Founders of most successful startups will always tell you the mantra for making it is diversification of work. A technologically inclined person will have a great idea, a prototype, or a product in the testing or marketing phase. However, he or she may lack the skills to sell their wares to the right customers. Identifying the consumer who will value the product is a forte of marketing or a salesperson. SalesWorks face to face sales team stresses meeting the customers the first time and thereafter whenever necessary, if not regularly.
Once your product is ready to be lined up for selling, acquiring your first customer may seem daunting until you understand the profile of your target audience. Assuming your product solves an existing problem and is a niche one with hardly any competition, then all the people who suffer from the issue that your product solves are your clients. For instance, if you come with a specialist suit that makes space travel easy, then your potential clients are space agencies of different nations. Likewise, if you have decided not to reinvent the wheel and improve a product that exists in the market, all the consumers of the existing brands will match the profile of your prospective consumers. After identifying your prospective consumers you can use these tips to convert them into paid clients:
- Scan & Profile
Raw identification based on parameters like location, age, demographics etc is a broad based classification. In order to sell your product you have to either narrow or widen your visibility as per the pool size of the leads. If the number of leads is more then using social media campaigns for better engagement will turn into potential sales. If the leads are less then using a personal approach of cold calling will help.
- Consistent Outreach
In a world where WhatsApp is popularly used for marketing, there are still people who like a good old email, phone call, or even a face-to-face meeting to hear your pitch deck. Keep multiple channel options to reach all types of customers, as we are not sure of their preferred route of communication.
- Network To Connect
Increase your network through personal and social connections. Your friend’s friend will know someone who may be looking for a product or a solution that you provide and can easily recommend your business. Always attend meet and greet events to network with people and remember to share business cards.
- Take Feedback
Even established products take feedback from their consumers to improve and stay relevant. If your product is in early stages of growth, then consumer’s feedback is vital to develop a better and improved product. The insights of consumer experience data will give enough intel for brands to work on coming up with pragmatic solutions.
Conclusion:
Acquisition cost of customers in the initial days will be high. However, with the right strategies, this expense comes down. With the right outreach, good product, and customer service that meets the expectations, the expenses for advertising usually go down as more traffic is attracted within a short while.
