How to Attract Customers

Video Transcript

"Attracting customers is the first thing you should know when you consider starting a business. It's also an ongoing process every day in the life of your business. Hello, I'm Peggy Collins, and I'm here to tell you how to attract customers. It's been said that people only buy three things. Essential needs like food and shelter. Solutions to problems. And things that make them feel good. Consider these things when evaluating your strategy for acquiring new customers. It's imperative to first determine who you want to attract as a customer. If you're selling dental equipment, the answer is easy. Dentists. For most businesses though, identifying the intended customer isn't quite that clear or obvious. Find out everything you can about your target consumer using whatever resources are available to you. Market research professionals can help you with everything from surveys to focus groups. But if you can't afford that route, use the internet to research basic demographic data, such as age groups, gender or ethnicity for your community. Find out their buying habits, like preferred shopping locations or merchants, frequency of purchases and what they buy. Ask lifestyle questions to find out how they spend their time, and who influences their purchases, like children, pets, or aging parents for instance. Now, you should have a pretty good idea of who your ideal customer is. And the info you've gathered will help you determine the most effective method to reach them, where to reach them, and what offers would be most appealing to that customer. Next, this information can be helpful in determining the tone of your message. For example if your customer is a female, age thirty to thirty-five with school age children, you might consider sponsoring a kids event, or offering a gift certificate for school supplies with a purchase of school uniforms. It's also wise to consider offering a complimentary service of particular value to your customer, such as karate schools that provide free transportation after school. Or dry cleaners that offer free delivery and pickup. Everything you do should be about attracting and keeping customers, from the sign on the front of the building to the way you answer the phone and greet customers upon arrival. The little things here can make a big difference with your customer. So meet a need, provide a solution for a problem, and reach out to them where they live. To attract new customers, advertising is really essential no matter what form it takes. It might be an ad in the local newspaper, a radio or television commercial, banner on a high traffic website, e-mail marketing, a creative promotion, or a charity event. But to have the desired effect you must know your customer, period. Hiring a good advertising agency can save you countless hours, frustration, and plenty of money in the long run. Remember it costs a great deal more to acquire a new customer than it does to keep the ones you already have. So treat them like the treasures they are, and they will help you spread the word and attract more new customers. These are just a few tips on how to attract customers. Wishing you good luck and good business, I'm Peggy Collins."