Wanting to become your own boss is something most of us can relate to. In fact, it is something that a lot of people in the corporate setting aspire to become. They spend years slaving away and saving money in order to break free and become financially independent as well as self-employed. Some even juggle freelance work together with their regular 9-5 jobs in order to earn extra and hasten the days leading to their targeted date of resignation.
When you finally leave the company in the course of realizing your dream of having your own business, you find out that you still have a long way to go. There are still so many things you need to do, including building up your client list. Here are 3 ways you can win over potential clients.
Take Branding Very Seriously
If you’re just starting out, catching clients hook, line and sinker won’t be easy. The brand name of your business is the very first thing that will capture potential clients’ attention. It is the bait that will first lure them into finding out what your business is about. Finding the brand name that best suits your business and what it stands for isn’t easy especially when you also have to keep in mind that it should be catchy and easy to remember. It’s a name that you will have to stick with for as long as your business is running. In other words, it is something that you should take time and care in choosing. If you’re having trouble finding a name, you can go to pickydomains.com for help.
Keep Communication Lines Clear
One of the biggest sources of frustration that clients have is the lack of communication or more specifically, the lack of clear communication lines. Spotty internet connection could be the culprit behind this problem, so it’s important that you invest in a reliable internet provider to avoid choppy conversations. Make sure you have sufficient bandwidth to work with. Using video conference systems like Polycom also helps in making communication lines clearer especially with its immersive experience of crisp video and HD audio. However, this application for communicating with your client isn’t enough.
You yourself should also learn how to communicate well and deliver your ideas and thoughts in a way that is easy for the client to understand. This, however, goes both ways wherein you should also learn how to understand and gage a client’s demands, knowing when to shoot down impossible requests yet at the same time offer an alternative solution to a possible problem encountered in a project.
Deliver Quality as Promised
A lot of start up businesses sound like they are filled with a lot of hot air. Lip service is important as they need to build up their reputation and convince clients to take them on. Promises are easy enough to make but words aren’t enough. Businesses need to walk the talk and deliver as promised. Projects should be completed before or at least on the set deadline. Meeting the deadline is important but so is delivering quality. One can’t be without the other. Both must come hand-in-hand together. If you deliver quality on time, then it’s easier to earn client loyalty.
You might even gain more customers through your client’s testimonials. Continue working hard and delivering quality consistently and you’ll build a reputation as a company worth doing business with.
Tiffany Matthews
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Thanks for the post Tiffany. This is all great advise.
Your last point “Deliver Quality as Promised” really hits home for me.
I’ve been in sales and small business management for more years than I care to admit. One thing I see that destroys rapport is the tendency for the inexperienced to over promise (or under deliver). Do what you say and don’t say what you can’t do. Clients appreciate “I don’t know” and I’m not sure, but will find out” a lot more than many would think.
Even if it’s something relatively minor like a pre-arranged sales call to an apparently disinterested or “cool lead”. You WILL be judged by prospects based upon fulfilling this agreement. It’s better that they don’t answer but saw your number on their caller ID than never make the call. “Trust is the Cornerstone of Rapport.”
Thanks again!
These are 3 great tips that new businesses should seriously consider. Another smart tip to help new businesses win their potential clients is to really find time to understand how their clients do business. “What do they want” and “how do they want it” are some of the questions mostly asked. The answer relies in visualizing these questions. Client data should be used and through mapping, businesses can understand what are the needs of their clients and how they can improve their products and services.
Thanks for your comment and liking the post!