It’s important for any business to have an established customer base. This gives your business a sense of financial security. The only way for your business to grow though, is if you also attract new customers. Sometimes this can be easier said than done.
Whether you are an established business or just starting out, you may not be sure how to generate new business leads. The key is establishing a rapport with potential customers. You need to be able to demonstrate you offer a product or service that solves a problem they have AND that you will follow through with keeping your promise.
Here are some of my favorite ways for finding new business leads.
Form Alliances
Get familiar with complementary, noncompetitive businesses in your industry. Establishing these relationships can offer you a great opportunity for new business leads. Come to an agreement where you both cross promote each other’s products, services and special events. You might even decide to co-sponsor events together and submit articles for the other company’s newsletter to further promote your own endeavor.
Get Social
There’s a slew of social networking sites up and running today. No doubt you (or at least someone you know) is signed up for at least one of them. Your business should be, too. In fact, you should probably have accounts with several of the social media sites: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Pinterest to name a few. Not only are these social networking sites great ways for you to connect with current customers, they can help you attract new ones, as well.
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Twitter and Facebook are particularly good for promoting giveaways, contests and highlighting new products, services and sales.
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LinkedIn is a great way to connect with professionals, particularly those in the B2B industry. Here, it’s crucial to feature useful and relevant info readers will want to share.
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Pinterest allows you to connect with your audience in broader terms. Rather than focusing on just your specific products, you can connect with people interested in the many aspects of your field.
Ask for Referrals
A fantastic way to generate new leads is to leverage existing customers. Ask loyal customers to provide references you can post on your website or put in printed materials. You might also consider instituting an incentive program whereby your existing customers are rewarded for referring a friend.
Create product or service videos
If pictures of your products are essential, video of your products in action are a step ahead of your competition and a sure way to draw in new customers. More than just a two dimensional images, video is a great way to show customers how something works, looks, acts and behaves. The important point is to have short (30 second and under is best), concise, well-produced videos. You do not want to shoot something on your smart phone and put it online.
Final insights
When you are looking to generate new business leads, you don’t have to start from scratch. You just need to know what will best fit your business. You can form alliances with complimentary companies, increase your social media presence, ask for referrals from satisfied customers and create videos to promote products and services. You’re not re-inventing the wheel, but you do need to understand your audience and how to best get their attention.
