Need More Clients?

In the beginning we want to attract clients, any clients. I don’t mean good or bad clients, but someone who will buy from us or use our services. If we have two or three clients, we think we have hit the big time. Everyone has to start somewhere. As time goes on, we will want to attract more clients.

So, how do we go about this task? It starts with contacts. When you are finding clients in the beginning, a list of contacts created from networking, research, and word of mouth aids us in choosing who to approach.

Get together all those pieces of paper and contact sheets to form a comprehensive list. Some of these people may already be your clients. Put their names on a separate business list. For the others, fill out a profile with as much information as you can on them.

If you have contacted them before, study their reasons for not going with you the first time around. Maybe you didn’t offer the exact service they needed. Maybe your website didn’t look very professional or your brick and mortar business doesn’t have a website at all.

Do yourself a favor: Take their comments seriously. Before contacting them again, be sure to make the changes that meets their need. To do otherwise would damage any future relationship with them. They might feel you didn’t listen to a word they said. Your name would be ingrained in their heads, but not in a good way. And, they will tell all of their business contacts about you.

Another way to bring them in is to offer promotional merchandise. We’ve all gotten these at one time or another. Remember those keychains, sticky notepads, and coffee mugs you picked up from booths at business conventions? These are promotional items used to hook clients.

Now, you may want to start with a letter to the client to gauge their interest before sending anything else. If their interest in you is rekindled, send them some promotional items. Along with these items, send along a sampling of your product line.

Promotional items are a part of your marketing plan. Consider their cost as an investment. For a service-based business, offering a discount or a free component to their first order would also be appropriate. The idea is to get them interested in coming over to your side.

Don’t overlook the obvious ways to get more clients to sample your services. If you have a website, sign visitors up for a mailing list for free coupons and an informational newsletter. Every visitor is a potential new customer. Locally, send out mass mailings with coupon offers or take out ads in trade magazines.

There is more than one way to find new clients. Use your experience as a consumer to tailor your strategy for attracting new business.