Are Your Marketing Challenges Opportunities In Disguise?

By Susan Oakes • 20 Comments

This is not a Pollyanna moment. new customers now

Instead, it is a way of looking at how to find opportunities to get new customers now.

Especially when they appear to be hiding.

A survey with solo business owners, it found the number one challenge was how to attract new customers.

In the past three surveys, the same challenge appears as number one and the percentage of businesses saying this is increasing.

What is interesting nearly 40% of the businesses surveyed had been in business over five years.

So they are obviously doing something right.

Reading the results got me thinking that this challenge is an opportunity in disguise and needs to be solved otherwise it will stop progress.

I doubt it has anything to do with marketing tactics or the quality of their services as over 50% got repeat business. It is more an issue of the marketing strategy to get new customers now.

I have an idea of a few reasons why it continues to be a challenge and they could quite easily be changed into opportunities. And no, it has nothing to do with a blueprint, as your business is too special to be a carbon copy of another.

When a challenge comes up in your business on a regular basis then it is worth looking asking a question.

 Why is this occurring?

Instead of listing an exhaustive list of possible reasons it is worth noting:

  • There are only a specific number of causes to the challenge of attracting customers
  • It is not usually the marketing tools or activities at fault
  • Looking at each possible reason will identify it as one of the culprits or be found innocent
  • There are always solutions to challenges or problems

How to turn the challenge into an opportunity?

You need to be open to being flexible if you want to grab hold of the opportunity. It may feel a little uncomfortable at first, however think of how you will feel like when this is no longer a challenge.

Once you identify the opportunity simply work out the actions you need to take . Some may be simple and can make a difference immediately and there may take a little longer.

Getting new customers now doesn’t have to be a challenge if you dig a little to find why the cause of problems and turn them into growth opportunities.

Over To You

What other tips or advice can you share how you have turned frequent challenges into opportunities? 

photo credit: carlylehold via photopin cc

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20 Responses to Are Your Marketing Challenges Opportunities In Disguise?

  1. Susan Cooper says:
    January 25, 2013 at 7:33 am

    Acquiring new customers is a never ending need. Even when you’ve grown there is always a need for new customers. Partly because of the natural attrition that occurs, people move, pass on, change circumstances or needs and so on. So this comes as no surprise. I would be surprised if it were otherwise. Nevertheless, it is always a battle to keep the flow going and it is an opportunity to constantly refresh what we’re doing. As you have said before , keep it simple, be aware of what the market is telling us and adjust accordingly. My thoughts… :-)
    Susan Cooper recently posted..Pretzel Crisps! From Snack Factory: Product ReviewMy Profile

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    • Susan Oakes says:
      January 25, 2013 at 10:07 am

      Agree about the continuing need Susan but what was interesting the the percentage who have this challenge has been increasing with each survey. Great suggestion about refreshing.

      Reply
  2. Jeri says:
    January 26, 2013 at 3:56 am

    In my case, the challenge will be how to attract new readers, not just for my blog, but for my fiction. I feel like I need a degree in marketing in order to be a successful author and freelancer!
    Jeri recently posted..Author Interview: Denise BaerMy Profile

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  3. Jennifer Woodard says:
    January 26, 2013 at 6:33 am

    Susan,

    I have read several surveys where business owners attribute their number on goal or problem is new customers. I agree that there will be a certain level of attrition but sometimes business owners do not put enough effort into retaining customers or cross selling to current customers. It seems many business small to large do not do enough to keep customers and increase the volume of business from customers, everyone is always on the hunt for the shiny new nickel. Another thing is that especially when in a service business is understanding how many customers you really need. This is better understood if business took the time to put together at least a simple business plan and then can work on reaching their goals with at least an simple marketing plan.

    Jenn
    Jennifer Woodard recently posted..Would You Date Your Blog?My Profile

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  4. Kelly Wade says:
    January 26, 2013 at 6:59 am

    You’re right that this idea could be applied to more than just marketing in business. I think with all blog sites the challenges have to do with getting readers who will stay on the page and click around to other places. That is of course, how to make sells and money. Thanks for the insightful thoughts.
    Kelly Wade recently posted..Do Body Wraps Work for Weight Loss?My Profile

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  5. Catarina says:
    January 28, 2013 at 12:26 am

    Food for thought Susan. Agree with Jennifer that frequently it is because companies don’t retain their customers. Can’t help thinking about Apple’s approach.

    How many small business owners ask their customers for feedback on how content they are in every sense? If pride is more important to them than success their pride may cost them dearly:-)
    Catarina recently posted..Should women be as ambitious as men?My Profile

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    • Susan Oakes says:
      January 28, 2013 at 11:01 am

      Customer retention does come into it Catarina and some don’t have a simple process in place for feedback. Perhaps they do not know how or they take the feedback literally when interpretation is needed.

      Reply
  6. Leora says:
    January 29, 2013 at 2:54 am

    Susan, I know when I get that “uh, oh, how do I do this feeling” it is also an opportunity to learn something new that a client needs. And usually if one client needs it, others do as well.

    Another challenge I have is keeping up with writing blog posts while I am working away also. There must be a good/better solution to this one that I haven’t quite found yet. Or maybe I just need to continue with the current process of working a lot!
    Leora recently posted..Local SEO in 2013My Profile

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    • Susan Oakes says:
      January 29, 2013 at 5:46 am

      Hi Leora,

      You have a great outlook about it being an opportunity to learn as some just see the problem. I don’t think there is an easy answer to writing blog posts and the only thing I found helped was to be clear on the topics and to jot down ideas when they come to me.

      Reply
  7. Jeannette Paladino says:
    January 29, 2013 at 4:23 am

    Unless you’re selling a low-cost, high volume retail product you need fewer customers. But the key ingredient is projecting your desired annual revenue and then estimating the number of clients or projects you need to achieve that number. Maybe, as Jenn says, you don’t that many customers but can achieve your goals by increasing the business you already have from existing customers. Think of how you’re going to get your next customer because if you’re in a service business you are usually getting one customer at a time. Who is that customer? How do you make the initial contact and develop the business. Sounds like I have all the answers and I don’t. But if you’re like me you tend to over-complicate the process.
    Jeannette Paladino recently posted..How to Add Your Contact Information to LinkedIn’s New Profile TemplateMy Profile

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