Whoever tells you finding clients is easy, must have some extremely good narcotics and you should ask them to share whatever it is.
If it were easy to find clients, we wouldn't be having as many problems as we have been having in our economy, huh?
I think I am pretty good at getting clients and recently trying to really hone down what I feel I know compared to what isn't exactly up to par in regards to building a client base. Let me first off list some mistakes that I have made so maybe you can be able to avoid them yourself.
1.) When starting in business, try to keep some money to float you. Some clients will be nice and give you the money up front but most are not as cash fluid as we like to think businesses are. I know times are tough and life was difficult then you lost your cash flow. Ask family, friends, neighbors, churches and organizations. What I am saying is prepare for any major catastrophes that you might foresee.
2.) Follow up with clients, treat them as if they were the last gold nugget you found in the gold rush. Follow up, communicate, make sure they understand it to a point where they can confidently think they could do the job should they wish to.
3.) Give them the straight presentation and realize that their time is just as available to them as your time is to you. If you can't do something, be upfront and honest. You will get a lot further doing it this way then taking the money and nothing gets accomplished.
My thought is when you take the money, you better have a grasp of what you are doing. You are taking their money, you better have pure thoughts to what you plan on doing with their money.
One of the many mistakes that I made with my former clients was that I would take their money setting an unrealistic goal then hoping one of my ideas would magically come together then I would have enough money to live on AND pay these people back should that step need to be taken. That right there, folks is manipulation and a commonly used phrase of robbing Peter to pay Paul. Not a good business model. At all..
7. When looking for clients, get out and do some exercise or at least put some investment into it. Clients will not come to you unless you are Frank Kern or Rick Schwartz.
6. Be willing to cater to their needs before you even secure their deal
5. When talking to them, try to refrain from bing rigid or a wooden board. Don't try to act like their best friend but maybe a casual conversation ice breaker such as "You like sports?" "What you think about this or that reality TV show?" It is extremely hard to delve straight in to business, I mean sometimes it happens but most often, I find myself breaking ice before getting down to the nitty gritty.
4. Try to have a general plan on exactly how you plan to make their project become the life. Think of yourself as a doctor (Don't claim you are one though) and you are helping deliver a new born baby. That's how many people feel about their projects.
3. Try to break the meetings into 3-4 part series so it gives them breathing room and enables them to get more ideas and more excitement building up. This is why parenting class was developed *grinning*
2. One of my business module follow up is that after I have secured the deal, I will send a thank you basket gift. I have a family member who does this and I give her kickbacks and these people remember me for a long time.
1. Evaluate the situation, sometimes the best client you might have is the one that you joint venture with. Money long term is sometimes better than one chunk. Top Ramen for a few months won't kill anyone. Be sure to drink plenty of water and add rooster sauce, the stuff is awesome!
Never forget to have a blast and we'll see you tomorrow
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