You must always be searching for new prospects and some of the ways that distributors do this is by: pounding the pavement, using direct mail, constantly dialing the phone or by joining networking groups. It is evident that no one has ever found the perfect way to build a customer base, but we think the best way to do so is by creating relationships from relationships. Ninety-eight percent of our clients have come from our efforts to build long lasting bonds between others and ourselves.
If you need to grow your business, examine the relationships that you have in place and start creating bonds with people in these groups:
Friends and Neighbors —At every chance we get, we ask our friends for referrals and our largest customers have resulted from that effort. When I started my business in 1982, I met my best friend's new girlfriend who happened to be the marketing director for a fledgling French bakery. Because of that introduction, I ended up selling that company more than $900,000 of products over the years, as they grew from a single location to more than seventy-five bakeries nationwide. In another instance, a college friend of mine introduced me to the purchasing manager of a major corporation in my city and I sold her more than $I million worth of goods in a thirteen-year period.
Existing Customers —Our single largest client resulted from an introduction made by a customer who was the circulation director for one of Dallas' large daily newspapers. He decided that he wanted to become a lawyer, so he quit his job at the paper and went to law school. During the time he was attending school, he wanted to make some extra money and asked if he could sell part time for me to make that happen. He met the personnel director for a large retail chain in one of his classes and ended up selling her several orders. After graduation, he gave me the account and since then, I have sold that company over $2 Million worth of products.
Chambers of Commerce —Several times during my career, we have rejuvenated our business by joining a new chamber. Our recent relocation caused us to join a medium- sized chamber in the neighboring town. By participating in that chamber's activities, we have sold to more than fifty new customers, many of who have become repeat buyers. The key to recruiting new business at chambers is to make sure that you qualify new people when you meet them.
Volunteer Opportunities —It seems that every time we do volunteer work, we find new people that we end up selling. My greatest success came from the volunteer work I did for our local historical society. That work allowed me to sell the organization many orders and to meet several additional customers. By putting yourself in the position to meet other volunteer types, you are increasing your chances of meeting new customers.
Alumni Groups —Since the majority of sales come from connections, a great way to make them is by being a member of an alumni association. In our case, we belong to the Frog Club, which supports TCU athletics. During football season, we attend weekly luncheons and usually pick up a new client. By being in the position to meet fellow enthusiasts like yourself, you increase your chances of writing new business quickly.
Political Campaigns —With political season an always thing now, we pick a candidate and start working for him or her. Our efforts put us in the position to meet people who share our philosophy. We've taken many accounts away from our competitors as a result of meeting people we've met working on the campaigns. Elections give you a chance to meet people who think just like you do!
Newspapers —Everyday we read the business section of the local papers and make it a point to look for new ads in the other sections. When we find a newsworthy story or a new ad, we go to the business in person and mention that we read about them in the paper. That's how we introduce ourselves to new businesses and that gives us a purpose to be there. After all, if a company is spending money to advertise, then they are looking for new customers and there's no reason we cannot become one.
Postcard Mailers —To supplement our efforts in finding new prospects, we are currently sending a 5x8 inch full-color postcard to lists generated from local chamber members. The custom cards contain a peel-off magnet that contains information about our company. One of the suppliers we sell for offers this service to distributors who want to participate. They pay for the postcards and magnets and we pay for the postage. On our first mailing alone, the $325 mailing cost was more than offset by the $4000 in sales that we booked.
The effort to find new customers is never ending. To make sure that you have a steady stream of new prospects that will lead you to success, start implementing the techniques mentioned above. You don't have anything to lose and many new customers to gain by doing so.
