Attracting the clients you want

Many small businesses throw money into advertising with the aim of attracting new customers. Some may get the response they were hoping for but particularly in this financial climate, many do not!

 

Before putting significant sums into marketing you may want to take a step back and consider these questions?

 

What is the end result you want.

Do you want to get your business noticed and be seen as a great bargain, attracting lots of new customers, any customers, - you just want more customers?

 

or . . .

 

“Do you want to attract ideal customers, those who will value your business, aren’t looking for everything as cheap as possible, are willing to pay good money for it and are happy to recommend you?"

 

Your business image will play a massive part in the quality of client you attract so it is worth spending time and effort in getting back to basics to make sure you are attracting the customers you want.

 

An image that . . .

 

·         looks cheaply produced

·         puts emphasis on bargain or discount brand triggers

·         is not consistent throughout

·         does not stand out in the market place

·         does not give a clear message of benefit to the customer

 

will just attract customers who . . .

 

·         want everything as cheap as possible

·         always want more for their money

·         will haggle and be hesitant to spend no matter how good the deal is

·         will still shop around for the next cheapest deal regardless of your offer

 

 A business image . . .

 ·         that looks professional

·         portrays your benefit

·         is designed to attract your niche market

·         portrays your credibility establishing trust for your business

 

·         will sort the time wasters from your ideal customers and attract those who

·         will value your business

·         will want to pay good money for your product or service

·         will trust you and want to keep coming back for more

·         will want to recommend you to others

  

Here are 5 tips to attracting the customers you want.

 

1) Know your ideal customers and understand their problems and desires.

 

2) Know and understand how you are the best option for sorting out their problems and fulfilling their desire.

 

3) Identify a clear message to get across to impress your ideal customers.

 

4) Portray the benefit of your business using color, font, visual image,       and slogan and business image consistency to engage with your ideal customers.

 

5) Ensure you portray a clear consistent message and positive brand triggers so that your ideal customers will be confident to trust you to deliver what you say.

 

Powerful business images are not just a pretty picture. Your business image is part of your business reputation.

 

Think of it this way . . ...........Would you invest a massive sum in buying your dream home and then try and do all your own plumbing and electrics using some rusty old tools?

 

Maybe you would think it a wise choice to employ an odd job man to do the plumbing and electrics as he has also offered to do the interior decoration, gardening and laying the new driveway for half the price you can get it anywhere else? It might not be a perfect finish but it would be ‘ok’ and keep costs down.

 

The best value and return for your investment often doesn’t come from the cheapest source but as the dream home analogy shows, when you are developing something as important as your business it is just not worth risking having to pay to have the same job done again another year down the line or even damaging your reputation with a negative business image.

 

Business Centre

Business tasks undertaken by our fantastic team of experienced accountants and corporate analysts

Edwards Motors Ltd

Name: Malcolm John Edwards

Business Name: Edwards Motors Ltd

Address: Langley Road South, Salford,M6 6EL

 

What prompted you to go into this business?

I’ve been a mechanic since i was 15 years old and started in business in 1987, always been at the above address, its something I’ve always known and wanted to start on my own

 

How long have you been in this business?

Since November 1985

 

What makes your business different?

Most of our customers are friends and now their children cone to us.

 

What did you do before you opened this business?

I worked as a director at another garage and before that i was a workshop foreman.

 

Has the credit crunch affected you?

Yes

 

How?

A lot of older customers have taken up the scrappage scheme and got rid of their older vehicles.

 

What’s your favorite part of the business?

General working on the vehicles

 

What’s your least favorite part of the business?

Paperwork and cleaning.

 

What's your ultimate ambition?

To retire.

 

What advice would you give people who are starting up?

Its very different as I’m old school and in order to get into new school you need to have an electronic brain.

 

What advice would you give people whose businesses are struggling?

Try to get as many grants as possible because there are grants out there to be had.

 

What is your latest product?

I don't have a latest product I just do whatever the customer wants and if I can't do it I outsource it to someone I know is very reliable.

 

Do you offer goods/services via the internet?

No, I’ve never switched a computer on.

Heaven Hairdressing

Name: Sarah Ellis

Business Name: Heaven Hairdressing

 

What prompted you to get into this business?

It’s all I’ve ever done since leaving school.

 

How long have you been in this business?

25 years in hairdressing and I’ve been in this shop for 5 years

 

What makes your business different?

Professionalism, products you use, competitive prices, friendly staff, highly qualified.

 

What did you do before you opened this business?

Worked in another hair salon for 16 years.

 

Has the credit crunch affected you?

Yes, a little bit

 

How?

People don’t come in as often instead of coming in every 6 weeks they drag it out until every 8-10 weeks.

 

What’s your favorite part of the business?

Meeting the people, the atmosphere as everyone gets on really well.

 

What’s your least favorite part of the business?

Paperwork and paying the bills

 

What's your ultimate ambition?

To open another few salons around Manchester area.

 

What advice would you give people who are starting up?

Get a good accountant and make sure everything is above board.

 

What advice would you give people whose businesses are struggling?

Staff training and customer care, first impression will also be your last impression.

 

What is your latest product?

 

At the moment new shampoo’s are our latest product, we are always up to date with the latest shampoo’s

Home Couture

Name: Michel Owen

Company Name: Home Couture  

Website: homecoutureuk.com

 

What prompted you to get into this business?

Made redundant for 2^nd time in two years and my friend had a similar business

 

How long have you been in this business?

Around six month

 

What makes your business different?

 

Personal service

Family run business

Attention to details

We don’t work on a massive profit

Keep prices down for customers  

 

What did you do before you opened this business?

Head of facility at a college 

National manger of training company.

 

Has the credit crunch affected you?

Probably however I started in the middle of the credit crunch so I do not really feel it as I don’t know any different

Don’t want to offer credit I won’t help people get into depts.

 

What’s your favourite part of the business?

 

Buying stock and knowing you have quality goods at good prices, not flat pack MDF

 

What’s your least favourite part of the business?

Doing the pepper work /accounts

 

What’s your ultimate ambition?

To have 3 more, nice shops because I love doing this

 

What advise would you give people who are starting up?

Plan it very well, plan your own position don’t expect to earn great money initially

think it through and go for it

Took me about a month from my decision, to open the shop

 

What advice would you give to people whose businesses are struggling?

Look at what you are doing, how you are working, maybe you need to change the way you are doing something

 

Try new things people get stuck in their ways

Technology in changing  

 

What is your latest product?

 

Stock changes constantly, so never a latest product as stock is constantly changes.

 

Do you offer goods and services via the internet?

Not at the moment, will do in the near future, I have a website for show

Lee's Bakery

Name:         Margaret & john From Lee’s bakery, Bolton

 

What prompted you to get into this business?

Wife’s family business of 100+ years

 

How long have you been in this business?

Since 1979

 

What makes your business different?

Real home baking.

 

What did you do before you opened this business?

Nursery nurse

Building masonry

 

Has the credit crunch affected you?

Not at all. 95% of the customers are regular customers

 

What’s your favourite part of the business?

Going home at the end of the day.

 

What’s your least favourite part of the business?

Getting up at 5am / winter

 

.What’s your ultimate ambition?

To retire sea cruising

 

What advise would you give people who are starting up?

Make sure you have done your homework before starting.

 

What advice would you give to people whose businesses are struggling?

Only get out what you put in! Got to be different, got to change with the times

 

What is your latest product?

Hot chicken, beef and lamb sandwiches

Legal advice

Things solicitors do to waste your time and money

Charge by the hour

Most solicitors charge by the hour. This gives them every incentive to drag out a project as long as possible. Ask how many hours the work is likely to take, multiply it by their rate. Add 10% and offer that as a flat fee. If they turn you down then find a new solicitor quickly.

 

Nitpicking

Solicitors are trained to find problems, and they’re very good at this. Don’t think that every legal contract is iron clad – it isn’t. They’ll bring this same problem finding approach to offering you advice.

 

Legal opinions

The “Legal opinion” is closely related to nitpicking.  These guys will never commit themselves to anything, so this is pretty much useless information.

Clock running

Most solicitors are paid by the hour, this drastically increases their incentive to find wasteful missions to run on your money, things are never simple and new problems always occur.

 

The friendly chat

Your solicitor is not your friend, when dealing with one professionally he’s there to perform an administrative function. so don’t engage in chit chat with a solicitor, you’ll be charged for this.

 

Standard documents

These are one of the biggest scams that solicitors have going. People often think contracts are written specifically for them, this isn’t true. They’re often printed off the computer and your name is substituted for someone else’s. 

 

Business advice

Most solicitors don’t know anything about business. If they were really knowledgeable they’d all be millionaires.

 

Over billing

A solicitor dies and awakes facing St. Peter at the gates of Heaven.  There had to be some mistake he said, “I’m only 35 and too young to die.” “Young?” said St. Peter “Why based on the number of hours you’ve billed, you should be almost 90!”  

Partner rates

You usually deal with a partner who “sells” you the services of the law firm. Many people think the same person who does all the work. Usually it’s done by an associate, who earns a fraction of this guy’s salary and bills out at much less

 

“Non-negotiable” invoices

With all of the above factors creeping into an invoice, you will have a very strong negotiating position. Do not believe that just because it is on a law firm letterhead it is cast in stone.

 

Now not all solicitors are the scum of the earth. Some are actually decent human beings, and we’d like to thank them both for helping us prepare this report. As a C.Y.A. for us - always consult a solicitor on any legal matter you do not fully understand.

Loft

Name: Bob & Ben

Margert Mahar

Business Name: shop name is Loft Interiors

Buy to let furnishing

Website: www.buytolet-furnishing.co.uk

Managing Time

There are two things that business people find very challenging: thinking ahead and doing things in order of importance. Doing these two things makes the difference between success in business and just surviving.

 

The Pareto Principle, aka the 80/20 Principle.

 

Roughly stated this says that in most businesses 80% of your business comes from 20% of your customers.

 

Reading:       20 % of the book contains 80% of the content.

Job:               20 % of our work gives us 80% of our satisfaction.

Products:     20 % of the products bring in 80 % of the profits.

Picnic:          20 % of the people will eat 80 % of the food!

 

20% of your priorities will give you 80% of your production, if you  spend your time, energy, money and personnel on the top 20% of your priorities.

 

When a you do this, you can get a 400% or fourfold return in productivity. Every business person needs to understand the Pareto Principle as it applies to the areas of customers, team and leadership.

In the area of customers, it is vital to identify the 20% who account for 80% of your business and strategies must be put in place to care for them appropriately.

 

Having your priorities in place can boost your productivity and personal satisfaction and make your businesses grow to your full potential.