Most Businesses die as soon as they start, why? Due to lack of clients. Customers are the backbone of a business, without clients, you basically have no business! Customers are kings, take this seriously and treat them right once you have them. Meanwhile, here are unique ways you can get new clients for your business:
1. Put yourself out there
It is okay to be in our faces. You should always hustle to be seen. You can be seen in different ways,
Create ad campaigns: It’s okay to run ads for your company. Very strategic ones, the timing must be right and you also have to define your target audience.
Start a blog site: Who hasn’t blogging helped? Blogging is a great way to put out first-hand information and to your clients and prospective clients. Again, your contents must be in line with your business and it should give the customer all information they need. It takes a lot of time and consistency but it’s worth all your time and dime. Start, you’ll see what I’m saying.
Ask for your clients to refer you
Okay, okay, I know…referrals are the most obvious and well-known way to get new clients.
However, too many consultants just wait for referrals to fall in their lap. After all, happy clients should spread your name, right? Most clients will, but sometimes clients are busy and won’t go out of their way.
Instead of waiting, open your email and find 2 happy clients, who haven’t sent you referrals yet.
You are going to email them right now asking for a referral. Seriously…do this.
Below is the email copy I used which worked really well. I opened by checking up on the client and then asking for a direct referral. Don’t beat around the bush or leave it open ended, and always keep it short.
Hi [Name],
How is [Company] doing? I enjoyed working with you on that project and would love to hear how it’s going.
On a side note, I’m looking for new clients to work with.
Can you connect me to any people or companies in your network that could use my services right now?
– Adeola
2. Partner with bigger agencies
Partnering with an agency is a great way to bring in new clients. This is a great strategy and it can be used to build partnerships. You never can tell, you could get at least one new client per month just trying to partner. You should also make sure the agency is larger than yours, so you are not competing. You might wonder why the other agency might not want this job,
Here’s why:
- The budget is too low
- They have no interest in the project
- They don’t have availability
- They don’t have the required skills or expertise
Normally when an agency turns down a prospective client, they’ll refer the client to a new company in their network. That’s where you come in.
I reached out to a dozen or so web agencies with a personalised email offering to partner or take on any work they pass up. I received responses from about half, and set up phone calls with each to discuss further.
I would usually email the person in charge of business development, since they were focused on building relationships with outside vendors.
3. Network online and offline
Instead of sitting behind a computer all week, plan to go to a meetup or a conference, where your prospective clients may be mingling. Meanwhile, If you go to conferences and meetups where all your competitors are, you’ll have a hard time finding people that need your services. So you might want to go for exclusive ones and the ones that are not really known. Remember it is the humans you need most.
Online networking is just as important as well. Complete a LinkedIn profile with up-to-date information and work samples. Import your contacts and connect with as many people in your network as possible. Share your blog posts, website and other interesting content directly to your LinkedIn news feed.
Just like going to meetups or conferences that your prospective clients attend, join LinkedIn groups where they post. There are groups for every industry on LinkedIn, so this is an excellent way to get in front of prospective clients.
Answer questions, offer help, post useful content and you’ll not only grow your connections, but you might also land a new deal for your company. Once you land that huge deal, make sure you invoice them in a smart way.
Goodluck!