{"id":21202,"date":"2018-07-05T10:13:00","date_gmt":"2018-07-05T14:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diymarketers.com\/?p=21202"},"modified":"2024-06-27T17:37:49","modified_gmt":"2024-06-27T15:37:49","slug":"how-to-get-customers-when-youre-desperate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diymarketers.com\/how-to-get-customers-when-youre-desperate\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get Customers When You\u2019re Desperate"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Welcome to your \u201cOh Shit\u201d moment. &nbsp;You need to get customers &#8212; NOW. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The causes are predictable; &nbsp;you\u2019ve lost a big customer or a big customer has decided to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/louismosca\/2017\/04\/05\/why-business-owners-should-never-pay-bills-on-time\/#12bcd86b2a1d\" data-lasso-id=\"640\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">take advantage<\/a><\/span>&nbsp;of some \u201cinterest-free\u201d money on your small business back and not pay you for 120 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After some screaming, freaking out and a few nights of lost sleep, you decide that your best bet is to take matters into your own hands and fill that sales pipeline &#8212; find new, better customers and find them fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A study done by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/mthink.com\/winning-back-lost-customers-who-do-you-woo-and-how\/\" data-lasso-id=\"641\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Marketing Metrics<\/a>&nbsp;says you have<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A 60 to 70 percent chance of successfully selling again to a current customer<br>A 20 to 40 percent chance of winning back an ex-customer<br>A 5 to 20 percent chance of turning a prospect into a customer<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Don\u2019t Be Desperate When You Want to Get Customers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The first step in not being desperate is to not talk or act like you\u2019re desperate. &nbsp;People have radar for desperation. &nbsp;They can smell it and they will run away from it. &nbsp;This is easier said than done and it\u2019s absolutely necessary. Do these things to eliminate the veil of desperation from your sales and marketing process:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Put your thoughts and focus on how great you\u2019re going to feel<\/span>\u00a0when you fill this pipeline. \u00a0There\u2019s no point in lying to yourself about your current situation, AND there\u2019s no need to focus on it either. \u00a0Instead, focus on and visualize the positive outcome of your efforts. \u00a0Whenever defeating or frightening thoughts pop up (and they will &#8212; like ever 3 seconds) say to yourself \u201cThanks for the reminder and now I\u2019m going to focus on how great it\u2019s going to feel to fill my pipeline with awesome new customers!\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Act as if you are. <\/span>\u00a0Even if you\u2019re not going anywhere that day and have no appointments, BE that successful business owner you envisioned after your pipeline is filled. \u00a0Get up, shower, look your best, literally ACT as your future self (the one with a full sales pipeline and positive cashflow).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Put yourself on a pedestal. <\/span>\u00a0This goes along with acting as if you are. \u00a0Don\u2019t think for even a second that giving your time or services away will bring you new customers. Don\u2019t dream of dropping your prices and stop being available every minute of the day. \u00a0These are all behaviors that tell people that you are desperate. \u00a0Behave as if your business is booked, you are in high demand and you simply don\u2019t know how you can take on any more orders.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Desperation kills deals and puts you in a situation that you will regret and resent later. &nbsp;Don\u2019t take on customers who are not ideal just because you are desperate. &nbsp;Instead, focus your energy on finding and building ideal customers with whom you\u2019d like to have relationships for many years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Get Customers By Going to Where They Are<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Look, trolling LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to build relationships is all good and can be efficient, but when you\u2019re desperate for new customers, you need to take more direct action. &nbsp;This is a sort of \u201cZag when others Zig\u201d strategy. &nbsp;When most people are selling online, you go IRL (In Real Life). &nbsp;Get out there and hit the pavement and go door-to-door. &nbsp;Follow these tips to set yourself up for success:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Treat it like a game. \u00a0Here\u2019s the deal. \u00a0You don\u2019t want to go door-to-door because you are seeing yourself as \u201cdesperate\u201d or as a \u201csleazy salesperson\u201d. \u00a0That\u2019s silly, just change how you see yourself. \u00a0Instead of being desperate for sales, choose to be desperate to help people who have a problem that you are solving. \u00a0It\u2019s like you\u2019re on a \u201cmissing customer\u201d mission to find those people for whom you are a Godsend. \u00a0It\u2019s a number\u2019s game and you\u2019ll soon see a pattern i.e. for every 10 people you see, 1 will choose you. \u00a0This is 10x the conversion rate of most online campaigns!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Focus on the specific problem that you solve for customers; remove viruses from computers, clean offices, deliver meals, write emails, etc. \u00a0Your goal isn\u2019t to sell them the world, your goal is to get money coming in. \u00a0Pick one small thing you can do quickly and easily that provides value and solves an immediate problem, then deliver it. \u00a0For inspiration, check out <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a data-lasso-id=\"643\" href=\"https:\/\/block.fiverr.com\/?url=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5maXZlcnIuY29tLz8=&amp;uuid=6e6a779b-791b-11ec-aa29-4574654a6a50&amp;vid=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fiverr<\/a><\/span>\u00a0&#8212; these are all online services, but you\u2019ll see how immediate they are. \u00a0Once you\u2019ve delivered on something small, upsell them to something bigger.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Identify a target-rich environment of customers &#8212; such as an industrial park or office building.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pick a day to go there.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Set a goal. \u00a0Decide that you will NOT leave until you\u2019ve visited 20 businesses and offered them help. \u00a0You can also choose to do at least one floor, one building or one office park or 2 hours. \u00a0Whatever is appropriate, but give yourself a goal that will push you toward action.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Measure your results. Like any game, try to beat your score and get to the next level.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Don\u2019t make it mean ANYTHING. \u00a0Treat this like a sales and marketing experiment. \u00a0Don\u2019t take anything personally, don\u2019t make it mean anything, just keep following the process. \u00a0I promise you will see results.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ask for Referrals to Get New Customers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While you\u2019re out there knocking on doors, there\u2019s a good chance you\u2019re going to run into folks who don\u2019t have anything you can do for them &#8212; don\u2019t forget to ASK them if they know someone who has the problem that you\u2019re solving and if they could refer you. &nbsp;That\u2019s one way to turn those \u201cNo\u2019s\u201d into \u201cYeses\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the days that you aren\u2019t out there knocking on doors, run a <keyword data-keyword-id=\"4541\">referral<\/keyword> strategy. &nbsp;This is a great time to hit your LinkedIn and Facebook connections. &nbsp;Reach out <span style=\"font-style: italic;\">individually<\/span>&nbsp;to people &#8211; don\u2019t post something publicly. &nbsp;Send them a private note that says something like<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-style: italic;\">\u201cHi (Name) &#8211;I need your help. &nbsp;It\u2019s been a long time since we\u2019ve chatted. &nbsp;You know how it goes; you\u2019ve been busy, I\u2019ve been busy and now, I\u2019ve hit a bump that I was hoping you can help me with. &nbsp;Is there a way we can chat for about 30 minutes?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Woah! That was super direct! &nbsp;I know. &nbsp;I get a ton of mealy-mouthed emails that beat around the bush about what\u2019s happening. &nbsp;People <span style=\"font-style: italic;\">want<\/span>&nbsp;to help in any way they can and this is a super easy ask. &nbsp;Reach out to your friends, family and close business associates privately, tell them what\u2019s up and they will absolutely do their best to help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Enroll Your Employees To Help You Get Customers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have a business with full-time, part-time or even freelance employees or team members and get them involved in the \u201cget out the customer\u201d campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Don\u2019t underestimate your employees. \u00a0Bring everyone together and explain the situation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Be the leader and set a powerful context. \u00a0Instead of whining and freaking out, position this as an opportunity for the company to recruit and help more ideal customers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Invite volunteers to help with getting new customers. \u00a0Don\u2019t force employees to participate, rather, invite them to play a pivotal role in growing the business.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Provide generous rewards. \u00a0This is no time to be cheap. \u00a0Provide an insane reward, something that inspires employees to participate. \u00a0Depending on your business model, you can reward employees with a really high commission on the sale such as 30% or 50%. \u00a0This wouldn\u2019t be forever, but it would be for a fixed period of time to fill the funnel. \u00a0Another possible reward could be paid vacation time or a generous bonus.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The point of this strategy is to get employees involved, engaged and sharing in the rewards of the team\u2019s efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You Can Do This<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You have a choice to make, are you going to sit there, whine and be the victim, worry and complain? Or are you going to use this circumstance as an opportunity to get focused on what really matters, to be bigger and stronger than you\u2019ve known yourself to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can do this. &nbsp;All of these tips come from personal experience and having to face choices that I didn\u2019t like. &nbsp;The tips I\u2019ve shared have all come from my personal need to overcome my insecurities, shyness, and laziness. &nbsp;Been there. Done that. You can do it too.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Practical tips on how to get customers when you&#8217;ve lost a customer or when customers aren&#8217;t paying on time. These are tried and true strategies<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":21203,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-get-customers"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/diymarketers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21202","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/diymarketers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/diymarketers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diymarketers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diymarketers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21202"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/diymarketers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21202\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":84209,"href":"https:\/\/diymarketers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21202\/revisions\/84209"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diymarketers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21203"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/diymarketers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21202"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diymarketers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21202"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diymarketers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21202"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}