How do I find new clients?
I started my own web & graphics development company. Up until now I've had a lot of work with local based clients, but now my plan is to expand my client base. The last 2 month I've been surfing over the net but with little luck- I could not find a single lead. How and where should I be searching?
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May 14, 2014
You should maintain your local clients and keep them happy. While doing local work start expanding your presence on Freelancing website like Guru, Freelancer, ODesk ; build-up your profile & clientèle, keep them happy. Soon you'll find bunch of client who'll stick to your services for a very long long time and you'll be their one and only trustworthy technical consultant.
That's the way I increased my reach.
Mar 28, 2014
Your county clerks office has a plethora of new and current business leads.
Mar 28, 2014
Have you looked at the opportunity to become a resource for ad agencies that need help with overflow work?
Do you have a "list tool"...i.e. ZoomInfo or TheListOnLine? You will need to spend about $5,000 to get something set up with one of these then you can target the right kind of companies.
Tim O'Krongly
Mar 28, 2014
If you shoot arrows in the air you aren't likely to hit anything. I'd strongly advise investing in sales training with an emphasis on building a prospecting plan. It's not just where or who but how and a quality sales trainer will help you build a plan that will certainly help you land opportunities.
Mar 27, 2014
One way of getting your name out there is through your existing clients, basically Word of Mouth referrals.
You can also use your Alumni network to talk to potential clinets.
Mar 27, 2014
Isn't that the million dollar question? Maybe this would help, when I worked in Radio (a rural country station) we didn't try to attract advertisers to US, we went to potential advertisers, those that matched our product (our listeners) --- and we would bring them a sample of what their ad could sound like on our station, along with special introductory pricing just for them - and goals for what we'd accomplish (a number of sales) ... you know YOUR product, what you can do in your design work, and what the results could be with a well designed and attractive product. Using your past experience you bring that to a new customer. Seek out who you would like to do work FOR. Then find their "ugly" website or other graphic designs, put your spin on THEIR brand -- and present it to them, telling them the benefit of your work. In no time clients will be lined up - just like ours were.
Mar 27, 2014
The short answer I believe would be "inbound or content marketing". Given your marketing media will be primarily web based since you are targeting geographically diverse areas, start building helpful content around your expertise. This includes case studies, whitepapers, blogs, and newsletters on your website. They should be based around lessons learned and best practices in your core services. This should help you organically SEO your site and grow your marketing database. From their it becomes a grow/nurture/sell pipeline.
Mar 27, 2014
There are a lot of brick 'n mortar companies that need Good websites. Just start making connections on sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. Showcase some of your work that you've done for clients on these sites.
Go to Internet marketing forums like WarriorForum.com and Digital Point and post your services there (make sure you post in the right folder). You will get clients there for sure.
Corrisa
Mar 27, 2014
Having a structured approach to new business development is extremely important as it will help you to make sure you are taking the actions you need to meet your own business objectives.
The most important question to answer is "What is your offer?", what do you do, who is that service aimed at, and what is special about the service you're able to provide that makes it distinct? You might think the best solution to be successful is to be everything for everyone, but the most successful small businesses have a specific area of expert focus.
Once you have worked out your offer, you need to understand more specifically who might need that offer. A great place to start is the clients you already have. Do they have common features? Is their commonality in the services they bought from you? How did you get in contact with them?
Getting referrals is a great way to expand your client base into similar types of clients to those you are already working with. If, based on the direction you want to go in, you actually want to diversify into new types of clients, then you must invest time in expanding that network.
Incredibly important for a business in your field is to have a flawless online presence, as if you cannot create an appealing website or brand design for yourself, why would anyone else trust you to do it for them?
There are already lots of answers suggesting ways to expand your network. Just make sure the methods you use are appropriate for the offer you have and the goals you decide on for this expansion.
Good luck.
Mar 27, 2014
How do I find new clients?
What most people call getting new customers, I call "buying" new customers.
The reason? If you stop and think about the price you're paying to bring in added shoppers in terms of time or money, you can start to make better decisions about how and where to put those resources.
The practice is especially important for new business owners who tend to not only have more limited means, but also don't generally register a profit from a new customer until the fifth of sixth purchase. And without a stable of customers to tap for repeat purchases, being more careful about where you ply your limited resources can only serve you.
In his book The Most Human Human: What Artificial Intelligence Teaches Us About Being Alive, Brian Christian explained that “the first branch of computer science was what’s come to be known as computability theory, which doesn’t care how long a computation would take, only whether it’s possible or not. Take a millisecond or take a millennium, it’s all the same to computability theory.” However, as Christian also noted, “computer scientists refer to certain problems as intractable – meaning the correct answer can be computed, but not quickly enough to be of use.”
Intractability does have some practical applications for business-enabling technology. For example, “computer data encryption hinges on the fact that prime numbers can be multiplied into large composite numbers faster than composite numbers can be factored back into their primes. The two operations are perfectly computable, but the second happens to be exponentially slower – making it intractable. This is what makes online security, and online commerce, possible.”
As computer science advanced, Christian continued, complexity theory was developed, which took time constraints into account, recognizing that “even when a problem is decidable and thus computationally solvable in principle, it may not be solvable in practice if the solution requires an inordinate amount of time.”
Correct versus Timely
Mar 27, 2014
Hi Joshi - isn't this your time now to rise above the tides and ride those waves!
Sounds like you are of two minds: while done playing small, you haven't raised yourself above the noise of all the others playing small still.
Here's what to do, right now (contact me when you are ready to create your improved, measurable results now - it is based on Quantum science and this works 100% - when applied):
Imagine that!
In the future, you are now speaking with your ideal client, do you have that picture? Good. Now imagine you are having a discussion with them about how your work has already allowed them to create awesome new things for their business. Or how you have saved them significant time, energy or money.
Make that movie bright, full color, motion, Academy Award winning and you are the star actor. That's right, feel it. Feel it. Really FEEL it. Now!
And stay in that energizing movie as long as you like. It serves you best, doesn't it now. That's right.
Now, while still in that movie, write down the answers to these questions:
- when specifically is this conversation taking place (the date in the future)
- What is their specific name or company/industry sector
- Where are you in the conversation (on the phone/Skype/G+ ... or if in person,where: their/your office, coffee shop etc..)
- What are they wearing? What are you wearing?
- What do you see, hear or feel going on around you during this conversation?
Joshi, the more 'real' you write that script, the faster your UNconscious will go out and attract exactly those types of clients to you.
Let me know how to be of further service now.
Paul
Mar 27, 2014
1. What is the opportunity to grow with current clients? This is usually the most effective way to grow, you already have a relationship and credibility.
2. If you want to find new clients where do you want to search? A shotgun or rifle approach. The rifle, focused, approach is more efficient. Do you have a target audience? Look at the profile of your existing clients and find clones of them. For instance if you have had success doing websites for contractors then you should focus on finding other contractors, you already understand their market and have testimonials and credibility in that industry.
3. Once you have figured out what your target audience is determine your message. What is your unique selling proposition? What do you do better than your competitors? Why do people buy from you? An as a target audience potential client why should I care?
4. Once you have the message, how are you going to reach your target audience? What vehicles: social media, direct mail, cold calls, referrals?
Referrals are most powerful, do you have current satisfied clients that will introduce you? Have you asked?
Mar 27, 2014
Joshi,
1st part. - Understanding and compelling reasons to purchase your services.
Take a deep breath. Stop and back track a little bit.
Have a look at your current business.
Identify where you are getting your business and income from.
(yes they are 2 different things)
Who are your customers,
Which Industry are they from.
What departments, and at what position level do you have dialogue, and the decision makers
Understand what service's you supply.
Why your customers use you.
How they benefit from your services.
What those benefits produces in tangible and intangible.
This gives you a story and a reason and cost benefit as to why they should use you and what is in it form them.
Along with why you stand out from the rest.
2nd part - Finding your targets,
From your 1st part research you already know:
Which markets you are working in.
Who are the decision makers by title.
You also know which companies you are working for.
This then already gives you a target in terms of competing companies. You also know their language and pain points.
So you can easily communicate with them.
3rd point. - Expand further.
Search out in the same way in additional states or countries.
4th point - Expand by targeting additional companies that are companion companies or "hand in glove" companies.
All of the above will provide a plan, a reason , a direction, a possible path of least resistance.
Mar 28, 2014
Our target client has always been the small independent provider office. Our niche is fading away to the mergers and acquisition of large physician practices and hospital owed providers. We offer products, services, training and support. We want to build our billing services and coding consultations
Mar 27, 2014
Really, to extend beyond your local market you will need help, its a new ball game and the help will come from networks and channell and there is expensive methods and cheaper methods (still not cheap)
So if you need to know the areas you wish to conquer then identify the affiliation you need and get out there and meet them. If your product is good and your proposition os compelling to the business partner and the client then the venture will take shape.
Wouldnt it be great to have a business growth HQ to call upon to help you design your affiliation strategy and product options that are just plain and simple compelling. :)
Mar 27, 2014
Insufficient data. Please advice your geo market targeted, is it at your location or else? Tnx
Mar 26, 2014
Network, network and network some more. Search for local face to face business networking meetings online. Go along with an open mind to connect and get to know people, not sell to them. Building relationships is key to building a successful business. However unless you leave the comfort of your own home and start to have the right conversations with the right people, you and your business will remain in the same place. Good luck connecting!
Mar 26, 2014
after all your suggestions and helpful answers i came across to one this and that is that online marketing via social media channel is important but min while that is already in progress. now my actual milestones and confusion point is that i belongs to Ahmadabad, India so my all clients are near by to that like in 50 miles now i want to target US, UK, Australia based clients so how could i get them or contact them for their needs & requirements because to go their personally and do door to door marketing will not afford to my business..
Mar 26, 2014
Try and try--you will definitely find out an away to reach your client. Post your work in those group who are doing this and keep writing some white paper and explain its advantages.
How to find ready, willing, cash in hand, qualified genuine prospects and new customers via social media who need what you sell?
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