Small businesses can’t thrive without customers. If the current customer base appears a bit too small, make adding new customers – and new revenue streams – a top priority. New business owners likely already realize they must add customers and increase revenue. Their troubles center on finding a reliable way to do so. No one suggests increasing sales figures is easy, but here are a few tips to help the cause.
First, understand who your customer base is. Certain products and services, for example, appeal to young people while others may appeal to an older demographic. Devise your marketing strategy accordingly. If you are unaware who your customers are and what they want, invest in market research programs. Otherwise, your promotional strategies may fall flat and you won’t connect with the people willing to spend money.
Putting funds into CRM software could help with moving sales figures. CRM software allows business owners to manage information related to customers and sales leads appropriately. Has the time come to send out a promotional newsletter? Who on the list would benefit most from the newsletter? Quality CRM software could assist with answering these questions and more.
To learn more about CRM software, check out InfoFree.com. InfoFree.com provides a subscription-based approach to drawing in new sales leads. The service presents people search and business profile examination features and more. The founder of the company even appeared on the popular news magazine 60 Minutes.
When hoping to connect with new customers, don’t overlook “old” strategies. Seeking out the newest promotional and marketing strategies is a wise plan. New methods proven to deliver results could help. And so can classic methods that continually garner positive reactions among customers. Email and direct mail marketing are classic strategies that continue to work well.
Unfortunately, there are “marketing gurus” who don’t speak fondly of these strategies. Attempts to push new and improved methods cloud their opinions. Direct mail and email marketing strategies, however, could generate results. If they didn’t, multibillion-dollar companies wouldn’t currently employ them.
Of course, big-name companies using direct and email marketing plans emphasize quality. Sending out poorly composed materials won’t work. Creating these materials in-house probably isn’t the best idea. Working with a professional service to craft effective marketing materials usually works best.
Never forget about so-called inactive customers. Searching for new customers and catering to current customers remain important priorities for any business owner. However, don’t dismiss those previous customers who haven’t been purchasing lately. They may be inactive right now, but the right approach could draw them back into the purchasing fold. An email marketing plan stressing “We miss you, and here’s a discount coupon to make you come back” could work. What won’t work is writing these customers off and never contacting them again. Look over your customer list, see how hasn’t purchased in a while, and try to market to them.
Old, current, and new customers all represent the sales leads necessary for a small business to thrive. Put effort into connecting with all three. Hopefully, doing so turns into solid revenue generation.