Welcome to my first coaching newsletter of 2010.  Those New Year business resolutions are probably fading away as we approach the end of the month, so here is a timely reminder to get cracking on them.  They were a good idea when you first thought of them, so make them happen. 

Many businesses are still under pressure as result of the recession.  Are we on the brink of economic recovery, or are we being fed spin by people who are desperate for our votes in a few months time?  

There are two alternatives for us. We can either weep and gnash our teeth and convince ourselves that we have to wait for things to improve, or we can DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. Guess which one I am in favour of. The only people who benefit from teeth gnashing are dentists, and even they are struggling at present. That should cheer you up a bit.     

In this newsletter I'm going back to basics with some tips on how to get more business,  how to find new customers, how to keep in touch with existing clients and make sure they come back for more.

Actively seeking new customers is a must if we want to grow our business, not just during a recession or when business is slow. It’s hard though, isn’t it? Some of us feel uncomfortable about going out and selling ourselves. So we do something we like instead. Putting our paperclips in order, or putting the tea rota into Excel. Anything that makes us feel we are keeping busy until the next customer calls.

Keep the customer satisfied

Let’s cut to the chase. Don’t wait for the customer to call. Call the customer. Ask how they are. Remind them what you did for them last time. Tell them about your latest special offers. Keep building the relationship. 

Instead of filing the paperclips, spend some time making a list of your best customers. The people who will spend most money on your products or services.

Remember, it is far easier to sell to an existing customer than to find new ones.  However, if you aren't in regular contact with your customers they will forget you and go elsewhere.  If you stay in touch and continue building the relationship, they will keep buying from you and they will talk to other people about you, which will lead to more business.

Finding new customers

To develop our business we need to find new customers all the time. To do that we need to know who our potential customers are. We need to know where to find them. We need to know when to find them. 

Ask yourself the following questions.  Where do your potential customers live? How old are they? Where do they shop? Where do they work? Where do they spend their leisure time? How much do they earn? How much of their income will they spend on your business? 

Most important of all, ask yourself how you can help them. What are they looking for? What do they need?  Has this changed since you last spoke with them? Do you need to offer them something different?

Ask yourself, when will they want to buy from you? There is no point in targeting them at the wrong time. Trying to sell Easter cards in June is a bad idea. Promoting a tax advice service in April is a real no-no. 

Having identified your best customers, and the best time to approach them, get out there and tell them how you can help them. Don’t tell them what you do, or what you sell. It’s not about you. It’s about them, meeting their needs and providing solutions to their problems.    

Make sure your marketing is focused on the places your best customers will be found. I will cover marketing in more detail next month, but remember you should be using at least twenty, and preferably fifty, different marketing techniques if you want to be successful.  You don’t have to spend a lot of money on this. Many types of marketing can be done for free or at minimal cost.

Next month I will cover marketing techniques in more detail, including the wide range of options available and how to get best value for money.

In the meantime, if you would like any more information about this, or advice on any other business issues, just email me at contact@chriswilkie.co.uk   

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