Enroll A New Client Within DAYS

If you entered a contest that challenged you to enroll one new client next week, how would you go about doing so? Imagine that the stakes are VERY HIGH. The prize, $100,000 if you could just get one new client to work with you in your business. Would $100,000 be enough to get you excited about prospecting for clients?

I hope that you are excited because this is a reality. If you work feverishly to get in front of your ideal clients, you can truly operate a $100,000 business! But, don’t allow the money to be a barrier for you. Think about why you started your business in the first place. What made you excited about being an entrepreneur? That is the very energy and zeal that you need to employ when you are marketing your solutions to the people who are already looking for you.

I want to share with you the strategies that we have used to build two successful businesses. First, I want to offer a disclaimer. If you do not perform the work that needs to be done, you will not get new clients and thus build your business. Fair enough? Good! Let’s get started:

• I tapped into my warm market: That tactic is how I got my business off the ground. I simply told my friends, co-workers and associates that I was starting a Virtual Assistance company. It was fascinating to them that I was going to do the same work that I had been doing for more than a decade using the freedom of running my own company. I sent a letter to everyone that I knew and set coffee dates with others. I did whatever I could to get the word out about my new business. This was my first ever marketing campaign and my company was born.

• I networked eagerly: Please keep in mind that networking is a matter of sharing what you know and whom you know with others. So, I told more people–whomever would listen–about how I could help entrepreneurs to decrease their administrative chaos. Additionally, I made sure that I was at every local networking event where other forward thinking entrepreneurs would attend. One thing that attracted clients to my business was my professional approach. I had a polished, professional, easy to navigate website that detailed my services and my background. My business cards set the tone and made a great first impression.

• I used Craigslist.com strategically: This turned out to be a GREAT idea because entrepreneurs posted the type of help they were looking for on this popular site. I found my first two clients here and had a wonderful working relationship with both companies.

• I followed up tenaciously: People are busy and will quickly forget about you. Don’t take it personally, or as a sign that they aren’t interested in working with you. My philosophy has always been to NOT allow prospects to forget about me. I stay top of mind until I know one way or the other if we are a good fit to work together. It is surprising how many of those prospects who turned into clients said, “I’m impressed by your follow up, you are the type of professional that I want to work with.”

*BONUS TIP*

• I increased my knowledge and skill religiously: If there was a class or seminar that I could attend, I made sure that I was there. It is so important to make the effort to build your business to the best of your ability. Sure, there were many opportunities that I could not afford. More importantly, there were many opportunities that I could not afford to miss! The more you know the more you grow, which ultimately translates to the growth of your business and your income.

So, that is it. There is no magic bullet to shoot or cure-all pill to swallow. You may say, “Sydni, you must have done more than that to become successful.” Truthfully, it was these basic things that built my businesses. I encourage you to do the same.