5 Quick Tips For Getting and Keeping More Clients

If you’re a business owner or service provider, you more than likely live and breathe by your clients, right? That makes getting and keeping more clients paramount to your success.

Following are five quick tips for getting and keeping more clients.

#1 Ask your existing clients for referrals.

There’s nothing wrong with doing this. In fact, customers are often happy to refer you to others, they just need to be reminded to do so. And, if you can create a referral program where your current clients receive a discount or credit for your services, then all the better.

#2 Be a consummate professional.

If you’re an excellent person to work with, you’ll keep your clients – even if your rates are a bit higher or your timeline a little bit longer than others in your industry. The truth is, we place a high value on our business relationships, at least the clients you want to work with do. And if you can build a strong relationship with your clients, you’ll keep them for the long haul. They’ll also talk about you, and word of mouth is a great, and free, marketing tool.

#3 Communicate with your clients on a regular basis.

Although preferable, you don’t have to have an opt-in list and an email marketing campaign. But if you regularly connect with your clients, you stay in the front of their mind when they have a need or when someone asks them if they know of a service provider. There are several approaches to regular client communication and you can combine the them approaches as you see fit. They are:

- Send your client list an email once a month, or more often if you like, highlighting a promotion. For example, “10% off any orders of $100 or more for the month of January.”

- Send your client a note when you’re thinking of them. For example, “I saw this article in a recent issue of ?? Journal and thought of you.” This helps build a relationship with them and it’s a great way to stay connected.

- Give them a call once a month to see how they’re going or

- Arrange group get togethers such as networking events, gather for a coffee or something similar.

#4 Get out there and get noticed!

Participate in social networking, blog and be a guest blogger. Generate awareness about you and your services. One new client can turn into thousands of dollars over the course of a year and they can refer other clients.

#5 Be helpful.

Be willing to help and inform others in your community even when there isn’t any apparent reward. Whether you believe in the law of attraction or not, when you give to others, they give back. This doesn’t mean you give away your services; what it means is that you’re willing to help others by providing insight, information and a listening ear when they need it without expecting anything in return.

If your client is trying to resolve an issue and you can help them with your experience, help them. They’ll appreciate it and you never know when they’ll be able to return the favour.

Much of the art of keeping clients has to do with building relationships, and it’s also intricately linked with getting new clients. Word of mouth from satisfied clients is a wonderful way to fill your schedule with your ideal clients and projects.

Connect, share and give value! You’ll have endless opportunities to both getting and keeping more clients.