The customer acquisition process that works in any industry: seven stages

Every stage depends on the one before it. A weak definition makes discovery noisy, a skipped research step makes the first message generic, and a great conversation is wasted if nobody shows up to the call.

Define your ideal customers in a short written brief that anyone on your team could use to say yes or no to a single person:

• Who they are: role, type of organisation, size, location.
• Their situation: the problem or moment that makes your offer relevant now.
• Signals: what you could see in public that shows they fit, such as what they post, hire for or attend.
• Exclusions: who you never want, even if they're interested.

Then discover them where they're active. A database is one source; it's rarely the best one. Decision-makers show up in professional searches, buyers comment on the topics your offer solves, creators follow the accounts in their niche, communities gather in groups, subreddits and servers. And your own lists, past customers and CRM exports, are often the warmest source of all.

For B2B searches, our Sales Navigator guide goes into the detail.

Research is the stage most teams skip, and the one that decides whether the rest works. Before writing a word, read the person: their profile, recent posts, company website, anything public that tells you about their situation.

Research has two jobs. First, a decision: does this person really fit the brief? Write down why they're in or out. A list where every name has a reason is a list you can trust. Second, an angle: the one thing about them that makes your offer relevant. That angle becomes the first line of your message.

This is also the moment to find how to reach them beyond the platform, such as a business email address or phone number. We cover that in how to find the business email address and phone number.

The first message is not the pitch. It's a reason to start talking, written for one person, in your own voice. Use the angle from your research, make no big claims, and ask something they can answer in a few words.

Then the conversation. Replies need fast, accurate answers, including to the hard questions: price, "we already have someone for this", "send me more info". Write those answers down in one place your team shares, so every reply is as good as your best salesperson's. Silence usually means busy, not no, so follow up, each time with something new.

Know when a person should step in. Complex deals, unusual requests and anyone asking for a call with a human should reach your team straight away. Our cold outreach guide has more on openers and follow-ups across channels.

Conversion depends on what you're asking for: a meeting, a registration for an event, a demo, a consultation. Whatever it is, make it happen inside the conversation. When someone says "sounds interesting", answer their question and offer two concrete times, rather than dropping a calendar link and hoping.

• Answer what they asked before you ask for the meeting.
• Offer specific times, in their time zone.
• Confirm in the same conversation, and send the calendar invite right away.
• For events, register them and send the confirmation where they'll see it.

We go deeper on this stage in how to book more sales appointments.

A booking is not a customer. Follow-through is what turns one into the other, and it's where a lot of good work is quietly lost.

1. 1Send the calendar invite straight away.
2. 2Remind them before the meeting, on the channel where you spoke as well as by email or SMS.
3. 3Give whoever takes the call a brief: who this person is, why they were chosen and everything they said.
4. 4After the call, write up what was agreed and send the follow-up the same day.
5. 5If they don't show, rebook straight away. A no-show is usually a busy person, not a lost one.

The seven stages stay the same. What changes is who, where and what the yes looks like:

For specific markets, see the guides for B2B companies, marketing, media and creators and every other industry. For finding creators and partners, see how to find creators for influencer campaigns and how to find sponsors and brand partners.