If Only Clients Magically Appeared

If someone was to ask you what the most important thing in your business was, what would you say? The answer should be ‘clients’. If you didn’t have clients using your product/service, you wouldn’t have a business would you?

I was in Bunnings the other day and while looking for that illusive money tree, I also looked for a client tree. Guess what – neither existed! Damn. It means I have to plant my own seeds and grow my business by gaining clients and nurturing the relationships I make with them. Yep, this is not always easy and takes some TLC, but as the saying goes; ‘from little things, big things grow’.

So, how do you find these clients? To start, get your name out there. Love it or hate it but a business website and social media do work. If you have no time for this or no interest – outsource this to an expert. You just need to look at ‘Virtually Yours’ to find some very talented ladies who can set this up for you.

Join networks and apply for jobs through these platforms. Build relationships with others on the networks and offer to take on overflow work. But most importantly, always ask your clients to refer you to others. All of my clients I’ve picked up through word of mouth.

I still laugh when I think of a conference I assisted a client with. I had a postcard with my services in the show bag. When people approached me, my client would come up, put her arm around me and say, ‘My Monique’. It turns out she didn’t want anyone in this industry stealing me from her but happily referred me to others outside her industry.

So, get out there! Become known. Talk to everyone about what you do. If you don’t tell people, they won’t know – obvious hey!

PS – Here’s a hint – At the bottom of your email signature, put a note along the lines of, ‘Referrals are an important part of my business. If you know anyone who could benefit from my services, please pass along my details’.