Running a business requires fascinating alchemy of hard work, savvy, talent, and luck —just a few of the ingredients necessary for your success. But there is one other element that doesn’t get quite enough press, and that’s finding the right kind of customer.
Whether you run a printing press or a marketing agency, not all customers are created equal. Sometimes it is better to let go of “bad” customers and focus on the ones that are good for your business. But where and how do you find those “good” customers? From being results driven to trusting your gut, here are six ways to attract better customers to your business.
- Never Work for Free
According to Nicholas Reese, there are four types of clients, and the ones you can avoid with this first tip are those that are so overly cost focused, they demand almost everything for free. High-maintenance and bottom line-driven with little concern for results, this type of customer is the worst to work for.While doing work on the cheap can be helpful when you’re just starting out — after all, you do need to build up a reputation — working for free almost never ends well for the person doing the work, which is why it isn’t worth it for you to do it. The kinds of customers who resist paying for a product or service aren’t customers who will keep you in business, so why bother working to please them anyway? Thankfully, you can usually avoid this type of client by charging a competitive price for your products and services.
- Be Results Driven
If you don’t draw customers in because you offer the lowest price, how do you draw them in? By being results driven. As a business owner, you need to offer something your customers need, and whether you make and sell pizza or you make and sell finials, getting results will ensure you get better customers. If you guarantee pizza delivery in 20 minutes or less, and you’re able to follow through on that promise, it will only be a matter of time before people who care about receiving hot pizza choose your pie over your competitors’ cheaper, less reliably-received ones. Get the results your customers care about, and you’ll get the customers you want. - Use Better Lists for Email Marketing
Email marketing continues to be one of the most effective forms of digital marketing available, but if you aren’t using up-to-date contact information that’s demographically driven, it won’t work as well as it should. Especially if you’re looking to launch a B2B campaign, make sure you’re using the best lists available, so you can get the customers who are genuinely looking to do business with you. - Raise Your Prices
It may seem counter-intuitive, but one of the reasons you may not be getting better customers is because your prices are too low. Especially if you have high standards, a low price might not be telling potential customers the right story. Raise your prices until they accurately reflect the quality of what you’re selling. By doing so, the customers who are always jockeying for a lower price or better deal will leave you alone, and the customers concerned about quality will notice you. - Don’t Compromise
Businesses with good reputations attract and keep better customers, which means, in everything you and your employees do, never cut corners. By ensuring the value of your brand, you shore up your customers’ faith in your product to such a degree that they’ll become ambassadors of your company. By not compromising in the short-term, you pave the path by which better customers will one day find their way to your door. - Say No/Trust Your Gut
Every now and then, a customer with a lot of money will cross your path whose goals and values don’t truly match your own. While in these instances it can be tempting to try and align yourself with that customer’s needs, deep down, you know that doing so would risk the integrity of what you make and offer, and it could potentially keep that customer from getting what he actually needs. When these situations arise, remember this: The best customers aren’t the ones with the most money. The best customers are those whose needs align with what you have to offer — and yes, they can pay you, too. Trust your gut, and learn to say, “No,” when the only thing attracting you to a job or client is money.
So, if your business is faltering, don’t throw in the towel just yet. Follow these six tips, and improve your business by improving your customer base.
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