There are various ways for businesses to attract new customers but some are better than others. The best methods of all involve active, motivated customers contacting a business, this is known as direct contact. It is far superior to the alternative – business owners expending effort and unpaid time competing with other business owners to secure a ‘lead’.
A lead is something generated by a third party. It is paid for and the quality of the lead is inconsistent. Some are good, some are fishing expeditions where consumers gather a number of quotes and go with the cheapest one. The ‘winner’ of the quoting process then pays the third party lead generator a percentage of the final invoice. In this scenario the business owner is always behind the eight ball, the consumer is the one calling the shots, and the lead generator accumulates fees and percentages.
Direct contact is vastly different. Consumers reach out to the business and initiate a query. The business owner can then respond if the work is within the business’ scope and the sphere of the work is worth doing. It may still require a quote but the important factor here is that the consumer has been driven to the business by something that has taken the guesswork out of their query. In this case – online reviews.
NoCowboys, for example, generates huge amounts of consumer queries to businesses based on authenticated reviews. Those reviews ‘sell’ a business without relying on parcelled out leads and taking a ‘hope for the best’ attitude. Better still, direct contact on the basis of an online reputation is more consistent than generated leads, that fluctuate based on consumer confidence in the economy, or events such as pandemics.
Direct contact also allows a business owner to choose their customers and that is a vital element in business. Customers that are motivated solely by price are not always the best, or more importantly, the most reliable. Niggly, demanding customers can be a headache and no business owner wants to be chasing payment, doing extra work for free, and satisfying unreasonable demands.
In business, being in control is paramount. Choosing customers and choosing jobs is highly advantageous and much better than scrambling around, desperate, because there is no consistency in future bookings. That is the worst way to get through business and life.
Building a solid customer base through direct contact also ensures a high percentage of returning customers that will also leave feedback and be the best advocates for every business. With a lead generating platform the customers ‘belong’ to the platform, not the business – so they do not become repeat customers and do not contribute to an evolving and growing customer base. In essence then they are a one off job and little more.
Customers motivated by quality of work, dependability, and proven customer service are a total asset to any business and being in position to connect with customers like that is a substantial boon. It takes away guesswork, lessens time quoting, and puts a business owner in charge. It is always easier when customers are coming to you, rather than you having to chase them.
