by Gerald Konwea
I needed some confidential information about a company to complete a business development report I am currently working on and I didn’t know how to get it. I knew people at the helm of affairs at this company but I knew getting this information wont be easy. Then it hit me. Its about to be Christmas. Where are the hampers?
Often times ‘brand new entrepreneurs’, as i wish to call them, continue to wonder what exactly is the surest way to succeed at their new venture in terms of raising funds and getting [new] customers.
I will address these with the power of giving. And no, I am not trying to be all spiritual about this post in as much as the supernatural plays a huge role in the natural and really, by the laws of the supernatural, we get some clues about everyday life – e.g Give and it shall be given unto you. But like I said, this is purely from a logical and business point of view and I’ll make my point (easy) using scenarios.
Give – Raising Funds:
When people meet those who are better than they are in, especially, monetary terms, they tend to focus on what to ask/demand rather than think of what to give/give back. The truth about [business] relationships is that, people do not actually like parasitic relationships. More so, people who are in position [to help others] are actually weary of almost every person who crosses their path. They see every person as a beggar. And the minute you walk out the door, they forget they ever met you, except of course, they think they could get something off of whatever proposal you brought to them.
Even if you were going to the bank for a loan or some other facility, try going with something in hand. The bank manager will remember you and will put your request top of the list for consideration. You may not get the facility you requested, but you have built a stronger relationship that can easily translate into referrals or getting firsthand advise for future opportunities.
Advise: Always find a way to bring people on board your dream, goal or proposal. Make room for them and let them see how they could benefit from this deal, get richer or anything in-between. Even if you are just fund raising, tell them how you intend to give them an award for their donations or make them the chairman of the venture or something. When you show people you are not just about receiving, they get happy and will be willing to help you.
If you can’t find a way to bring them on board your deal, try going to people with a bottle of WINE at least. Trust me, its another way to peoples hearts.
Give – Customer Acquisition:
When launching a new product, be ready to give a lot of stuff for FREE. This is the only way you can test your product for example or even get people to know about you and what you do without investing heavily in advertising. Say you are launching a new recipe at your restaurant, try inviting the public to the launch and let them eat for free. When you do this, they will tell you how it tastes and if your food tastes good, you don’t need to tell them about a repeat visit and for them to bring friends. If the recipe does not taste good, well, you have room to improve and you would have benefited from a free hospitality review and would have saved the business from the numerous bad reviews from the public if they paid for it instead. Or you didn’t know people get mad when they pay for a below standard good or service rather than when they receive the same for free? Get back to work, improve on it and relaunch.
I’m talking nonsense? Good luck with paying some bucks to the instagram account with 100,000+ followers for publicity and enjoy the comments. That may be all you get except of course, if your logo is catchy, some may remember you when they see it next time.
Advise: Give out free stuff during and after launch instead of paying for publicity that may not convert. People like free stuff. They will come in the numbers to get it. This is when you should get their contact information for follow up and then try to convert their friends as well.
I will be posting about advertising/marketing in my next pulse or two. If you’d like to know more about conversion and all that marketing brouhaha, find me.
NB: Giving stuff is no substitute for hardwork. A shitty proposal is nothing but a shitty proposal and a shitty recipe is nothing but a shitty recipe and they both are things for the bin.
Mind you, about my story starter, I am getting much more information than I requested from the company executives.
I am a business development consultant and I may consult for free. But you wouldn’t know how if you don’t ask. And remember its about to be Christmas, now is a good time to GIVE.
Gerald Konwea is the Founder Chief Executive Officer at MyCliqit. He can be reached on Facebook.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
