Client Magnets Official Blog

… if there are  no clients, there is  no business

That’s one of the very first things I learnt when I starting out in my own business back in 1996.

Back then, just like you, I needed a steady stream of clients if I was going to succeed in business.  I was only 26 at the time, I had no marketing budget, I had no network, I had no track record, I had no proof, no credibility, and I had no satisfied customers to fall back on.  I started off by investing my time, energy and resources, into learning everything I could about communication techniques, selling and closing sales.  The result …   I very quickly attracted high-paying consulting contracts for £50,000 and upwards. For those of you in the US, that’s about $83,000.  Not only that, I was getting them from well known clients. People like Sony, Aviva, AIG, and British Telecom.  My income was on the rise!

What was the secret?  Simply – I changed the way I was prospecting clients.  I developed a way that clients started calling me instead of me calling them.  Follow the 6 steps I took and make it happen for you…

1.  Realize that most prospecting methods are too time-consuming. Cold calls can be effective, but they take time away from your workday. The problem is, even if you spend a day on the phone setting up appointments, you then have to go on those appointments  because YOU are the service that you’re selling.   This doesn’t leave much time for actually delivering  services to your clients.

2. Develop prospecting methods that don’t rely on you physically doing it all the time. Essentially, find ways to promote your business that don’t require you to become a full time marketing and sales person. Learn how to market yourself without spending all of your time doing it. Focus on building up a prospect list.

3.  Get a show of hands. I remember reading a book at the time and it talked about getting people to raise their hands first. Who is it that is already calling out for your services?  Who has expressed an interest in your products and services?  Let the clients express interest in working with you, instead of spending all of your time trying to sell them on your services

4. Focus on following up with those clients that have “raised their hands”. These clients are much better prospects for what you’re offering because they’ve already expressed an interest.

5.  Know that your price ceiling is as high as you want it to be. The ceiling on your income is the highest priced offering in your range. If you want to break through that ceiling, create a bigger ticket product or programme and offer it to your prospect list.

6. Find the right clients. Maybe there’s a certain type of client who is exactly the right type of client for you, the client that you feel passionate about working with. The one where you feel you would work even if you weren’t getting paid. Those are your ideal clients. You still get paid and it doesn’t feel like a chore to deliver your services.

As you focus on implementing these prospecting methods in your own business, you will see that clients will start to call YOU.  You’ll not only have a steady steam of clients, but they will be your IDEAL clients.

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