Every business needs a customer acquisition plan if it hopes to keep growing. However, bringing in new leads and converting them into paying clients can be trickier than it seems, especially in a crowded market.
The members of Forbes Coaches Council often work with clients to help them grow their businesses by acquiring new customers. Below, six of them shared their best advice for creating a smoother, more fruitful acquisition process. Follow their recommendations if you’re ready to scale up your customer base.
Forbes Coaches Council members share simple strategies for improving your customer acquisition process.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.
1. Adopt The Funnel Approach
I would adopt the oft-cited funnel approach—that is, to plan your strategy around first creating a broader reach, then segmenting to design a product or service that is relevant to these segments. Converting visitors into subscribers (and eventually customers) would be the path to take in your customer acquisition approach. – Thomas Lim, Singapore Public Service, SportSG
2. Get In Front Of The Client, Then Listen
Customer acquisition involves persistence as well as understanding of the client’s needs. Getting in front of the client is the first thing; persistence and creativity will help in accomplishing this. The next step is listening well and clarifying what needs the customer may have. Not every customer has needs, and there will be times when what you offer will not fit what they need. – Dan Ryan, ryan partners
3. Improve The Quality Of Your Services
The best way to improve customer acquisition that I know of is to improve the quality of your services. How our clients feel will determine whether they will tell other people about us. If the experience of working with me is average, I cannot count on someone to be delighted with my service and recommend me to their friends. To receive recommendations, everything we do should be strengthening quality and adding value. – Edyta Kwiatkowska, Leadit, Hana Mana Instytut Szkoleniowo-Rozwojowy
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4. Ask For Referrals When Emotions Are Positive
Consistently ask for referrals when the customer’s emotions are most positive. Dust off those old sales books and look at what the classic sales instructions say. They talk about asking for at least three referrals from your recently satisfied clients. Write down those names and numbers, then engage with them consistently. I know this is the way to do it because I have done it more wrong than right in the past. Consistency is key. – John M. O’Connor, Career Pro Inc.
5. Invest In Your Employees To Improve The Customer Experience
Focus on creating a positive customer experience by investing in your people. Ample research has shown that people-centric organizations have significantly greater levels of customer commitment and brand loyalty. So put time and energy into training your people and create a dynamic organizational culture to drive higher levels of satisfaction, engagement and innovation. – Jonathan H. Westover, Utah Valley University & Human Capital Innovations, LLC
6. Create A ‘Premium’ Version Of Your Product
While few people love selling, we often love building relationships—especially with our established customers. Create a “premium” version of your product and sell that to your customer base. You’ll be shocked at how some subset of your customers will always buy the most expensive thing available because that’s who they are. – Nick Leighton, Exactly Where You Want to Be
