3 Great Tips for Gaining New Clients

3 Great Tips for Gaining New Clients

1. Networking is a very powerful tool to use to gain new clients. There are several ways to network. 

      A. Networking groups such as Biz to Biz inc. or a chamber group can help you develop relationships within the community and spread the word on what your services and products are that you offer. My business grew 20% just from one Biz to Biz networking group alone. 

      B. Joining your a local community group is another great way to network. For example if you work in a downtown area. Join a downtown group of business’ that help the community and each other grow. It is a great way to meet local business owners and their teams. They are also great business’ to collaborate and cross promote with.  

       C. Local expos or non profit groups looking for business’ to sponsor a table or a spot in their event. This is a great way to get your name out and a chance for people to learn about who you are, what you do, and a great way to give back.

2. Marketing is a must. You are sure to gain new clients If you market yourself or your business. There are many different ways to market, including social media, e-marketing, posting and handing out literature on your services, products, specials, and valuable education tools. It is very important that you have a strong marketing area and are keeping up on it for it to receive the best success. 

      A. Social Media such as Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Google Plus, are great resources to spread the word or information of value on your services or products. 

      B. E-Marketing newsletters, special offers or an article that pertains information of value to your current clients or guests is a great way to gain new clients. Here’s how…If you ask them to pass it on to people they know, it generates a lot of publicity on your business, and the best part is that it’s free. You can incorporate a           contest with them. Example; If they pass it along to someone they know their name gets entered to win something. It could either be a product or service you offer, or something you have cross promoted with another local business on their products or services. Developing a tracking system as proof of them passing it along and you can potentially gain new client information this way as well, depending on the situation. 

      C. Posting and handing out literature within your business or to local networking groups or community groups you are part of could be very helpful. Whether it’s a referral program you have, a special on services or products you are offering or a event you are hosting. Encourage your guests to invite people they know and reward them by offering them an incentive if they do.

3. Customer Service Experience is a great way for your current guests or clients to spread the word about you. If you have a new guest or client and blow them away with your customer service you deliver to them, they are highly likely to return and also tell people they know about you as well.

 

      A. Wow your guests with the way they are treated when they are in your business. 

      B. Make it about them. Keep conversation about them or information that pertains to their service or product. They came in because it’s something they wanted or needed.

      C. Be consistent. Make their great customer service experience consistent. Consistency is key to retention. You would hate to do all the work of getting a new client and then lose them due to inconsistency. 

Experience Matters...Customer Service...Your Perfect Effort

Experience Matters...

Tamara Ackerman

Customer Service 

We all know what a huge impact customer service has on us as a consumer. Wether we are shopping for a product or a service, customer service plays a huge role on our experience at any business. This impact determines not only if we will return, but also what we say to our friends, family members, co-workers, and sometimes clients. If you think of how many people the average person knows, it is quite substantial. So if you can just imagine out of that list of people one individual knows, just how many they are in connection with immediately following either a positive or negative experience at a business. It is estimated to be an average of 50-60 people you know that you come in contact within a 24 hour timeframe. Now say you had 50 guests in your business within one business day. That equates to 2500 responses that may be generated from your business from either a positive experience or a negative one. WOW!!! That just shows you how CRUCIAL it is to make sure that every guest that walks through your door should be treated with the absolute best experience you have.

 I was recently at two different business’ in one morning. The experience I had at each one was entirely different. 

The first one, I was greeted very friendly when I walked in, with eye contact and a smile. They proceeded to walk me back to where my service was going to take place and ask me questions. Next, they took extra time to listen to me as i responded. That followed with the most perfect service I could have ever received there. I had assumed I would have a good experience, but this exceeded my expectations. They nailed this service. It was exactly what I truly was looking for and beyond what I was hoping for. I left the room to head back up to the reception area overjoyed with the outcome of the service. The front desk team member greeted me there once again with a smile, eye contact, and was so friendly as she scheduled my next appointment, and had me pay for my service. I felt as though they were sharing the happiness I was feeling with me. I walked out of this business so fulfilled and excited, I wanted to share it right away with my husband, and a  close friend. I had so much joy that I was spreading it to everyone I walked by on the way to my car. Greeting each person with a "Good Morning" and wishing each of them to "Have A Great Day”! I drove away feeling great to the next errand I had for the day.

As I pulled up to my next place of business, my first encounter was with a coworker standing outside who actually didn’t greet me but rather just looked at me. You know, that look you get from someone as though they are thinking…ugh, someone is here, now what do they want. Only he said nothing. I then entered the front door. The man and woman working inside were talking amongst themselves. There were no words to me, nor did they look at me. I gathered the items I was there to get and proceeded to the checkout. One of the items I was purchasing is very costly, and so I asked the woman at the checkout if they ever go on sale. She said no.  As she was bagging my purchases, I noticed a brochure on the counter with a special they were having, one of the items was the one item I just asked her about. Another one being a special on another item being purchased. Had I known, I would have purchased more than the one item. These are items we carry in my business and go through frequently. I asked her about the item I just asked her about going on sale ever, and she explained these were only for club members. I shop there for my business frequently, and not once have I been asked if I would like to sign up to be a club member. I then asked her what a club member is all about. She responded you need to purchase a punch card. I then asked, what the punch card does. Her response was “You receive monthly specials on products they have for sale, and for every $20 spent you get your card punched and after 20 punches you receive $20 off your order". My response to her, “WOW, Is this something i could purchase?” She said “Yes, any customer can!” I then said “I would like to purchase this now then please.” She then redid my whole order with the purchase of my club member card and gave me a new total, which had saved me 3 times the cost of my punch card. Had I not written my check out already, I would have bought more of these items. I was now out of time, and unable to re-shop at this point. I left feeling un welcomed, unvalued, and as though I was an inconvenience. My feeling of overjoy from leaving the first place became taken from an unsettling feeling now. I wanted to share with my husband, coworkers, friends, and anyone else I felt should know what just happened right away. At this point I wanted to share the extreme difference in the customer service experience received from the one place to another. 

The value I received from the services I purchased and the customer service experience as a whole was more than I could have imagined. I could not wait to tell people I would come in contact with that day, and I did! I also, compared it to the not so pleasant experience I received from the second place that day. The next day at my networking group I told 30 more people during my commercial on customer service. That’s 60 people I actually told  about these two places and the experiences I had in comparison. Can you imagine the effect this could have on both business’. Now, I did not say the name of these business' to everyone. The point was not to wish that a business be announced of any failures. The point was to announce the crucial impact your guests receive in your business and to have this be a reminder to always give your perfect effort. The perfect effort will matter. The perfect effort will make a difference. The perfect effort will grow your customer base and sales inside your business.