How to find new customers and increase sales

At the end of this module, you will be able to:
 Define your target market.
 Market to your existing customers.
 Create a market for your product.

Market to your existing customers

Create a market for your product

Answer these questions to define your target audience:
Who will buy your product or service?
What value proposition are you offering?
What is your competition offering its customers?
How are you different than your competition?
What is the best way to reach your audience?
How will you get repeat business?
Who are potential customers that have the problem
your product solves?
How frequently will your product be purchased,
e.g., one-time purchase, quarterly purchases, etc.?
Understanding Your Target Audience

Define your target market to ensure you spend your
valuable resources on prospects who are more likely to buy
your product/service.
Create a product profile:
• Look at the characteristics of your current customers
and find similarities. These similarities will help
define who is buying your product.
• What type of company has a need for the product
you are selling?
• Who are the decision makers? Should you pitch your
products to the IT director or CFO?
Defining the Market for Your Product
8

Determine who is in direct competition with your
current customers. Can they use your product?
Why or why not?
 Consider smaller market segments:
• Consumer vs. industrial.
• Private vs. public companies.
• Short sales cycle vs. long sales cycle.
• Create niche target markets, and customize your
marketing materials to each niche.

 Determine which media sources best reach your
audience, e.g., direct mail, advertising,
sponsorships, cold calling.
Determine if your customers’ vendors use your
product. Why or why not?

Analyzing metrics. Analyze and track how
you obtained your current customers and
continue these efforts, such as advertising,
interest in articles written by your company,
marketing materials, websites, and
relationships.
Cold calling. Find the right contact name.
Knowing a name gets you further than asking
for the “IT director.“ Call a certain number of
prospects each day or week.
Generating Sales Leads
11

Networking. Attend business and social
events, e.g., tradeshows, civic organizations,
chambers of commerce, industry associations,
and open houses. Connect with friends and
colleagues on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Plaxo.
Creating product champions. Work with
customers to create case studies, testimonials,
or product endorsements. Post on your
website. Ask customers to share your success
story with others.

Teaming with affiliates. Co-market with affiliates or vendors
that offer complementary services, e.g., newsletters, brochures,
websites.
Using your Website. Update your web pages regularly to allow
search engines to find your data more easily. Use key phrases
instead of single words so your website appears first in
searches. Consider paying for search engine promotion.
Advertising. Determine if it’s worth advertising directly
against your competition. Advertise for free or pay per click
using sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter.

Sell to existing customers.
They are the easiest to sell to because they already
trust you.
To increase sales to existing customers:
Bundle products.
• Offer customers multiple services for a
special/reduced price. Customers are happy to
consolidate services with one vendor as long as they
are satisfied with your service.
Selling More to Existing Customers

Look for up-sell opportunities.
• If the customer already purchased a service from
you, offer the warranty or the first software upgrade
at a discounted price.
Offer a discount.
• Discount the products you know your customer is
interested in or tell them when the product will be
on sale.

Reward customer loyalty.
• Offer loyal customers a gift with purchase or free
product with 10 purchases.
Offer free samples.
• Let your customer try it before they buy it. Create a
desire within the customer to purchase the product.

How to find new customers and increase sales

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