3 Places to Find All The Customers Your Small Business Will Ever Need

If you have ever been concerned with where to find customers, you are not alone. Yet, the good thing is that there are a few special places that you can go - that will give you all the customers you ever need for the life of your business. Where are they?  I have listed 3 places below that will provide you more than enough customers for the entire life of your business. 1. The magic 3%. At any given point, there are 3% of customers that are ready to buy right now. What this means, is that out of the billions of consumers out there, there are 3% that will pull out their credit card, and buy from you - even on the first meeting. The challenge is that everyone else is going after the same 3%. But if you can capture their attention better than everyone else, you will have a fountain of revenue for your business. Here are a few things you can do to get access to those 3% better than anyone else: - Ask for referrals - No one likes doing it, but those who do get the lion's share of referrals - because, statistically, 80% of people will refer if asked. - Get on the first page of Google - the easier you are to find, the easier you will have a chance at meeting people in the magic 3%. - Find the centers of influence - find the people that love to tell their friends and associates about everything, and get them on your side.  It's just a matter of time before the spread the news about what you do. 2. The other 97%. Out of the other 97% of people that are not ready to buy right now, 67% will eventually buy, and the last 30% will never buy, but they will refer their friends. What this means is that we have to be there when they are ready to buy or refer. We need to establish a long-term relationship with these people, so when they are ready - there is no question in their mind, who they will go to. Here are a few ways to keep in touch with these 97%, so that will go to you when they are ready to buy. - Send out a weekly ezine or newsletter - share great valuable tips and resources with them on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. - Start a blog - Start a blog that people can subscribe to, and receive valuable content on a consistent basis. - Start a Facebook fanpage - have a place where people can go, to receive great updates and valuable resources. 3. Your previous customers. Statistically your previous customers have a 50% chance of buying from you again.  It is also 5 - 15 times less expensive to market to your previous customers, than new ones. This is because they know you, trust you and experienced satisfaction with what you offer.  You will always have a revenue stream if you consistently market to your previous customers. Here are some great ways to motivate previous customers to comeback and buy from you again: - Reactivation offer - make continual offers to your previous customers, that will motivate them to want to buy from you again (15% off your next purchase, etc.). - Make Up offer - if your customers left because of some mistake, send them an offer in order to repair the relationship. - Special events - use any opportunity to re-establish contact with your previous customers.  Appreciation or special events (birthday, anniversary, customer appreciation) are ideal for doing this. If you continually tap into the magic 3% that are ready to buy now, the 97% that eventually will, as well as your previous customers - you will always have enough customers to build a great business from.

Will Pena, MBA is small business coach and the founder of a small business consulting company, Sapient Business Solutions Inc - specializing in helping small businesses to get more customers, close more sales and make more money in as little as 30 days.