Finding Customers the Old Fashioned Way

Today’s economy is spurring entrepreneurship like never before, with statistics showing hundreds of thousands of new businesses launching each month. Necessity really is the mother of invention. However, with this surge of new businesses, entrepreneurs must find low-cost, high-impact ways to market their services and stay in the game. So, where to begin?

I would recommend starting the old-fashioned way—with a friendly introduction and a brief sales pitch. Why? It works!

Not long ago, I responded to a knock on my front door. I opened it to find a well-dressed, twenty-something professional asking if he could introduce himself. He had just started a financial consulting business in my neighborhood and wanted to know if I was looking for help with financial planning. It was 90 degrees outside and the sun was beating down. And here was this young man, walking the neighborhood in the blistering heat, to put a friendly face to his new business and make real connections in the neighborhood.

We spoke for a few minutes, and I asked for his card. After he left, I decided to give him a call and see how he could specifically help me. Not only did I admire his persistence and courage, but he was very personable. I immediately liked him. And isn’t that one of the key ways we choose who to do business with? We have to like them and trust them. After all, it is important for your prospect to imagine how well you two could work together.

So, if walking the neighborhood to shake hands and deliver your card doesn’t work for your business, try a different way of networking. Don’t rely on social networking sites to make these connections, but use your social networking sites to help strengthen your relationship with prospects and customers.

To make a strong personal connection, you must clearly define who your customers are, find out where they meet, and go to them with a friendly introduction and a relevant story.