Acquisition: how do you do that?

“The customer is the most important thing for the survival of your company. Acquisition is essential, because without customers there is no company. You have to sow now and reap later.” This is Victor Huiting. He is a self-employed person himself and has a mission: supporting entrepreneurs in serving and finding customers.

With his company Rivercloud he helps self-employed people and SMEs with their acquisition. He provides sales training and takes over the acquisition for third parties. With success, a year and a half after starting his company he thinks he will be able to hire staff in 2016. What does he do himself to find customers? “I do this in different ways. Proactively by making cold calls myself with a prospect list. Step on the gas! I attend free and paid networking events and always go home with an appointment in my diary. And I ask customers and partners for an introduction. LinkedIn is a golden tool for this. Sometimes it provides surprising advice and links.”

Brrr, cold calling?

Cold calling is not always easy. Good preparation is half the battle. “Know why you are calling, with whom, make a call list. Start the prospect list with the somewhat warmer leads. Start calling those contacts, you will really reap more success. And, above all, keep going! Don't give up, don't let yourself be discouraged and learn from the conversations you have.”

Networking drinks?

You should enjoy networking drinks. Ask in your own network where entrepreneurs are going. “Try it out! Go there with an open mind. What do you feel comfortable with? A larger meeting with workshops or a somewhat smaller group. You can also do a lot online. LinkedIn is the largest b2b network. Make connections, become a member of a group, participate in discussions, write blogs.” The rule of thumb is that you have to be where your customers are. A customer can just sit next to you, start a conversation and above all learn from others.

Busy?

You know how it is… Full agenda, better to be billable for an hour than not at all. Acquisition is important. Without assignments or customers you can close down your company. So pay sufficient attention to it. “Integrate it into your agenda and call two mornings a week, for example. Adjust this to your target group. Call at the right time. You won't get the assignment with one call, be persistent and get in touch again.”

I'm in the area

Cliché number 1: 'Yes, I happen to be in the area'. “Above all, don't use clichés and don't be afraid of silences. Empathize, what is his concern, what solution can you offer? But above all don't talk too much about the content during an acquisition conversation. The goal is to get an appointment with the decision maker.”

Take a training

Don't try to reinvent the wheel, is Victor's last tip. "Don't like it and could you use some support? Take a sales and acquisition training. It's really a matter of doing it!"