being homebased. But if asked, don't deny it either.
Can a small business sell to the federal or state government?
Yes. The federal and state governments have programs to encourage small businesses to bid on contracts or seek work as subcontractors on government work.
Among them are small business seminars, procurement (jobs) fairs, and outreach programs through community development organizations. The U.S. Air Force maintains two web sites to help small businesses learn about procurement opportunities and how to deal with government red tape.
What does the government buy?
The government buys everything from food to computers to sophisticated electronic surveillance equipment. The Department of Defense alone buys billions of dollars' worth of goods and services each year. About 98 percent of the transactions (which equals about 20 percent of the total spending) are with small businesses.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
