Q: I just started a small business specializing in custom printed promotional materials. I have just about everything I need: A location, equipment and a Web site. That is, I've got everything but customers! Any suggestions on getting my name in front of them?
When I was in law school, I took a course from a local attorney discussing how to start a law practice. He ran a very successful boutique law firm, which was my dream at the time.
On the first day of class, he had us do a useful exercise. "Take out a sheet of paper," he said, "and write down 10 sources for creating customers."
Most students in the class had a list like mine:
Parents
Friends
Relatives
Business associates
Friends of 1, 2, 3 and 4
When he looked at our lists, he exclaimed "Wrong!"
He went on to explain that listing everyone we knew was fine, but that was but one category of the 10. He wanted us to think big and to realize that to make it in a new business we had to be creative. Getting customers is a bit difficult and a tad scary, but it can be done and takes work, he said.
After I graduated, I got a job at a big law firm, and not long thereafter, I began to plot my escape. So I met with a colleague, another successful solo practitioner, and asked him the same question you have — where do I get customers?
"The Yellow Pages" was his answer. So now I had two realistic methods on my list.
So when I later started my own law firm, the first thing I did was to have a "Grand Opening" party, inviting everyone I possibly knew. The second thing I did was to take out a Yellow Pages ad. Those two actions kept me in business for the first two years.
Since then, figuring out how to find customers has become something I practically specialize in. Indeed, one of my most popular speeches is entitled "Marketing on a Shoestring."
So, how do you get your business in front of potential customers? Here are some of my favorite, inexpensive strategies:
Co-op advertising: When retailers mention specific brands in their ads (e.g., "featuring Ban-Lon carpets") it is usually a result of what is known as co-op advertising. Any business can use it, and there is no shortage of co-op dollars. It is estimated that there is $30 billion in co-op money available annually. Check with your wholesalers to see if they have a co-op program, or pick up the book "Co-op Advertising Programs."
Cable TV: While network stations (ABC, NBC, CBS) are pretty expensive most times of the day (the exception is overnight time slots), cable television is a comparative bargain. Even better: With cable TV you can pinpoint your advertising. Looking to get someone into your furniture store? Consider Home & Garden Television, for instance.
Overnight radio: Overnight radio is a real bargain, and on a large station, the overnight audience can be as big as the daytime audience on a smaller station, and for a fraction of the cost.
Classified ads: Who reads the classifieds? Someone looking to buy something, that's who. Find the right classification and the right headline, and you are off to the races my friends!
Yellow Pages: Ditto. Also, check out the online version of the telephone advertising book. I just read that 73% of people who check out the online Yellow Pages contact a merchant, and 45% make a purchase.
Web site: Of course you need a good Web site, and these days, it is not hard to get a professional one up and running.
Direct mail: The granddaddy of all marketing, direct mail gets results. The key is to get people to open and read your pitch. Here's how:
Have the envelopes hand addressed if possible.
Use a conversational tone. You must grab their attention quickly.
Deliver credibility with customer testimonials, which are great way to display confidence in your business.
Give them an incentive to act. An expiration on the offer works well.
Always include a P.S. because they are almost always read it.
Gift certificates: About 20% of all gift certificates are never redeemed, 80% are redeemed for more than their value, and 40% are redeemed for more than twice their value.
Public relations: Getting a story done about your business, either electronically or in print, can reap rewards for years. You can re-print that article again and again as independent, third-party verification of just how special your business is.
Contests: One way to catch an editor's eye is to hold a newsworthy contest related to your business.
Hopefully these tips will get you started as you start or grow your own business.
Steve Strauss is one of the country's leading small business experts, a columnist for USATODAY.com, and the author of the "Small Business Bible." If you would like to have Steve speak to your group, or to sign up for his free e-newsletter Small Business Success Secrets!, visit his Web site. Have a question for Steve? Send him an e-mail.
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