Marketing YOUrself - Finding Customers
How do you define a customer? In short, a customer is someone who is willing to pay for the products and services that you offer. If I were in the business of adding to this definition, I would say a customer is someone who is willing to pay for your products and services over and over. They are committed and loyal to what you are offering in the marketplace. But, that’s my definition.
How do you find customers? You must find prospects first. Who are you targeting? Have you done any market research? Who are potential buyers? If you don’t know the answer to that question - go do your homework!
How do you find customers? If you are still giving your products and services away you have not found customers. There are words for people who want what you have but are not willing to invest their money…, but that’s another post.
How do you find customers? Stop giving your products and services away. That is the first thing you must do. If you don’t believe what you have is valuable enough to charge for, than you are not trying to run a business - you have a charity. And that’s ok, but if you want to run a business, you must bite the bullet and give them your price.
On a personal note: I struggled with this for years. It was difficult for me to charge people for my time to coach them. Some of them couldn’t afford it and others could, but I was AFRAID to ask them for money, so I would give them my time. Not so today! I tell people up front that inquire of my services, there is a cost. I am happy to answer general questions, but if you want specifics, you get to pay. I don’t say it quite like that, but they get it. They understand before I leave or we change the conversation, that I am not free.
How do you find customers? Find the economic buyers in the organizations that you are targeting. Who writes the checks? Who decides what money is spent? If you go in to pitch your products and services to an organization and the economic buyer is not sitting at the table, you will either be disappointed because you will not leave with a “YES” or you will have to go back again and pitch it again. Find out who writes the checks. Get a commitment from your contact, that the decision maker will be in the presentation or you have wasted your time!
Keep in mind that finding your customers will take more than a minute. Be patient, be creative, be a risk-taker, be willing to answer one more question, be willing to here “no”, be willing to negotiate, be willing to do your homework. Be willing…. to do whatever it takes to find the customers for your products and services.
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