How to Win Your First Clients
Landing your first clients is no easy task. You need to be sure of your business, what you are selling, and how you can be of benefit to your clients. You need to know what it is your client wants, how to help them attain their goals, and be beneficially mutual to one another. This is a tall order, but it is possible.
Know who your clients are
You need to know everything about the clients you are hoping to land. What’s more, your focus cannot be too broad; you need to narrow down your focus, otherwise, your approach will be impersonal. Remember, people want a personalized experience in this day and age.
Ask questions like:
What do they do?
What are their goals?
Do they have core values?
How can I be of use to them?
Knowing the answers to these questions allows you to create a strategy on how to appeal to them but also how you can bridge a connection while networking. You want them to trust in your business; you also need them to see value on your business and what it is you do.
Network and attend trade shows
It’s all about who you know when it comes to business. Attend trade shows, connect with mutual connections on LinkedIn, and do not be afraid to branch out and speak to industry leaders in similar but slightly differing industries.
Through trade shows, you can meet prospective clients but also learn more about your industry. Use this to your advantage. People are there to learn, and if you have the knowledge, you can impress them.
Learn to negotiate
Heading into a meeting with a potential client and unwavering on any sort of deal makes your business seem rigid, inflexible, and uncaring. While you shouldn’t fold and not get anything from your business deals (because of course, you should), learning the art of principled negotiation means you and your client will get a mutually beneficial outcome from working together.
Show your portfolio
Your work should speak for itself and be the pinnacle of how you sell your business. After all, we want proof of a business’s services and how well their products work. There are many ways to show your work:
A website
An online portfolio
A blog
Social media networks
Always ensure your clients can access your portfolio at any given time.
Make your clients feel special
You should not approach them with a one-size-fits-all template, but instead, treat each client as the individuals they are. Connect with them so that they feel a bond between you and your business. This can be by offering them personalized additions to your business deal or having a more casual and personal approach when first meeting them.
Be sure not to overstep your welcome, though. When trying to impress, there is a line. For instance, keep it professional. A firm handshake should still be your opener when it comes to meetings, but a friendly and approachable smile and casual “Hey, how are you?” can make all the difference.
Start a blog
We want to see proof of a person’s knowledge, and nowadays, the best way to do this is to have a blog for you to post your insights, company news and articles relating to your industry. You will want to update your blog with regular content, as well as optimize it for SEO purposes.
Keyword research is important, and internal linking to your website is also beneficial; however, remember that it is about the quality of content when it comes to bringing in regular readers/clients/customers.
