# Understanding the Best Times to Attract New Customers for Your Startup
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Chapter 1: The Importance of Timing in Customer Acquisition
Have you ever considered when the ideal time is to attract new clients for your startup? Timing plays a crucial role in developing an effective customer acquisition strategy.
Think about your favorite coffee shop. If you’re not a coffee lover, consider your go-to restaurant, cinema, or grocery store. What matters isn't just the place itself, but the routine you've formed around it. Now, imagine I’m an entrepreneur aiming to persuade you to change your routine—perhaps by grabbing your coffee from my newly opened café or dining at my restaurant every Friday. I would face a significant challenge in convincing you to alter your established habits. Changing a routine is certainly achievable, but it often requires considerable effort to persuade someone to adopt new behaviors.
This highlights a critical challenge in entrepreneurship: overcoming habitual inertia is typically the most daunting aspect of gaining customers. Your target audience is already managing the problem your startup addresses in some manner, even if that means doing nothing. Therefore, as an entrepreneur introducing a new product, your task is to motivate potential customers to shift their existing habits.
Since humans are creatures of habit, encouraging us to act differently can be extremely challenging. However, there are specific periods in our lives when we are more open to changing our routines. We can refer to these instances as "transitional moments." Identifying how to engage potential customers during these transitional times can significantly facilitate the sales process.
Section 1.1: What Are Transitional Moments?
I recall discussing the concept of transitional moments with one of my students. The example I shared made the idea quite clear and resonated well, so I’d like to present it here.
This student had recently initiated a new club on campus. As the school year was nearing its end, he found it challenging to recruit members. I explained, "It's no surprise you're facing difficulty. Everyone has been here for almost a year and their habits are set. If you want members, consider waiting until the new school year."
"Why wait?" he inquired.
"That’s when people are most likely to try new things," I clarified. "Without established habits, they will be more open to considering your club, especially the freshmen. They've just arrived and are unaware of what's considered 'cool' or 'not cool,' making them more susceptible to persuasion."
The following year, I ran into that same student and asked about the club’s progress. "It’s fantastic, Dr. Dinin! I followed your advice and focused my promotional efforts on the new freshmen at the start of the year. I ended up with three times as many members as I anticipated. We’re already among the most popular clubs on campus."
I smiled and nodded. "That’s the influence of a transitional moment."
Subsection 1.1.1: Harnessing Transitional Moments
The idea of transitional moments isn’t merely a unique insight of mine. Google has effectively utilized this principle to become one of the most successful companies globally.
To illustrate, consider the nature of "search." When individuals use Google to look for information, they are often in transitional moments, trying to acquire new knowledge. Consequently, they are generally more receptive to modifying their behaviors. In essence, people searching on Google are likely to adjust their existing habits or beliefs based on the new information they encounter.
Despite the frequent use of transitional moments in sales and customer acquisition, many entrepreneurs and marketers often overlook this concept. Instead, they tend to approach customer acquisition with a "spray and pray" strategy, aiming to reach as many individuals as possible in their target demographic, hoping a fraction will be interested in making a purchase.
While this method can be effective, it is also inefficient, resulting in many marketing efforts directed at individuals who never convert into customers. If you aim to acquire customers more effectively, consider positioning yourself in specific locations or moments when people are actively seeking to change their behaviors.
For instance, if you’re launching a physical store or restaurant, situating it near a new housing development could be beneficial. New residents typically lack established habits in the area. For online businesses, identify potential customers who have recently experienced significant changes—perhaps they've just acquired a new phone, making them open to trying new applications, or a company has received new venture capital funding, prompting them to make substantial purchases as they expand.
Never underestimate the significance of connecting with potential customers during transitional moments. These instances present the optimal opportunities for making sales, as individuals are actively looking to alter their habits.
Chapter 2: Additional Resources for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Explore insights on acquiring your first customers in this informative video titled "How to Get Your First Customers | Startup School - YouTube." This resource delves into strategies that can guide you through the initial stages of customer engagement.
In the video "The Easiest Way to Get Your First 10 Customers - YouTube," you’ll discover practical approaches to securing your first customers effectively. This can be invaluable for anyone starting a new venture.