There’s a problem with small business owners. I see it at every networking event and I hear it when I talk to owners of businesses of every size. You’ve come across it too and the economic conditions have only made it worse. This is what we hear: “How can I sell more?”, “What are the buying signals I should be looking for?” or: “Where can I get more leads?”. You don’t need more leads, you need to spend more time on providing a better service to your existing clients. Don’t waste time chasing new leads, spend time getting better at what you do.
Getting New Clients Costs Money
Each new client you get has a price tag attached to their collar. Do you know how much yours cost you? Every successful business leader I know has a very clear idea of how much each new client costs to acquire.
Look in the Obvious Places
Instead of chasing new ones all the time, here’s a radical idea: sell more to the ones you already have. You don’t have to spend anything on contacting them and discovering who the decision – maker is. You’ve already done that and providing you’re good at your job (and these days you’d better be damn good at it) they already have positive feelings about you. Make a point of spending some time staying in touch and identifying their current or imminent issues. If you can provide a solution, it’s a win-win.
Happy Clients = Qualified Recommendations
If you want to avoid having to spend, you need to find ways to enable clients to find you. “It’s not about who you know, it’s about who knows you” says the sales guru Jeffrey Gitomer, and he’s right. Your task is to get your reputation to become so magnetic that new clients seek you out.
One incredibly powerful way to do that is by ensuring that your clients are pleased and continue to be delighted with your products and services. Here’s a great tip for helping that along: ask your existing clients for recommendations. If they’re happy with you, they’ll know a few people that they’d be pleased to introduce you to. People love to spread a good thing around.
The Next Step: Two Great Challenges
Are you up to doing something that many companies are afraid to do? Remember fortune favours the bold. Here’s a challenge for you. Arrange to meet some of your happiest clients for coffee or lunch. Once there, ask them why they bought from you and if they would again. Here’s a tougher challenge. Do the same with clients that don’t buy from you any more or are less than happy. The mix of answers from both of these sources will be the foundation for your future success.
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Ash Mashhadi – Inspiration and Success
People call Ash the Inspiration Guy because he inspires businesses and people to be more successful. In 2010, he launched the Inspiration Zone, the world’s first professional website full of expert advice and resources for increasing the amount of success in our lives. Inspiration Zone is already changing peoples’ lives all over the world. Ash is founder Partner and Ideas Catalyst of Design Inspiration, a successful corporate design business. Design Inspiration have been helping businesses succeed since 1993. Ash is a prominent member of the community in his home city where he also runs the premier independent website, InPlymouth.com. Ash is very active on Twitter and is ranked by Hubspot as amongst the top 3 Twitter Elite in his home city of Plymouth (UK).
Ash Mashhadi is an engaging public speaker who talks on the subjects of inspiring success, and using social media for business. Ash is a prolific writer and is frequently sought after as a guest blogger. He writes for a variety of blogs, websites and magazines. Ash has appeared on national television and BBC radio in the UK.
To learn more about Ash Mashhadi and his contribution to the Liz King Events Blog, view his profile.
To see more of Ash, check out his series of posts.
The opinions and viewpoint expressed in this blog represent those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Liz King Events.
Photo by JollyUK
