Contents
- Winning customers without cold calling isn’t easy, but it is possible
- Employees: the underestimated weapon in winning customers
- Quality: how passion brings more customers
- Feedback: how your customers help you win customers
- Networking: why you win customers when you recommend others
- Listening: what your customers think but don’t say
- External measures – PR, social media and traditional advertising
- Winning customers through social media
- Reach across borders
- Relationships: people buy from people
- Winning customers through brand and image
- Presence in your customers’ everyday lives
- Which strategy is right for your company?
- Conclusion: winning customers
- Customer acquisition: frequently asked questions
Winning customers without cold calling isn’t easy, but it is possible
Anyone who has ever had to pick up the phone or go knocking on doors knows: cold calling isn’t much fun. At least not for most of us, and certainly less fun than long-term customer relationships and winning customers through trust, image and performance.
Who wouldn’t rather be found by potential customers who are already enthusiastic about the products, the reputation and the employees before they even get in touch?
Winning customers without cold calling has a lot to do with image. Here are some tips on how you can win customers without selling.
Employees: the underestimated weapon in winning customers
We all know it: when we and the people around us are in a good mood, the work almost does itself – and the result is often even better.
Our customers can also sense whether employees are happy, right from the very first contact. It doesn’t matter whether that contact happens in the shop, by email or on the phone. Customers want to feel comfortable and valued.
Looking for good support for your team? Then our free eBook (in German) can help you attract new employees!
“The comprehensive recruitment video handbook” (in German) – download it free here
That’s why you should support your employees in their everyday working environment. Many companies swear by the maxim “Make the office the coolest place to be”. You don’t have to go that far, but small gestures, free snacks or coffee and a positive company culture work wonders.
Also helpful: let departments work with each other rather than against each other. Marketing, sales and IT can work well together and inspire each other. Make it easy for departments to coordinate, for example with shared kitchens, similar walking routes or staff events and feedback rounds.
Start your new customer acquisition strategy with your employees.
Winning customers without cold calling: employees (Pathfinder Studios)
Quality: how passion brings more customers
When you think about the factors behind your customer’s buying decision, “passion” is probably not at the top of the list, is it?
Admittedly, the service has to be right first, then the quality and the price. But if all of that is in place (which we’ll simply assume): what sets you apart from your competitors?
People want to do business with people – ideally with people they like. Don’t you know that feeling yourself? You happily spend a little more on a cup of coffee in your favourite café because the atmosphere is so nice, or you are happy to drive a little further to your GP because you simply feel you are in the best hands there.
Want to create that feeling in your customers too? A corporate film can help! Can’t quite picture it? Then read our free eBook (in German) now:
“The comprehensive corporate film handbook” (in German) – download it free here
Encourage your employees to show personality and passion – within the framework of your company philosophy, of course.
But passion isn’t only expressed in how we come across. Passion also means that we put our heart and soul into our work, that we have the best solution for the customer in mind and not just getting the task done.
A corporate or company film is an excellent way to convey the passion in your company! Ask us for a no-obligation quote now!
Live and encourage your employees’ passion to win more customers through higher quality.
Winning customers without cold calling: quality (Pathfinder Studios)
Our tip: social media is an excellent way to convey passion. Small glimpses into office life and introductions to the team make you more transparent, authentic and likeable. A corporate film or employee film can also help here, giving people an insight into the company and winning customers.
Feedback: how your customers help you win customers
Let your customers help you win new customers: when your customers leave a review, others can respond to it.
92% of customers trust online reviews more than a company’s advertising claims. Keep an eye on your recommendations: if something changes in your reviews, respond to it.
By asking for customer recommendations (e.g. on Google, TripAdvisor, ProvenExpert or kununu), you also get valuable feedback on your work.
Improve your service when customers become dissatisfied. This leads to better reviews and more interested new customers. Ask your customers for a recommendation.
To encourage customers to recommend you, you can run a discount promotion, sell bundles or offer a giveaway. Turn your customers into fans.
Ask customers for feedback that you can learn from and use to attract new customers.
Winning customers without cold calling: feedback (Pathfinder Studios)
Our tip: there are two excellent ways to improve customer relationships: social media and video marketing. A well-managed social media channel can take your customer service to a whole new level, and video marketing increases interaction and purchasing power by up to 90%.
Networking: why you win customers when you recommend others
Some business owners think: “If I send my customer somewhere else, they will spend their money there and won’t buy from me.”
That can happen. But it is much more likely that the customer will come back. Perhaps they need both your solution and the one you recommended. Perhaps the recommended company isn’t quite right for them after all.
Either way, your customer will remember positively that you helped them – for the long term. Perhaps they will come back tomorrow, or in a month. They will probably even tell friends and acquaintances about you.
So you may have lost one customer, but won many others through recommendations. And the companies you recommended may even return the favour with a recommendation of their own.
Very important: look for reliable partners who complement your portfolio. This generates reach, and both companies benefit from the cooperation. In the end, this leads to a larger and more varied customer base.
Look for reliable partners who complement your portfolio, and don’t be afraid to recommend other companies.
Winning customers without cold calling: networking (Pathfinder Studios)
Another tip: fill the gaps in what your own portfolio of services can’t cover, or offer your customers useful complementary services from trusted partners. It works brilliantly in both directions, by the way!
Listening: what your customers think but don’t say
Many companies have their own department called “Communications”. It brings together PR and press work, as well as social media, marketing and possibly looking after the website or company blog (a great way to win customers without cold calling, by the way!)
A company film would also work brilliantly there! We are happy to advise you.
People post, write copy and advertise. But those responsible often forget that communication works in both directions. So, very importantly: listen to your customers!
Not only in the PR and marketing department – your account managers and project managers should also always have an open ear for the customer. Personally, I end every single conversation with the question: “Is there anything else I can help you with?”
Try it! You will be surprised at what customers spontaneously decide to do: book an additional service, ask a question that has been on their mind for a long time, ask for a recommendation on a completely different topic – or pay you a big compliment. I have heard the most wonderful things in response to this question.
Listen to your customers and ask specifically about their needs. That way, you will win more customers in the long term.
Winning customers without cold calling: listening (Pathfinder Studios)
Our tip: build a corresponding paragraph straight into your telephone guidelines or the compliance guidelines for your customer service staff.
External measures are measures that the company has to plan and carry out actively – unfortunately, they don’t happen by themselves. Above all, they include a presence on social media as well as placing advertising, etc.
Also worth reading (written during the Covid pandemic): Winning customers in the Covid crisis – what companies can do (in German)
Whether Instagram, Facebook, Xing or TikTok: social media is a whole ocean full of potential customers. There, you can not only open up new ways of winning customers, but also handle customer service and at the same time gain valuable insights into your customers’ behaviour.
However, we recommend building your social media channels together with an experienced agency, at least at the beginning. Especially when it comes to advertising, there are many options here – for example in ad targeting (defining your target group precisely). Good advice can make a big difference and may even save costs. If you want to read more about what social media can do for companies and how to get more reach online, take a look at our article “Social media for companies”.
Reach across borders
The world is increasingly becoming a global village. National borders have long ceased to be business borders, and nothing is stopping you from selling abroad too. You don’t have to open a branch in the USA straight away or hire Portuguese-speaking staff. In fact, winning international customers can look much simpler:
Start by offering your website both in your own language and in English. The translation should be done by an agency or a translation service, so that no unnecessary mistakes creep in and the site continues to look professional.
Social media channels are also ideal, especially X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. Here, users can choose to see only posts in their language or have them translated with a click. A company film also works brilliantly on your social media channels. We will be very happy to advise you, with no obligation!
If you have a company portrait, write an English version too. Have your corporate film voiced in English as well – or in any other language relevant to winning your customers. The agency or film production company you trust is the right point of contact here.
Relationships: people buy from people
That’s great, because we are all people. We can show that a little more often. Build personal relationships with your customers – don’t limit contact to the product, the project or the price.
Show your customers what makes your company tick, establish a company culture and communicate it to the outside world. Social media channels or corporate films are ideal for this, with a focus on employees and team spirit.
Because here’s the rule:
More transparency = more trust = more confidence in the decision for your customer.
A win-win situation for winning customers and for your employees.
Winning customers through brand and image
Strong brands are strong because they have loyal customers – because they have fans. If you manage to turn your company into a brand, winning customers becomes a lot easier.
We don’t mean that you have to become a global corporation like Coca-Cola, Audi or Apple. A brand is defined in the small things: in the way your employees treat each other and how they present themselves to the outside world. In your products and quality. In the way you communicate with your customers.
“Brand” (in the sense of branding / marking) begins where customers can mentally “mark” you: as accommodating or stingy, friendly or reserved, transparent or suspicious.
In all your marketing and sales efforts, also think about how they affect the way others see you – your brand. Your image.
If you are thinking about promoting your company with a corporate film, feel free to contact us for a no-obligation consultation! We look forward to hearing from you.
Remember: no marketing tool is as powerful at establishing, maintaining or changing a brand image as a corporate film. The combination of moving images, language and music can appeal to viewers emotionally and rationally at the same time. It can answer questions, speed up buying decisions and build a personal connection. If you don’t yet have an idea of what a corporate film can look like, take a look at our article “Corporate film – services and examples”, where you will find many different possible formats.
Presence in your customers’ everyday lives
Perhaps the most important tip of all: be present. In your town, in your industry, on social media. Wherever your customers are is the right place for winning customers.
Important: be unique, be helpful and stand out. Get social media advice so you can deliver unique content tailored precisely to your target group. Produce an impressive corporate film or a visualisation for your trade fair stand.
- Customer acquisition can be broadly divided into internal and external measures
- Choose a marketing strategy that can be implemented in the long term
- An editorial plan helps you manage many channels at the same time
Which strategy is right for your company?
Now that you have read all the tips, you are no doubt wondering where to start or which strategy is right for you.
Implementation
Let me put it this way: the right strategy is the one you can implement in the long term. The company and its employees must be fully behind every measure and actively pursue it. If you don’t have the capacity for this – for example, to fill a position or to spare one of your employees – you should consider outsourcing some marketing activities.
The market is full of SEO, marketing and social media agencies waiting to support you, with enough expertise to put it into practice.
Target group
Besides implementation itself, the other point is your target group. In most cases, your target group already tells you which direction to take. If you don’t already know, check where your target group spends its time (Facebook, Instagram, the high street, etc.) and how you can reach it (billboard advertising, video advertising, Google Ads, etc.).
Very helpful here: create buyer personas – prototypes that represent your customer groups (for example, by assigning the typical characteristics of one customer group to a prototype). This makes it easier to find the right measures and makes the target group more tangible.
Conclusion: winning customers
Customer acquisition has changed over recent years and has more options than ever. There are hundreds of different ways and marketing strategies to win customers. So find one or more strategies that can be combined, that suit you, your company and your company philosophy, and that can be implemented in the long term.
Customer acquisition: frequently asked questions
Customer acquisition is the process of winning new customers.
Buyer personas are very helpful here. This means you define a prototype for each customer group you have. Then you describe the typical characteristics of the people in that target group.
This lets you find out, for example, which product is bought by which target group, and adapt your marketing accordingly.
Be present online. That means: as soon as a prospect types in a relevant term, you or your product should appear. For that to happen, you should invest in search engine optimisation. The aim is for individual pages of your website to reach the top ten search results. To rank pages, a search engine like Google’s algorithm uses countless factors, such as your website’s technology, structure and speed. But your website’s content is also particularly important: the search engine checks how well your content answers users’ frequently asked questions and ranks your website accordingly.
There are many ways to reach new customers. First, of course, there is traditional word of mouth, which includes customers recommending you to friends and relatives. Then there is print marketing, such as flyers or newspaper adverts. You can of course also do online marketing; here we recommend a good social media presence and a good website. A professional company can help you design your website or manage your channels. For a corporate film on your website, contact the film production company you trust. With online marketing, it is also particularly easy to define the target group and adapt your marketing strategy accordingly. Finally, you can of course also use email or postal marketing. For this, however, you need to make sure that, for example, visitors to your website leave their email address somewhere.
No – B2C is of course still classic marketing territory, and online marketing makes sense there too. But online marketing has long been worthwhile in B2B as well. The people now working in business, at every level of companies, grew up with search engines and use them both privately and at work. So even a managing director looking for a product will google information about it.
Marketing costs are similar to the costs of a corporate film, an industrial film or any other kind of company film. There are no fixed-price packages; it always depends on what you expect from your marketing and how large or elaborate you want your advertising to be.
The easiest way here, of course, is to make sure your customers are satisfied. As I described earlier in the article, it is often just simple phrases that can make your customers happy. Feel free to read that section again!
You should also always try to find out what your customers expect or want. But once you know, your work isn’t done yet: you shouldn’t just try to meet expectations – you should exceed them. Then you can be sure your customer is completely satisfied.
So, do you feel ready to get started with video marketing? Then read our free eBook (in German):
“The comprehensive video marketing handbook” (in German) – download it free here
Thank you for reading this article! Our goal at Pathfinder Studios is to make you even more successful with video marketing. If we can support you with that, contact our experts at any time for a no-obligation consultation.
We would be delighted if you find more inspiration for successful video marketing on this blog or in our free downloads.
Wenn Sie sich tiefergehend mit dem Thema “Video Marketing” befassen möchten, empfehle ich Ihnen folgende Artikel:
Video Marketing – Der umfassende Guide für Unternehmen
Video Marketing Beispiele: Best Practice
10 Video Marketing Tipps, die Ihren Imagefilm noch erfolgreicher machen
Video Marketing Statistiken – Die spannendsten Daten und Fakten
Snack Content – Der Social Media Boost
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