Customer acquisition is difficult, especially at the beginning. However, finding the right customers can be even more challenging. In the design field, it is often not obvious who the right customers are. These are customers willing to pay the right price, understand that quality takes time, and are comfortable with the designer or studio leading the project.
But how do you find these customers? How do you ensure the right customers come to you?
Chris Do, the founder of The Future, explains the selection process for the right customers as follows:
Once you reach a certain level with your work, you need to start actively searching for the right customers. This is achieved by clearly stating which customers you work with, what budget expectations you have, and how long projects take. This should be discussed in the initial meeting with a customer. For larger projects, managing your time properly is crucial. If a customer does not meet these minimum requirements, it is often necessary to cancel the project and focus on more important ones.
We will explain these three points in more detail below.
Design studios often initially make the mistake of wanting to take on every customer. When starting out, this is often necessary. However, at some point, you need to decide which customer group your product is suitable for. You must evaluate whether the quality of your work fits each company. Can you, as a studio, ensure that your work does not give your customers' customers a false impression?
This decision is crucial because the wrong customers often bring problems with the next two points.
At the beginning, any budget is acceptable because it is about gaining experience.
However, when you reach the point where studios with similar quality demand completely different prices, you often sell your products below their market value. High-quality design costs money because it helps a company attract more customers or a higher-quality customer base.
Imagine, as an example of the true value of work, that a customer comes to you generating monthly revenues of €10,000. Through your work, you help them achieve €20,000 in monthly revenues.
That's an annual revenue increase of €120,000. If you charge only 10% for this project, that would be €12,000. This calculation only works if you can truly deliver what you promise.
The point is, the right customers understand how important design is to the success of their company and are often willing to pay similar prices.
Design means more than just good looks. It is a banner for how you present yourself to others and how you want to be perceived by them.
It is a form of self-expression. This applies both to the expensive suit you bought for the next ball and to the design of your own company. From a certain quality level, design determines how people perceive a company, whether they trust the company, and what quality they can expect. From a design perspective, a studio solves this problem.
Moreover, it is the service that must stand out to engage a brand in collaboration. The service should appear effortless, even if it is often chaotic behind the scenes.
If you want to learn more about customer acquisition, then it's best to visit The Future!
