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Hanifmr.com - It is of course exciting and exciting to become self-employed.

However, this time also costs many business start-ups a lot of nerves. Because there is one thing that many entrepreneurs find very difficult: winning their first customers.

In this article, which is my contribution to the blog parade “ Tips for the first customers ”, I would like to give tips on how you can find your first customers online as a self-employed person.

Of course, I also incorporate my own experiences and also list what didn't work for me at all.

Preparation

How Do You Find Your First Customers? - 7 Tips, Basics, and More

As already described in detail in my article series “ Step by Step into Independence on the Net ” in the 3rd article “ Idea and Analysis ”, the first thing that matters is that you are optimally prepared yourself.

Your business idea must not only be formulated clearly and distinctly, it must above all have a clear customer benefit. We don't want to sell anything to anyone or have to persuade someone to purchase their products/services.

Instead, your products or services should be so useful that a customer does not have to be persuaded for long. The advantage of this is that we now “only” have to inform potential customers about our products and services. Because nobody has been waiting for you and will break the door for you when you have made your own business.

Further tips for optimal preparation for self-employment

Who Are You Looking for?

Most start-ups have a rather blurred picture of potential customers. As a result, your marketing activities aimed at customer acquisition target “everyone”.

And that rather leads to the fact that you don't reach anyone because you remain too general and don't address the special requirements of certain target groups.

Therefore, you should first take a close look at who the potential customers are. Which industries do I address and what are their needs and priorities?

A web designer could offer blanket websites for SMEs. That would be the classic route that, to be honest, I also went.

Or he specializes in certain industries and offers, for example, websites for care services, restaurants, and/or boarding houses. This initially limits the target group, but this has several advantages:

• Concrete
  Speaks to companies from a particular industry, then you can of course be much more concrete and highlight certain features and services that are important for this industry. In addition, you should always make it clear what the specific customer benefit is for this target group.
  
  
• More Targeted
  In that I only address a certain target group, I don't have to use the watering can advertising. You could advertise in a specific industry paper instead of in the general regional daily newspaper.
  
  
• Cheaper
  This of course also makes it cheaper, since I have less wastage and also have to address fewer companies.
  
  
• More Successful
  Experience has shown that this approach is also more promising than the “All companies are my potential customers” tactic.

If you have decided on certain target groups, then you have to align all marketing instruments with it:

• Advertising
  These are the classic advertising measures. So you only go to certain trade fairs and meetings and, for example, place advertisements in certain industry journals. Or you can tailor your website to specific search terms.
  
  
• Product
  The features and advantages of one's products and services no longer have to satisfy everyone, but “only” the selected target group (s). This gives you much more special offers than the competition that wants to serve all of them. And it is also more effective than equipping your products and services with all possible features.
  
  
• Price
  By tailoring your products and services to specific target groups and thus no longer being so comparable with the competition, you no longer have to participate as much in the price war.
  
  
• Sales
  For many self-employed people on the Internet, sales no longer have the same strong role as classic “ brick and mortar ” companies, but you should be aware that with greater specialization and the associated reduction in the target group, a larger one may be regional catchment area becomes necessary.

7 Tips on How to Find Your First Customers

After the preliminary considerations, let's get to the practical tips.

The following 7 methods for customer acquisition for start-ups are mainly based on personal experience.

Therefore, these should not be seen as necessary, nor are they the only ways to acquire customers.

Instead, you should be inspired by it and like to test and modify it yourself.

The following tips for customer acquisition are not in order and therefore do not represent a list of priorities.

1. References
   Potential customers not only want to know what they are getting, but they also want to know that they are getting it. One of the biggest problems for many start-ups is that they have nothing to show. References are extremely important and often sell your services and products better than any feature lists and advertising copy.
   
   That is why you should try to implement services and sell products at an early stage. Ideally, before you start your own business.
   
   Those who start their own business without references are wasting a lot of potential and time. And in the end, money too.
   
   
2. Contacts
   In business, contacts are worth money in the truest sense of the word. Therefore you should use your existing contacts and do a lot of self-marketing. Friends, relatives, and acquaintances should know what you are doing and you should be able to explain it to them clearly and briefly (elevator pitch).
   
   By using your contact network, you can take advantage of word of mouth, which can be very effective, similar to the recommendation by satisfied customers.
   
   You should also work constantly to establish new contacts while you are self-employed. I have received many website assignments from companies that I have previously contacted differently. For example on the Internet via Xing.
   
   
3. Business Card Parties and Co.
   Even if you are self-employed on the Internet, you should go out into the fresh air. :-)
   
   An important tip for acquiring new customers is that you should go where your customers are.
   
   This can be in the business environment, e.g. at business card parties, business start-up meetings, trade fairs, conferences, business start-up courses, etc.
   
   But you can also meet potential customers in the private sphere. This results in a surprising number of jobs in (sports) clubs, in the sauna, etc. However, you mustn't fall into the house with the door, but make contacts (see point 2).
   
   
4. Bundles and Bonuses Instead of Discounts
   Entrepreneurs often try to get a foot in the door with massive discounts. That can work, but it often leads to the long-term messing up of the price level and often getting the wrong customer base.
   
   Instead, you should try to make your prices appear more attractive by, for example, offering additional services or combining several services more cheaply. This does not destroy the individual price of your services or products and you also avoid comparability with the competition.
   
   
5. Company Website
   I started my own business 5 years ago and during this time many entrepreneurs have discovered the Internet for themselves. Of course, this is a subjective impression, but as far as I can see, many more companies use the Internet to search for services and products. That is why you should make massive use of your company website, especially for regional services and offers, and fill it with creative and useful content.
   
   
6. PR
   Public relations can work quite well, but it is also a special discipline that cannot be done between the door and the hinge. But especially in the regional area, the newspapers are always grateful for good stories and interesting news, and that also applies to specialized industry journals.
   
   
7. Use the Web
   With the Google Industry Center or Google Places as it is now called, you can advertise your own business very well and free of charge. And Google AdWords can also be very worthwhile in the regional area for doing regional online marketing.

3 more professional tips for customer acquisition

The following 3 tips are a little more unusual. To do this, you have to have a certain affinity for the methods, as they require passion and fun. If you like such a method and have fun with it, then it can bring a lot.

1. Lectures
   If you want to speak in front of others, you should offer lectures about the adult education center, start-up projects, or even self-organized lectures. Many entrepreneurs see such speakers as experts across the board, and if that suits you, you can not only build your image quickly but also make a lot of contacts.
   
   
2. Blog
   Blogging has to be easy too. While I know many entrepreneurs who have now recognized the importance of a website and maintain it well, I know only a few who are blogging. But who love to write and with a loose, yet competent style a company blog leads, which can thus make for great attention and new customers. And you can start a blog like this very well before you start your own business.
   
   
3. Cooperation
   Why not cooperate with other self-employed people who have been on the market for a long time. For example, I entered into collaborations with several graphic designers because they had many customers who also wanted websites but couldn't offer them themselves. And that's how I got a lot of jobs where I had to convert a graphic designer's layout into a website. And if you can get on well with your cooperation partner personally, then that is also a worthwhile thing.

Controversial

The following 3 acquisition methods are quite controversial and should be used with caution.

1. Discounts
   I have already written something about this above. There are sure to be areas where discounts for first-time customers can be a great way to get your foot in the door. Especially when follow-up services are associated with it, which can then be offered at the normal price. But one should be very careful and always think about what effects this can have in the long term. It works without a price war.
   
   
2. Non-Profit Work
   You can get references and polish your image by implementing projects for non-profit organizations. I did that too. However, I have also experienced a case where you wanted the whole hand instead of my finger. Therefore you should think carefully beforehand about who you are working for free of charge.
   
   
3. Cold Calling (Phone)
   I'm not a fan of cold calling at all. And certainly not over the phone. However, many swear by it. In the end, you have to know for yourself whether that suits you. In my experience, however, there are enough other methods of customer acquisition that you don't have to rely on them.

2 Things That Didn't Work for Me

Finally, I would like to share a few more experiences. The following 2 customer acquisition methods didn't work for me. It doesn't necessarily have to be because of the method, but of course also because of me or my special situation.

• Direct Mail
  On the one hand, of course, I tried to write to potential customers directly. For this purpose, I received the addresses of certain industries in the region from the IHK and then drafted appropriate cover letters. The response was not good and the time invested was not worth it. It may be natural that this works better for other start-ups and should be tried out. For me, it was the wrong way to go.
  
  
• Print Advertisements
  I invested a lot of money here when I started my own business. And the response was also very bad. You also have to be very careful, as some print newspapers go on the “start-up hunt” and talk them into long-term advertising contracts. As described above, you should address your target group as specifically as possible and then agree to test advertisements. examples.

What is your experience with direct mailings and print advertisements? Of course, I am also happy about positive examples.

Conclusion

Acquiring new customers is one of the biggest and most important hurdles. There are many opportunities for self-employed people to beat the drum at a low cost.

Which methods you use in the end should, on the one hand, be based on your preferences and strengths, on the other hand, you should of course also test different things. And often a combination of different methods does it.

And you shouldn't forget that customer acquisition is an ongoing process.

Further information:

10 mistakes when starting an Internet business

step by step into self-employment on the net - Article series

40 important tips for starting an independent business - Part 1 and Part 2

Related Video: How Do You Find Your First Customers? - 7 Tips, Basics, and More

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