Getting New Clients

I recently heard the following from a former client of a client of mine: "I had a very good experience working with them, but after the job was done I never heard from them again - so I just never went back," she said.

Hmmm. Before you worry about getting new clients, make sure that you are keeping and growing the existing ones. I learn a lot about my clients' businesses and where there is opportunity for them by asking their clients how they feel about them. Your former clients may not tell you the truth, but they'll tell me.

Clients have short memories and a lot of claims on their attention. And they like to be considered valuable. "There are so many companies out there - for a company to be remembered they have to be in our faces all the time, in a nice way of course," says another customer. If you are not constantly keeping in touch with your old clients you greatly reduce the chance that they will come back. And let's face it, people who've had a positive experience with you in the past are the most likely to be your clients in the future. If you don't let them forget you and what they liked about you.

So I suggest that the first priority for your marketing and sales should be to reinforce the relationships you already have. It's a lot cheaper to reach someone you know who already knows what you can do, than it is to reach someone who's never heard of you and needs to be educated from scratch. Then, when that is taken care of, you can go after new clients.