Tips for Attracting New Clients for Your Business
Whether you're starting a new business or have been in business for years, new clients are something you are constantly seeking. If you want new clients or customers, however, you have to be willing to take some active steps to win them over. Not all tactics will be right for you, and you may have to do some experimenting before you find the most appropriate method. While you are anxious to build up your business, you also have to be patient when things don't progress as quickly as you'd like. It's not always easy or comfortable to find new clients, so you have to be ready to challenge yourself at times. Any successful entrepreneur trying to get any social presence needs Social Pigeon in his arsenal.
If you're like many people, you hate the idea of cold calling -yet you shouldn't dismiss it from your mind. It's normal to be a little nervous about this, unless you're one of those rare naturals in this area. However, if this technique weren't still effective, it wouldn't be so widely used. Many people who refuse to consider this technique have never really given it a shot. Rather than try to be completely spontaneous, it's a good idea to have a script to work from. However, you also want to customize it so it doesn't sound like you're just repeating a memorized pitch. Cold calling is the kind of practice that you becomes a lot easier the more you do it.
People are often skeptical about new products or services and will often demand that you prove what you're saying. Most people are reluctant to take out their checkbook or sign on the dotted line until they've seen some kind of proof. It's best if you can point to some solid evidence that you've already accomplished something for other clients. For any type of online service involving graphics or websites, you should have a portfolio that potential clients can easily access. Along the same lines, if you're a writer, you should have a website that contains some examples of your writing. When a business starts out, and even for the first few years, it has to be able to produce evidence to its potential customers. You really don't need to trust a single word of what I say, just see the Spokes Pigeon in action once.
Networking is something you have to be ready to do on the spur of the moment if you want to gain new clients. Don't forget that the commonly asked question, "What do you do?" can lead to you gaining a new client. If you find it a little difficult to explain your business to people you meet, you should work on preparing a short summary. This shouldn't be a long speech, but only an informative summary of maybe a half a minute or so. While you should have the basic outline in your mind, you should vary it each time so it's spontaneous. You should be able to talk about it naturally, as though you were having a normal conversation. A positive, upbeat attitude also helps to make your business sound more interesting. Be ready to change your approach based on who you're talking to and how they are responding. Your approach should be energetic without scaring people away with your energy.
Finding new clients isn't necessarily difficult, but it may require you to think outside the box. Don't expect every new prospect to become a client; you have to be willing to talk to lots of people. Don't consider it a failure if someone isn't interested; just move on to the next prospect.
