Ever wished it wasn’t so hard to get clients?
After all, you’re great at what you do – and your clients rave about you.
But even if you get paid good money for your work, you still need a steady stream of clients to sustain and grow your business.
Most people wonder why they’re a best-kept secret. They wonder why their friends and clients aren’t referring more business to them.
If you’d like get more clients or customers for your business, check out my 5 tips on how to get more word-of-mouth referrals.
I shared these tips with Shelcy Joseph, who published them in a recent Forbes article.
Here they are…
- Ask for help. Oftentimes, we think our friends and colleagues automatically know to send new business our way, but that’s often not the case. They might not know if you’re accepting new clients or are at capacity in your business. Or maybe they’re just really busy and haven’t thought to help you in this way.Make a list of 10 people who can help you connect with your ideal clients. Then send them a personal email, or set up a meeting or phone call to let them know you are actively seeking clients. Don’t send a mass email, as those often go ignored.
- Have a clear target market. It can be hard for people to send you business if they don’t know who you’re looking to serve. If you’re a coach, are you looking to work with busy moms, new entrepreneurs, or established business owners? The more specific you are, the easier it will be for people to send the right customers to you.
- Have glowing client testimonials. When people are recommending you to others, it’s helpful if they can share testimonials or case studies of other people who’ve worked with you. When people see that your past clients rave about you, they’ll be more inclined to do business with you.
- Provide email copy that people can use to refer you. Sometimes someone may know the perfect person for your services, but they’re so busy that they delay reaching out to them. Make it easy by providing people with a sample email they could use to let prospective clients know about your valuable services.
- Incentivize referrals. When people send new clients your way, do something nice to express your appreciation. This could be setting up a formal referral program, where you give them a percentage of the new business they send you. Referral fees for client services can range from 5% – 25%, whether it’s for the initial project or for the lifetime of the client. Other times, people offer a flat, one-time referral fee.
Some people prefer not to receive money in exchange for their referrals. If that’s the case, you could consider offering them some of your services for free or at a reduced rate, buying them a gift you know they’ll love, or taking them out to lunch or dinner.
Go here to read the full Forbes article that expands on these tips.
And now, turning it back to you…what is the next step you plan to take to get more referrals for your business?
Let me know on my Facebook post here. =)
All my best,
Selena
