4 Time-Tested Tips for Finding Clients as a Writer, Business Owner Or Sales Professional

Dude, Where’s My Profit?

We’re in business to earn revenue.

Incur wealth. Boost ROI. Draw income. Turn a profit. Count Benjamin Franklins.

But, oh boy it’s hard these days.

If you’ve been in business or in charge of getting customers to a business, you most likely agree. Businesses are more reluctant to ease up on their budgets and pass their dollars on to you.

Clients are realizing the “buyers’ market” which threatens the livelihoods of the small business, independent contractors and freelancers.

So what shall you do going into 2015?

How can you stand out from the crowd and stop spending time without results to show for it? 

Learn how by taking a look at the following tips:

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1. Erase “Me” from your Mind

W.I.F.T.- “What’s in it for them,” is your new mantra. Most people looking for leads think quite the opposite. What do most people  disguised as business owners, entrepreneurs and employees want nowadays?

Income

So your job becomes leading the tribe through the flaming sands of Moneydom. Prove you can help them earn more money, or at the least guide them down the right path to do so.

Once you begin thinking one-sided; wondering how you’ll milk the cow and run to the bank, it won’t work. Self-gratification must go out the window albeit for the foreseeable future.

The focus is now your prospects. Your potential clients. Your future income streams. Soon-to-be referral partners.

Treat them right. And proceed to #2 to learn how…

2.Make an Offer That’s Tough to Refuse

Conduct ample research into the companies you’re looking to target. This may take a long time. But find something you can offer of value; something that can stand alone as a product or service.

Make them think you are crazy as hell for offering such value.

When you imagine your terms & conditions, you should tremble and quench a bit. If not, your offer is WEAK.

By offer, I don’t necessarily mean the product or service; I’m referring to what YOU offer to unknown parties, to demonstrate your expertise (or the lack thereof).

So how do you conjure up the perfect “offer”?  

RESEARCH.

For instance, I spend roughly 15-30 minutes researching a potential client. Even if the potential to do business with them measures up to a whopping 1 out of 100…

…or even less.

You never know where your next win-win relationship will come trickling in from, so it’s best to go the mile initially and stand far beyond the pack.

Because the pack is full of copycats who take the path of least resistance. The path that takes the least persistence.

• Plan your sales funnel and follow-up plan.
  
• Start working out the kinks NOW.
  
• NOTE: A sales funnel is not a “contact us” button floating on your homepage.
• It needs to be a thoroughly planned system of providing value while “lead nurturing” and staying on their top-of-mind until you win their trust.

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3. Pick Your Weapon of choice.

Telemarketing? Do you hate picking up the phone and dialing as much as I do? I absolutely despise it, but I’ll tell you from experience that it works.

And numbers don’t lie. Check out the infographic below to see why.

How about email marketing? Email is responsible for selling more than many other channels combined. Many are making big bucks using it. Can YOU?

What about social media? Social media is so-so in its effectiveness for my business, but many people are killing it using social. If it works for some, it can work for you.

For instance,  I recently started using Facebook for advertising, and I must admit the ROI is enormous, even for a newcomer such as me. So I can attest that the platform itself has potential, not necessarily your plan.

So let’s get into how to use either of those options to increase your customer/client count.

A. Email marketing

Create a short email from 100-120 words long. Here’s the structure:

• Who you are or why they should bother reading further
• What you can do for them
• What you want from them, or what you want them to do
• Recap and “thank you,” followed by contact info

 B. Social media

Introduce yourself to the company or person you’re interested in contacting. Let the person know what you can do specifically to help them make more money or reach their goals, and how you will do it.

If your offer is powerful enough, you’ll hear back. However, even if your offer is amazing, chances are you won’t get a response. People are busy, so be sure to follow-up and reach out to a large number of people.

It IS a numbers game, after all.

C. Telemarketing

Create a longer script that uses the short script as a start to “get into the door.” Telemarketing sucks but it works. In the days of everyone doing the same thing online to attract business, treading the not-yet-walked path works well. It takes a large sample size but it brings results.

D. Analysis Paralysis

This is where nothing gets done and you plan forever until you find the perfectly-molded, foolproof strategy with a 1,000% chance of success. You can die of starvation soon after.

4. Follow-up and Continue Adding Value

Don’t become the atypical:

“Hi, Mr. Boss, I’m still here with all of my wonderful skills. Just reminding you of how I am here if you need anything.”

Imagine if I sent YOU an email once every week, mumbling such jumble.

Wouldn’t you hit the delete button whenever you saw my name? Without even reading the actual email? Or would you avoid answering my phone calls? You’d “un-follow” me pretty quickly—huh?

Add value by actually taking the time to help your prospect. Offer something that makes them money if possible.

Or point them in the right direction to do so.

Still waiting on the magic bullet?

There isn’t one. Just boring, repetitive, mundane, monotonous, ego-busting work.

That actually works.

By Jarvis Edwards