As we hear about more markets opening and more markets staying open longer past summer seasons, we need to figure out who will support us past the early adopters that the original markets found. Honestly, when I hear talk of “cannabilization” of existing markets, I know there is some truth to this although I find the language overly dramatic and needlessly provocative. When I work with a new or an expanding market, I often ask them to describe the type of anchor vendors and first tier of customers they hope to attract, but few are able to do it with any detail. If you don’t know who you’re focusing on with your outreach and marketing, then you won’t know how to reach them.
Especially for new or newer markets, it is imperative to use the existing group that you do attract to find others. As we all know, money is tight and marketing is expensive. Add to that, almost every analysis of good marketing tells you that word of mouth is the most important way to find long lasting customers, which, of course, is exactly what we are all about. This article offers sensible ways to build trust with customers and really your vendors if you choose to see your vendors as your internal customer, which I hope you do.

3 Ways to Tap Into Your Customers’ Network | Inc.com.