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7 Tips and Tricks to Help You Win New Business

7 Tips and Tricks to Help You Win New Business

So you’ve found yourself in the world of small business ownership. Welcome! Launching a startup company which has the potential to become a big success is exciting and exhilarating. Especially when it’s based on an idea that you have utter faith in.

But how do you get off the ground? You might have a great idea for a product or service, and the money and time to get started, but clients won’t pop up out of nowhere. You need to know how to market your business and how to generate true interest in your product.

Here are our top 7 tips and tricks to help you win your very first client.

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1. Win New Business by Taking Advantage of Social Media

Social media is one of the most important tools you can use to get your business off the ground. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Google+ can all be great jumping off points for new businesses. They allow you the opportunity to get involved in the communities which are directly relevant to your business.

Facebook, in particular, is a valuable asset to a startup company. It’s the most widely used social media site the world over, and offers you the chance to promote your business right into people’s newsfeeds.

You can also join industry-related groups and forums, to create your online presence. The more you post and the more active you are, the more recognisable a name you’ll become. It won’t be long before you begin to generate interest.

2. Attend New Business Networking Events

Networking events may seem stressful or dull, but they’re a very effective way of getting yourself out there. Search online for business or networking events in your community, and really get involved. There are various websites you can use to find events in your area, such as Meetup and Eventbrite.

Don’t go into a networking event specifically trying to search for clients, though. You may find some, but you should make sure you’re socialising with as many different kinds of people as possible. Forge connections within the industries that are related to your business, by helping other people as well as yourself. Some connections that you make at these events won’t be clients themselves, but can help put you in touch with people who may need your services.

3. Send Out Cold Emails To Win Potential Clients

The idea of sending out emails essentially asking for someone to buy your stuff might make you cringe. However, if done correctly, this can be a great way of scoring clients.

There’s one main thing to remember when emailing potential clients. You really have to show that you know them. Take the time to do research on the company or person that you’re contacting. Understand their history, what they’re like, and what they do. Relate what you say in your email back to them, and tailor your pitch to focus on how you can help them specifically.

If you simply send out a bulk email blathering on about your own product or service without personalising it, your email will end up being deleted.

4. Offer Free Trials or Samples to Win New Business

Although there is a limit to this, there’s nothing wrong with offering your product or service for free when you’re first starting out. Clients are understandably going to be hesitant about striking a deal or signing a contract with a company that has absolutely no track record. If you offer them a win-win scenario, you’re more likely to spark their interest.

Consider offering them a free trial or sample of your work. If they like it, and decide it’s worth spending money on, that’s great! If not, they haven’t lost anything by giving you a try. It’s a win-win scenario for them, and if they’re impressed, you could score your first paying client out of it.

5. Liaise With Your New Business Competitors

Don’t think of your competitors as your enemies. Although they might be competing in the same industry as you, they can actually be a useful asset. Try contacting companies that offer similar services to you, and asking whether they have any surplus work that they can’t take on at the moment. Businesses that are very popular don’t always have the time to accept every piece of work that’s offered to them.

If you offer to help them out as a subcontractor, they’ll probably really appreciate the help. Not all companies will go for it, but it’s definitely worth trying – after all, you won’t lose anything if they say no.

6. Speak Face-to-Face When You Can – It Will Improve Your Winning Streak

It’s one thing to email potential clients or contact them over social media. Although it can be effective, by far the best way to make a positive impression is to speak to people face to face. If they can see how enthusiastic, motivated and confident you are in your mannerisms, they’ll become just as excited as you are.

So if you’re able to schedule an in-person meeting with a potential client, rather than dealing with them through email or telephone calls, you should jump at the chance. It may be exactly what you need.

7. Use Search Engine Optimisation For Long term Wins

Our final tip is to learn more about SEO. SEO is a wonderful, powerful thing. It might sound complicated at first – and that’s because it isn’t easy to do right. But once you get the hang of it and understand how it works, it can really boost your online presence.

Consider setting up a blog on your site. Post quality, relevant articles that people are going to want to read. Do bear in mind, though, that mastering SEO isn’t easy. It’ll take you a long time to achieve measurable results. But the sooner you start, the sooner you can get to grips with it! Your best bet? You can hire professional content creators to do the hard work for you, if you don’t have the time to research it yourself. They’ll know exactly how to send your website to the top page of google.

While you’re there, make sure your website looks great, too. Design is very important for first impressions. Ensure that your website also has a dedicated page listing your specific services or products, too – clients may lose interest if they can’t easily find what they’re looking for.

Now you’ve read our top seven tips on how to score your first client, you’ll be making sales in no time. Start applying our advice to your business and watch the magic happen!