How To Get Clients For Your Business in 2012
How to get clients for your business is usually the initial conversation we have with potential new clients that come to us. Either by referral or many other lead generation ideas we use.
The truth is this is a key activity in anyone’s business. No matter the maturity or not of your business model we all need more clients to increase our cash flow. As 2011 is about to close for most of us in the next 24 hours it is a great time to reflect on exactly the high points of 2011 and what we might want to do more or less of in 2012.
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Here we want to share 7 key areas to consider when you are thinking about how to get new clients for your business. We have looked at the important part of this aspect of your business and that is having a strategy on the first place. To do that though you need to think through a few key areas. Now normally as people start to read through a list they mentally shut down as the ‘little man or woman ‘on your shoulder says I know all that! Well intuitively I bet you do. The truth is though are you implementing it? I rest my case. So here we go then …………… 1.
Analyse Your Stats
This particular activity links with number 2 and logically is where we need to start. To make it easier for the maths….well it is December and I have been 3 Christmas parties already this week……….we will focus on an easy number. This works just as well if you are turning over £1,000,000 If you turned over £100,000 last year what did you do to make that happen? Both from a marketing and sales perspective.
How many clients bought from you
How many new services or products did you introduce
Which products generate the most revenue
How many people visited your website
How many sales calls did you make
How many clients appointments
How many prospecting calls
What training did you have that has made a difference
You can probably see where we are going with this. If you don’t have accurate data on these types of parameters then that would be the first place to start.
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2. Set a Goal Yes goal setting does work. As humans we are success seeking creatures we need to have something to aim for. If you have not read this book treat yourself. It is called the new psych cybernetics and is the updated Maxwell Maltz classic book. The original sold millions of copies because the content is so useful. Back to goal setting. If you have a goal to double your turnover is it actually realistic? For a new start up maybe. For an established operation with no new products in the pipeline probably not. If you set a stretch Goal how might it happen. Which of the numbers you have from last year will need to be increased. There are many ways to set Goals. From big picture ones to smaller outcome goals. If you don’t know much about this talk to someone that does. The big picture goals keep us motivated the smaller outcome goals get us into action fast, and help us on the way to achievement. For instance if a big goal is to hit a quarter of a million this year, smaller goals will be your monthly revenue targets. You might need to bring on board 2 new sales people to achieve this or create a new specific website to help with lead generation. The activities to achieve this will need to happen and this could be one of your small outcome goals. 3. Have a Marketing and Sales Plan
Logical I know if you want to know how to get clients for your business, yet many smaller business owners don’t invest the time to create their own Marketing and Sales plan. The truth is smaller business owners that have a plan can increase revenue by over 25%. Of course it needs to be flexible and also include the activities that you know will bring results.
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In our corporate careers every product had a marketing and sales plan. Budgets and activities assigned. Call targets, activities and events. Then that plan was worked and monitored. Guess what?…………..it worked. It does not matter is you have just started your company, or put up your first website to sell a niche product. You MUST have a plan if your series about generating results. 4. Spruce Up Your Site
We are quite unique as an online marketing company because we advocate a combination of both online and offline marketing activities to generate new business. Having said that the internet gives us all a huge opportunity to leverage a lot of what we do………..provided we keep pace with it.
When did you last really look critically at your website?
Does it need a spruce up?
What about your content .Do you need some new customer focused website copy that engages your customer?
What about your graphics and colours?
Do you have a blog on your site?
With over 90% of potentials new customers and clients checking us out online before they buy, what will they come across when it comes to you? What references will they come across? If they type in your name or your company name does your website come up on page one of Google. The good news is a lot of this activity does not cost the earth and can give a new look and feel quickly to your business.
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5. Add Some New Marketing Methods Many of us stick to tried and trusted methods when it comes to how to get clients for our business. This is a good thing …….and we also need to constantly look at what other things could
we
implement
to
‘spread
our
opportunity
or
risk’.
This year we went to see a potential new client who spent a lot of money on PPC. This also delivered for him in a competitive ecommerce market. This particular guy was savvy and realised that Google changes so much, having all his eggs in one basket could be commercial suicide. Imagine if Google suddenly decides to increase the costs you are paying or do not like how you manage your account. Overnight your lead generation stream will disappear overnight. That is why we always encourage our marketing strategy clients to explore new ways of bringing in clients. The more ways you have the more you can potentially grow. 6. Outsource Where Possible
As a serious business owner you will need to invest in help with your business. You can’t do it all. It generally costs less than you think and will have an ROI [return on investment] for you. We work with a lot of experts in their field most of whom have a huge knowledge of their subject. When it comes to marketing and selling themselves, the opposite is often true. They know the end Goal and yet the means to get there is sometimes a mystery. Many people who start their own business are usually pretty bright. They also have learnt how to do a lot of ‘stuff’ over the years. In the early days we all ‘have a go’ at most things. It often saves time and money……….or at least that is what we tell ourselves!……….in the beginning.
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Now if you are really serious about taking your business to the next level you will need help. Look at the activities you struggle with or are time consuming for you……………….or you are terrible at. Then find someone else to do them. The reality is because they are in flow doing these activities it will cost you less. You can even break this down yourself. Say your business turnover £150,000 a year. That means you are worth around £75 an hour. Simple maths divide your income by 52 weeks and then 40 hours. Say you need some new copy for your website. A rough estimate of 5 or 6 pages. In honesty if this is not your area of expertise it is likely to take you 15 -20 hours at a conservative estimate. A recent conversation with someone we met at a charity event was actually closer to 30 hours. Now do the maths on that one. 30 hours x £75……………………£2250 You could actually get the same job done at a third of the price and dare I say it a much better end product as well. 7. Take Action
The thing that stops many of us growing the way we want is that we don’t take action. Let’s clarify that one. We don’t take consistent action. If you want to build momentum in your business you will need to act. All the best ideas in the world are no good if you don’t actually move on them. It does not have to be perfect. If you want to access a new geographical area and don’t know anyone make a plan.
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Get a page on your website that targets a local term. Get your SEO company to work on it even as a one off fee. Get an invite to a networking group in that area and go to a meeting. Make some contacts. You don’t have to have a perfect pitch ready……just get out there and give it a go. Well that is it from us in 2011. We will be back in January with more ideas and tips. Have a great Christmas and New Year. Rest up and enjoy yourself. If you have bothered to read to the end of this blog post I suspect 2012 might just be your year. To You and Your Success Denise and Sharon
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About Fast Track Your Sales We are a web marketing company based in the UK we help our clients get more sales leads. We provide a range of services:
Marketing and Sales Strategy Product Launch Planning and implementation Copywriting Sales letter creation Lead Generation Website Affordable Websites SEO Social Media Marketing
To find out more either email us or call us at the numbers below
Email: support[at]fasttrackyoursales[dot]co.uk Tel:
08452570073
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www.fasttrackyoursales.co.uk 08452570073 email: support@fasttrackyoursales.co.uk