8 ways to get new customers—now!

Q: Steve - It seems
harder these days to
hang on to clients. What
can a small business do
to get new customers
while on a tight budget?
- Ben
A: Different things work. A retail store
will do things differently than an
accountant. How I got clients back when I
was a full-time lawyer is different than
what I do as a business speaker.
That said, there is no shortage of clever,
inexpensive ways to drum up new
business. Here are my top eight ways to
get new customers.
1. Try a new marketing technique: Like
any small business, you likely have some
marketing tricks that work. And, also like
most small businesses, I bet you use
them again and again.
No wonder they get stale.
If you try something new, you will reach
new people, and that increases your
chances that someone new will check you
out.
Print a flyer. Create a coupon. Have a
sale. Start a direct-marketing campaign.
There are many powerful marketing ideas
that will generate more business .
2. Launch or offer a new product:
Again, the idea is the same – if you keep
doing the same thing, offering the same
old products (and marketing them the
same old way) it is the same old people
who will notice them.
The trick is to get different people to
check out your wares. Offering a different
product, or product line, and letting
people know about it, does that.
3. Get more clicks: While you can’t man
the business 24/7, your URL can.
Whether yours is a fully-empowered e-
commerce site or simply an e-brochure
for your business, the secret to
converting that Web site into money is all
in the numbers. The more people who
visit, the more purchases may occur.
The good news is that getting more
people to your Web site is actually a fairly
easy thing to do. Check out Microsoft
adCenter for starters.
4. Launch a PR campaign: Advertising is
great and can lead to new customers for
sure. The problem is that it is inherently
biased; it is you tooting your own horn.
Far better: Have someone else hype your
business for you. That is where public
relations comes in.
By getting a TV or a radio station, or a
newspaper or magazine, to do a story on
your business creates immediate third-
party, trustworthy, validation of your
business. That you can use that story
again and again is icing on the cake.
5. Ask for referrals: My dad had a huge
sign in his carpet warehouse that said,
“Our word of mouth advertising starts
with you!” He then gave all referrers a
$100 discount on future purchases.
Creating an incentive referral program is
simple and it can yield great results. The
key is to give people a reason to refer
business to you (aside from being a fine
establishment) and to thank them for
doing so. People like to be appreciated.
6. Smile and dial: Sometimes new
business is simply a matter of
prospecting. Whether it is making cold
calls or sending out proposals, every so
often you just gotta do it. Do some
search engine research, get a list of
potential leads, and get to it.
The important things I have learned when
prospecting are two-fold:
1. Don’t take no personally.
2. Remember, it’s a numbers game. Keep
on going!
7. Revamp your Web site: Did you know
that 80% of Americans now spend as
much time online as they do in front of
the television? That means that you have
to have a top-notch site.
8. Get (social) networking: More and
more, people are going online to check
out and chat about business choices.
Indeed, according to a poll I just read of
“active Internet users”:
72% of respondents checked out a
company’s reputation on chat boards
before buying.
74% based their buying decisions, at least
partially, on what they read.
81% thought that blogs, online rating
systems and discussion boards gave them
valuable feedback.
What this means is that you have to
nurture your online reputation.
The upshot of this all is that new tricks
create new customers.