Let's face it-everyone makes a sale. From babysitters looking to fulfill a weekend caregiving schedule to public accountants looking for extra work, even non-sales positions require a lot of selling skills in today's economy. Here are some suggestions and instructions for winning over clients and influencing prospects in a variety of situations.
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Method 1 of 3: Attracting Local Clients
Step 1. List your name in the business directory
Look for the local Yellow Pages and create an entry for your business under the services you provide. Many companies create Yellow Pages business directories in newspapers or online, so make sure you find a directory that is specific to your area. Your city or community may also have a smaller business directory devoted to local businesses.
- Join a local Chamber of Commerce or another regional business association. Actively participate in the organization if you have time; Studies show that customers are more considerate of companies that do so.
- Check any service directory terms before registering. Some may require legal age, or limits on the types of services you can list.
Step 2. Remember to include all relevant facts in your ad
Regardless of which method from the options below you will use, you should make sure potential clients have all the information they need to evaluate your business and contact you.
- Include the best and fastest way to contact you, or preferably more than one. Include your email address (email) and cell phone number if you have one and respond to messages quickly.
- In addition to your name and the name of your business, include a brief description of your services. Provide examples of specific tasks you can do.
- Consider including discount information for new customers, clients who have recommended you to others, or anyone who has hired you for a certain period of time. Discounts for one period for multiple customers can be covered by successfully attracting long-term clients.
Step 3. Know local laws
The city government or local police station should be able to tell you what marketing methods are not allowed. In many places, you are not allowed to put flyers directly in the mailbox, and you should check before passing them door-to-door or pasting them on private property.
Step 4. Distribute flyers in appropriate places
Create a simple but attractive brochure to advertise your services. Always include contact information and specific information about the types of work you can do. Think about the best way to distribute it so you don't waste time and money creating useless flyers. Follow the advice above to learn about local laws, and think about where potential clients are most likely to see your brochure.
- If unauthorized distribution in your area is illegal, consider folding the flyer and mailing it without buying envelopes-but don't expect to get more than 5% response if you choose this method.
- Many communities have public bulletin boards that are meant for advertising. This method may be more cost effective if your business attracts only a small group of people, such as flute lessons.
- Local private businesses often provide brochures on their services and events for customers to take with them. Politely ask them to take your stack of flyers rather than just leave them alone. Don't ask a business that provides a similar service to advertise for you.
Step 5. Place an ad in the local newspaper
Look for newspapers that are printed locally and place an ad in the classifieds section. This is a great way to spread your business and doesn't cost too much if the newspaper is local. Try to stand out from similar businesses by offering a discount for a limited time, or mention a specific service that competitors don't offer.
If there are several local newspapers in your area, advertise for a short period of time for each. Ask new clients where they heard about you from and continue to advertise with newspapers that give you good results
Step 6. Make your own business card
Check out this wikiHow article on how to make your own business cards, or find an online service to help you. Keep a stack of business cards in your wallet or in a protective box, and pass it on to your friends, neighbors, or anyone you interact with in the community.
- Use thicker business card paper for printing, and cut carefully with a paper cutter rather than sloppy cutting with scissors.
- Include several ways of contacting you, specifically your telephone and email address, your name, and a description of the type of service you provide.
Step 7. Ask friends, family, and previous clients to promote you
Word of mouth is a great way of local ministry. Ask all your friends to share your contact information or business card with anyone who might hire you. Consider discounting referrals or even once free services for clients that convince others to hire you.
- When starting a business, consider emailing a newsletter to everyone on your contact list who lives in the same area and is on good terms with you. Include a brief description of your services and consider discounting your personal contacts the first time they hire you.
- Ask for permission from past or current clients who value your work to use them as references. You may want to include their compliments in your next advert, especially if they or their business is well-known in the community.
Step 8. Think about your professional appearance
Try to meet the client's expectations. If you're going to a client's house to give tutoring or tech support, you need to dress well and appear responsible. On the other hand, if you garden or do manual work, potential clients may question why you're wearing nail polish and/or a suit.
Step 9. Impress your clients
You will get more referrals and repeat customers if you maintain a professional and positive attitude. Treat every client with respect. Don't interrupt your work to chat with a friend. Come on time or a few minutes early, and let them know if you're going to be late. Try to complete each job to the best of your ability.
Step 10. Consider insuring your business
There are three different ways to protect a client in case of an accident or fraud. If someone knows that you're paying for one or more of these protective measures, they may be more comfortable hiring you. Here is an overview of the process and suggestions for when you should have insurance:
- Insurance for businesses, in exchange for regular payments, will cover the costs of medical injury or other incidental expenses as determined by the terms of your contract. Consider this insurance if you or your employees are at risk of injury to the client's home, otherwise the client's homeowners insurance may be billed for medical expenses-which will not please your client.
- Licenses are only required for certain activities, as determined by local, provincial or state law. If you're not sure whether your business requires a license, contact your city for advice.
- Make bonds if your business has many clients or employees. This gives the government control of a certain amount of money, which uses the money to pay claims against your company in case of damage to client property or other accidents. Advertising your bond number also allows potential clients to view the history of claims against your company.
Method 2 of 3: Finding Clients Online or in Other Areas
Step 1. Make the service as specific as possible
You can't advertise to everyone who needs your website design, tax filing, or any of the services you provide. What you can do is find out the specific benefits of your best-selling service, and consider who would be most interested in that service. If you avoid generic statements and describe yourself as a specialist, then you can focus your marketing where it will bring you the most success.
- If your client is an individual, search databases or the internet in general to find blogs related to your company's services, products, or mission statement. This information will tell you who clients might be interested in, and their specific problems that you can fix.
- If your client is an organization, use advanced search settings in a database such as CrunchBase to narrow down clients by location, type, and other attributes. Once narrowed down to a list of a few dozen or a few hundred organizations, you can get in touch with proposals targeted at their needs.
Step 2. Develop a marketing plan
Before you start advertising or launch a social media campaign, you should sit down and work on a marketing plan. Consider how much money you are willing to spend on marketing, then find out how you can spend it for maximum effect.
- You can learn additional advice by reading this wikiHow article on online marketing strategies.
- The easiest way to evaluate whether your marketing plan is a good idea is to ask other experts. Don't seek advice from direct competitors, but send inquiries to businesses that provide services to the same group of people. If you are a wedding photographer, share your ideas with the florist; if you are a consultant in one specific industry, talk to other consultants who serve the same company with different types of services.
Step 3. Consider your presence on social media
If you believe that online marketing is a good idea, decide whether to use social media, the company website, or both. All social media accounts, blogs or company news should be regularly updated with promotions or news about your company, although you should avoid spamming followers with daily ads.
Step 4. Create content for your personal or company website
As long as it's functional and doesn't look too amateurish, even the most basic of websites is useful for showcasing your past work and making yourself easy for potential clients to find. Also, if you have the resources, create free articles or videos that provide useful information that people will read and share. Doing what you or your employees do best is a great way to promote your service, rather than relying on chain marketing or paying for advertising that is difficult and unpredictable.
- Use search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to increase the visibility of your website.
- Assign yourself or an employee to regularly update your online presence according to the goals and budget of the marketing plan. You may need to set aside additional time and money to create free content that attracts potential clients to your site.
Step 5. Advertise through paid advertising by contacting the owner of the site directly
If you pay to place your ads on other sites, make sure you target them on sites that your clients will visit a lot. Additionally, contact blog owners, online forum communities, or other relevant parties who have an audience of potential clients for your services. They may be willing to direct people to your content or promotions.
Ask clients where they heard about you, or ask them to fill out a survey if you have a large number of clients. Stop the ads that turn out to be not worth the cost
Step 6. Attend conferences your clients are attending
If you are a consultant or other service provider who specializes in a particular industry, attend regional and national conferences that relate to your client's work. In addition to keeping the information up to date in these fields, you can establish connections with potential new clients that you would not normally meet.
Contact the conference organizer well in advance to ask if you can give a speech or presentation, or sit on a panel related to your work. This will increase your visibility even further
Method 3 of 3: Marketing Services to Individual Clients
Step 1. Research potential clients before contacting them
Read the organization's mission statement and spend some time learning it from their website. If the client is an individual, learn more about them from anyone or anywhere you find they could be potential clients.
Step 2. Begin writing a customized statement for the client's needs
Once you know more about a potential client, you should come up with a plan to attract them. List the problems you can fix or the services you provide, choosing the subject most relevant to the job or client's problem.
If someone is hiring a freelancer, read the job description thoroughly. Customize your resume or statement to show exactly what clients are looking for. If they're looking for a specific skill you have, even if it seems minor or on your resume, mention those qualifications
Step 3. Start with a catchy sentence that makes you stand out
Potential clients may receive requests like yours on a regular basis, or they may never consider someone for your services. Here are some ideas to get someone's attention:
- Describe a special skill that other competitors rarely have. Knowledge of obscure programming languages, art forms, or other typical qualifications related to your work can grab a client's attention and impress them even if they don't end up using those skills.
- Name your famous client, or briefly describe one or two of your most impressive accomplishments.
- If you can't compete with fame or specialization, entice clients by offering cheap or free work temporarily. This is a great strategy if you are just starting out and need clients to recommend you.
Step 4. Edit your statement so that it is concise and clear
Your promotional statements or words should only take 2 or 3 minutes to read or listen to, at most. Reduce to 30 seconds if possible. Extra information such as work history or work samples may be included in a separate document for presentation after promotion.
Stay focused on your specific skills and specific proposals for working with the company. Avoid vague or wordy words
Step 5. Once your statement is ready, find out how to contact the client and what you will do next
If you respond to an ad, you must follow the contact instructions included. If you are contacting an organization, ask the reception or general telephone line about who to contact to submit your proposal, and the preferred contact method.
If your place is close by and you're good at in-person statements, try scheduling a private meeting. If you can't, arrange for you to personally deliver the proposal, and include a short handwritten note to show your personal efforts
Step 6. Be professional
Brief details like accuracy, listening to the other party, appropriate language, and a positive attitude go a long way toward signing the contract. Dress well and display your best behavior during interactions. Unprofessional interactions with a secretary or a stranger in the corporate lobby have the same potential to destroy your opportunities as in the executive office.
Step 7. Provide information to potential clients in the proposal
Make sure you include all contact information and any additional information the client needs to make an informed decision. Provide business cards and/or brochures if you are meeting a client in person or sending the proposal package in the mail.
Describing yourself with the wrong title can be detrimental to business. Call yourself CEO or company president if you're in a room full of similar titles. Otherwise, identify yourself as a representative, manager (if you have employees), or a specific title that describes your job
Tips
- People value honesty, candor, and authenticity. Fake boldness, empty compliments, and fake smiles are not the means to get more deals.
- Even if your business adopts a more casual culture, professionalism is still an important component of effective sales. Try to meet client standards, not just your marketing guide or company dress code.
Warning
- Do not be rude.
- Don't make promises you can't keep, and make sure you keep the promises you make. There's no better way to lose a client or get a bad review than to betray someone's trust or not be able to get the job done.
