Networking. Networking. Networking.
Network with people who are witness to the moment of change in businesses. Businesses need signage when they get created, relocate, expand, get bought out, rebrand, etc. My best referrals come from these people in my network, like:
- Architects
- Builders
- Lawyers who do incorporations
- Printers
- Graphic Designers who do print materials like brochures and biz cards
- Marketing consultants
- Commercial insurance and real estate brokers
- Builders and trades people
- HR/Benefits consultants
- Banks that do small business lending
- Business coaches
Network aggressively. You should be at networking events a few times a week. We belong to several chambers of commerce, networking groups, and attend business-focused luncheons and after-hours meetings. Learn how to break the ice. Be a good listener. Ask questions. If you get some interest, don't be afraid to follow up with that person. Ask for a business card. Following up and solving a customer's problem is very different from being a pushy sales person. If you meet someone like the one listed above, don't be afraid to ask them to send you business. If you wait for someone to come up and talk to you, you're going to be waiting a while.
The best way I get business from people is to ask them to coffee just to talk, but find the RIGHT people to talk to or you're wasting your time. It's not unusual for me to close several thousand dollars in business a week just from networking and word-of-mouth referrals. Mass emails and mailers don't have nearly the ROI as making a personal connection.
When you *do* find a client or get a referral from someone, stay on it. Return phone calls and emails immediately. Turn around your quotes quickly. I love taking work from my competitors when the customer tells me that "Gee, I called X and they never called me back," and I get the business because I called them right back and got them a quote in 48 hours.
A few other tips:
- Post projects on your Facebook page. "Like" your customer's page and share the photos with them. Customer's love in-progress photos. Now your company is visible to everyone else who sees their feed.
- Keep your portfolio of work on your website up to date. Oh, and have a legit looking website. With Wordpress and Drupal, anyone can make a decent looking website.
- Manage the SEO on your website so that you're findable. I just heard from a customer (marketing company) that our SEO sucks, so we're in the process of redoing this.
- Use a CRM system. We use SugarCRM, mostly because it's open source and free. Use it religiously to track contacts and conduct campaigns If you get a business card from someone, drill it into the CRM. Don't have time? Use Mechanical Turk. You can get that stuff done for pennies. It will also do email campaigns like Constant Contact if the server is set up properly. Use email campaigns judiciously. People hate spam. Never create an email campaign to look like a newsletter, because they never get read. Use it to send business correspondence.
- Believe it or not people still use the Yellow Pages and old-school stuff like that. Make sure you're visible where people go when they need business services.
Be a resource for clients and people in your network. Be the knowledgable person who people call when they have problems with whatever. Look at what you're good at - is it IT stuff? Is it sales or marketing? Is it graphic design? Is it simply the sheer depth of your network? If people see you as a resource, they will call you. Take their call or answer your email and provide that assistance, even if there is no immediate work for you. This is called "top of mind." Those people who are top-of-mind will be the ones who get the work when it becomes available.
Most importantly, don't be afraid to work hard. As the old adage goes: "If you want something done, give it to a busy person." Sales is a constant thing - almost 24/7. Some customers only respond to emails at 11:00 PM at night or 5:00 AM. Watch for those. Many times I've heard from customers who say "I'm glad to have someone who works as hard as I do," even though I'm just looking at my phone while I'm watching TV or something. This is all easier to do when you own the business like I do, but then again - this is the speed of business. if you want to be valuable to your employers, prove your worth.
Personally, if I hire someone and pay them out of my own profits I want them to work as hard as I do.
Hope this helps.
Greg
I agree completely.
