by Rich Allen, author of “The Ultimate Business Tune Up: A Simple Yet Powerful Business Model That Will Transform the Lives of Small Business Owners“
One of the most critical activities within a business is to define, without hesitation, the process used to win new customers. Without new customers, any business is doomed to a slow death as their current customers fade away for any number of reasons.
So, it is vitally important that the business owner have a solid grasp on the keys to winning new customers.
Imagine the Front Wheel of Your Bike.
The 3 keys to winning new customers can be visualized as the three unique components of the front wheel of your bike. Each component has a specific purpose and they must work well together in order for your front wheel to be strong and free-flowing.
The hub is your Avatar – the definition of your ideal prospect.
You must know your ideal prospect with extreme detail. Not just where you can find them, but what they are feeling, what they wish for, what they are concerned most about, what their aspirations and dreams are, what they fear the most and what they don’t even know yet about your industry, product or service. You should have a lengthy, two-page document that outlines everything you know about your ideal prospect, written in language that they would use when thinking about your industry.
The spokes are your marketing strategies – how you are going to get your message to your ideal prospects.
In order to get a steady flow of new prospects interested in your business, you must have at least 5 or 6 solid spokes, solid marketing strategies that you use, track and measure. The messages that you use in each of these marketing strategies should come directly from the definition you created for your ideal prospect. The messages that will matter most are those that your ideal prospect cares about the most, delivered via the spokes you selected – your marketing strategies.
The tire represents the step by step process that you use to educate and convince your prospects to buy from you.
This is often known as your sales process and it is normally where the rubber meets the road for your business. Once someone responds to one of your marketing strategies, you must have a specific and defined method to engage with that prospect, educate them on your product or service and help them make a good buying decision. In most cases, it will take multiple steps to complete a sale, so your sales process needs to be seamless, consistent and repeatable.
Create Your Own Unique Method for Winning Customers.
If you look around, you notice that not all front wheels on a bike are the same. Many are designed very differently. Some have a large hub and a few very large and durable spokes and a knobby tire. Others have a narrow hub with many spokes and a very smooth tire.
It’s not important that each front wheel looks the same, but it is critical that each front wheel has the same three components – the hub, spokes and the tire. As the business owner, you need to make sure your front wheel is designed properly for your business and is executed consistently.
The More Robust Your Front Wheel, The More Likely You Will Consistently Win New Customers.
Know this – if you build a solid front wheel, your business will be exceptional at converting your ideal prospects into new customers. This will create the energy and excitement you’ve been wanting and needing in your business.
Take time to think deeply about these 3 keys. Each one supports the other and together they are powerful components of the best businesses.
Rich Allen helps create businesses with solid foundations, unique marketplace positions, reputable processes, high-performance team, and a visionary leader. Prior to becoming an advisor, Rich was VP HR with Texas Instruments then Division President/COO with Pella Corporation. Rich is a proud Rotarian and serves on several boards. His new book is “The Ultimate Business Tune Up: A Simple Yet Powerful Business Model That Will Transform the Lives of Small Business Owners“
