Targeting Customers..how to do it?

[Dave_T]

Hi all, I'm a complete newbie to starting a new business and have got lots of questions, so be gentle with me!

Anyway the scenario is as follows: a friend and I are just about to be made redundant from our current employer, and we have plans to start up a design consultancy business. We know we have the product to sell (feedback from previous 'clients' tell us that) but at the moment are having trouble targeting customers. We are currently trying the word of mouth/networking route using tools such as LinkedIn, but I would like to know if there are any other tools out there that will help us zero in on our customers more efficiently. Our consultancy would specialise in mechanical design for Telecoms and related consumer electronics manufacturers, so I would like to be able to find companies that operate in this field.

Hope someone out there can help me (us), as we really want to start working for ourselves and not somebody else!

[minime2k]

Before you start any business up you should look at what type of businesses you would sell to and also what size.

If you've done this then you will know who you're targetting and there's several directories online that can help you. Also goto conferences, breakfast meetings, etc and get yourself known within the area... people always know someone who knows some.. if you get my meaning.

Good luck with your new venture Hope it goes well.

[StanRichi]

Hey, I'm a consultant / trainer on stuff like this and the most important thing I tell customers is simply: Use all forms of marketing - all part of the marketing mix!

If you rely on only one form of marketing, it will be a downfall. Use your website, direct mail - which is a good one for your business, and word of mouth.

I recently had a chat with someone who wanted to only do online marketing and I explained that from start-up - it's a long process, and explained why...she understood and took to looking at other forms of marketing she could use both on and offline...which helped her get her first sale a week later...through - DIRECT mail at that!

Good Luck
Stan

[Dave_T]

Hi StanRichi, thanks for the feedback. Looks as though we are going along the right lines, we're contacting just about everyone we know (and some we don't), and are also creating a basic web-site showing our capabilities. If we want to direct mail then I guess we need to find out the locations of our target customers, so my question is: are there any databases, associations, etc that list companies by their seperate sectors, ie telecommunications, electronic consumer goods, etc. This would help to make the direct mail activity a bit more effecient (and save time and money!). Sorry if I'm not making much sense, but hope you get the drift!