Tweet

HONK If You Need More Clients NOW!

Written by: Michelle Pippin

Article Overview: If you need more clients now, don't waste any more time or money on efforts, experts, or programs that don't work. Read this article twice. Once for understanding... and once for IMPLEMENTATION. Marketing success, guerrilla marketing, business survival, business success, business growth, more clients NOW.

HONK If You Need More Clients NOW!

During this past Christmas season, I snuck off between meeting clients to buy my daughter a "hanging paper lantern" .  In the parking lot of the store, I drove slowly past the client I was meeting in the next 15 minutes.  She was in her car driving towards me and I was in mine.  I am a little embarrassed to tell you how I tried to get her attention. I began waving frantically, tapping on my window, saying, "Jessica... HEY... Jess - it's me!!"  Of course she could hear none of this, and kept focusing on the road ahead.  At the last minute, I laid on the horn, and she finally looked up.   Finally, I had done the OBVIOUS thing to get  her attention... all just to say, "HEY!"

Anyway, I immediately started thinking about how many of us do the same frantic waving and tapping on glass and shouting, "HEY!" to our potential customers in business... all while feeling like there is NOTHING more we can do... and  ignoring the OBVIOUS solution to the "I need more clients NOW" dilemma many are facing right now.  So, if a HORN is the obvious way to get another driver's attention, what is the obvious way to cultivate more clients NOW?  I am so glad you asked, because I needed to make something productive out of the foolish display I described above. :-)   It does feel foolish when you keep doing the same things trying to capture the attention of your market - all with little or no resutls.   Where do you go from there? 

The solution is in "doing the obvious". First, think of the things that you are doing NOW to attract clients.  Many business owners have the following list, or something like it:  Attend Networking Meetings regularly (sometimes even weekly), Send Out Press Releases, Market through Articles, Paid Print or Radio Advertising, sending out CRAZY LOW price discounts or coupons, or Paid Listings in phone books, etc.  Does this list sound a BIT familiar to you?  While I am not prepared to say there is NO value in these activities, (I do two of these things myself... but only two.) what I CAN say with absolute certainty is that these activities keep you focused in the WRONG place.  You see, each of these activities is meant to drive the MASSES to you. 

Look at it this way:  Let's create the visual that you are the BULLS EYE of your social circle.  The next circle outside of yourself is your family and very close friends.  The next circle is your acquaintances and current customers.  The next circle may be your networking contacts and so on... all the way out to the circle FARTHEST from yourself:   your "market" of strangers - whom you have never met but whom you may be spending a bunch of time and money to "reach".    These activities described above are an effort to bring this "market of strangers" to you.  

The OBVIOUS (and most quickly profitable) action is to do the opposite.  Start with your "inner circles" and MOVE OUT... I affectionately call this "client cultivation" tip:  "SPREADING LIKE A FUNGUS" through your market.  Building your business FIRST through the people that already know, like and trust you.  To do this, you must be able to CLEARLY articulate WHO you help and HOW.    

Here is a quick  example:  You know how lots of business owners spend a bunch of money on paid advertisements or marketing efforts that don't prove very profitable?   (Typical response is,"Yeah.. I spend $XXXX on a ______ ad that got a very low response.")  Well, I help those business owners capitalize on the money they have already spent on advertising while leveraging what they already have at their disposal to create profitable referral-based businesses in less time than they thought possible."  

Next, you must be willing to ASK for help building your business and spend time to build RICH relationships with those referred to you and those referring to you.  Does this seem overly-simplistic?  Maybe.  But, super effective none the less.  So, how can you get started?

• Make a list of all the people who know and love you.
• Make a list of all of your "astonished" clients who have grown to depend on you.
• Acknowledge BOLDLY that this list has the potential of generating ALL the business you will ever need or want.
• Write a letter to these "inner circles" contacts and tell them (or remind them) about WHO you help and HOW.   Be sure to let them know that you have committed to growing your business through serving people WELL and developing a referral based business.  Ensure them that you will treat each referral with "red carpet" priority...
• Follow up with EACH person who refers a potential client to you... NOT with a simple "thank you"... but with a conversation that demonstrates how their friend was changed and helped by their referring them to you. 

So, if you want more clients NOW, do the obvious thing:  HONK!!  

Related Articles
  Are You Suffering From Sales Rage?
  What Resentment Teaches You
  Lessons in Teamwork from Wild Geese
  Does Location Affect Service Businesses
  "Just Ask the Geese"

Article Tags: 15 minutes, business owners, christmas, christmas season, coupons, dilemma, hanging paper lantern, jess, last minute, networking meetings, parking lot, phone books, press releases, price discounts, radio advertising, tw



Related Forum Posts
Re: Who Did You Learn Most From and Why? - Hi Martin, You missed out on the most essential community that helps you grow - Your Clients. Well, I believe that my Initial Clients have been the ones who have given me the moments of 'aha' in my business. They have stood by me even when I was a starter and that has helped me shape and build my stand. They have helped me grow as an entrepreneur, learn to have loads of patience and make the most of what comes across. They have also helped me to strengthen me as a person. btw, personally speaking, my Grandfather always kept me on track and lent me emotional support when I was down in any matter - be it business or otherwise.
Coaching Women vs. Males - Tami, Do you have any clients from Eastern Canada? I was wondering if Coaching Clients from either Coast was any different. Also is it different coaching women entrepreneurs vs. males?
Internet Marketing is the best business in the world - I have 7 reasons for saying this 1. You develop it once an sell it many times 2. You have no inventory. 3. Clients pay you before they download your product 4. You earn money 24/7 5. No face to face selling 6. You can outsource the production 7. You can do it in your room
Re: Email Etiquette - [quote="jvprosperity":24jznj58] The P.S. suggestion is good but it depends on the type of communication (e.g. Autoresponder series verses one off emails to Clients or Prospects)[/quote:24jznj58] Andy, You are right. I was mainly referring to Auto Responder emails. To end a normal email, I attach signatures. Takuya
Re: What are your January Goals? - Here's a quick update on mine: Goal #1: Hire New Writer = done - Post job description on oDesk - Set up trial job - Pick top candidate Goal #2: Follow up with Clients = done - Create and send quarterly report - Touch base with last year's clients - Follow up with 4 connectors Goal #3: PERSONAL = about 70% done on the month - Do something nice for my wife each week - Exercise 4 times per week - Daily stretch - want to touch my toes


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

B2B PR – Planning for Success

Effective Leadership

Using Social Media Marketing

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.