In spite of all this noise about the bad economy, dwindling market capitalisation and poverty, customers are still definitely buying what they need and more importantly, what they don’t need.
Therefore, failing to attract new customers is most likely a failure of business strategy or the absence of one in the first place.
Blaming it on anything else won’t get you anywhere. You have to admit that there is a more excellent way of marketing your business and increasing the stream of new customers that find their way to your doorstep.
So, here are some reasons you could be failing at attracting new customers:
They can’t find you:
This is a big problem. You, alone, know what you are doing, but no one else does. That’s simply like lighting a candle and covering it with a vessel. You could as well declare bankruptcy. Not getting found could be due to a number of other reasons:
* Zero or little Marketing effort: “For a business not to advertise is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you are doing, but she doesn’t.”Stuart H. Britt, US advertising consultant. Why set up a business if you are unwilling to tell people about your products. You have to make noise about what you sell. Create a buzz. If possible, a nuisance. Be desperate. Practice face to face marketing. Spend if you can.
* Bad location: Operating from a hard-to-reach or find location can be the reason why your business fails to attract new customers. Despite your best marketing efforts, you might not be able to attract new customers in your present location. Find a solution or simply change that location.
* No online presence: Can you imagine a company in the 21st century without a website or a social media presence? The answer is yes. Probably your company! Gotcha. Your business must be a mouse click away. New customers are on the hunt for your products. But the rules have changed. Hunting is done on phone and tablets and they new bullets are credit cards. Get listed on online directories like TrustOrRun (If You stay in Nigeria). Let the search engines point straight at your business. Use social media such as Facebook to promote your business. It is free. You better get online today and take a bullet.
* No recommendations or referrals: Know one is talking about you. Obviously, customers will not stick out their necks for you after a series of disappointing encounters with you. For some customers, one episode of disappointment is all they need. BUT when you offer Quality service and customer care, you make brand evangelists out of your customers. They get to stick out their neck for your product or service because they are sure you won’t disappoint. If you know your service is good enough, ask your customers to tell their friends about your business.
They don’t need you:
Sad but true. You have come to the end of the product lifecycle. Worse still, there is no market for what you offer in that locality. More like selling ice to the Eskimos or fire to hell. Remember, customers’ taste change with time or you simply arrived a little too early or too late. (You could suggest examples of such businesses that came too early or too late in the comment session after the article.)
“ You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new”. -Steve jobs
You don’t need them:
Don’t be surprised at this. Actions speak louder than words and your customers sure know how to read them. You might be under the impression that your customers love you, but would they agree? It might have been one of your employees that spread that bad message through an unruly or disrespectful attitude to a customer.
Bad news spread fast. Bad reputation, even faster. Also, solve the problem of not having enough change to give your customers after they have paid you. You don’t want to be the company “that never has change”.
Finally, there are other reasons your business could not be progressing as you anticipated. The key is not to give up. Re-evaluate your business model. Network with those who have succeeded in what you are doing and above else, believe in yourself and seek help.
We can suggest other reasons why businesses fail to attract new customers in the comments session.
Credit: trustorrun.com
