Where do you find new clients?

How to find new customers? 

A crucial question for anyone who runs a business that involves the sale of products or services to others. This is important because the topic is comprehensive as its depth can be scary, and you may get deluded into a mental trap.

Some not-so-successful business persons will tell you that their market is particularly complicated or different. Is that true? Are there markets that are more different than others? Yes... and No.

In the last few years, infinite numbers of people have been preaching that yes, there are differences. However, let's look at it this way:

1. All companies have a significant number of similar functions with a relative magnitude;

2. They all refer to a client, a student, a guest, a patient and so on;

3. They sell a product, a service or both;

4. They welcome their customers in their locations, whether it is a website, a store or an office;

5. They have a method to attract potential clients;

6. They have a plan to transform potential clients into paying clients;

7. They have a way to make them come back repeatedly.

There is minimal difference between a hairdresser and a hardware store, or between a law firm and a hotel. When trying to promote your business, a logical approach is to focus on understanding the reasons why customers make decisions and based on that, work on making and ensuring that your product is their only choice. Pablo Picasso claimed “good artists copy, great artists steal.” This statement is of great inspiration and relevant to marketing. Here is a practical example: Apple produces some of the most high-quality tech gadgets on the market. By having and producing high volumes, Apple tries to place their products at the high-end mainstream price range, so that the product has luxury-like value and gives them an extra edge on the competition. Even though it might not be actual quality, subjectively it feels different, and hence - if you like Apple - it’s better.

Elon Musk has applied this business model to his car manufacturer company - Tesla.

The entire car industry uses dealerships to sell their cars, Tesla instead, has retail stores (similar to Apple's) in the city centres, shopping malls etc. On top of that, Tesla is years ahead on performance, look and feel, and most importantly, price.

We should not look at our industry to copy. We should look at our industry to do something that has never done before. Maybe something that has worked in another industry, but none have applied the same principles to yours.

Then take it, shape it to your industry and make it work first.