In terms of your approach to attracting new clients and then keeping them, there should be 5 phases to your marketing and sales plan:
- Raising awareness – develop an integrated approach to your marketing activities, i.e. do a mix of activities such as social media, attending networking events, local/trade adverts, sponsorship, seminars etc. The key is to implement activities using marketing channels that your target audience is likely to see and use.
- Lead generation – apply a more direct and targeted approach to develop relationships with your prospects, leading to the opportunity for 1-2-1 meetings. For example sending mailings, emails and making follow up phone calls to specific people or businesses you’d like to have as clients. A proactive referral system with clients and third party introducers is also a very effective way of generating enquiries.
- Listening and understanding – when you’re speaking to a prospective client, it’s imperative that you listen more than speak. Get to know them, understand their issues and spot ways in which you may be able to help them.
- Conversion – close the sale, sign the agreements, ship the goods and/or start working with the new client.
- Advocacy – get clients to share their experiences and the benefits they have achieved as a direct result of your involvement. Ask them for referrals to other people they think would also benefit from your products or services.
These stages are not independent from each other, but by following such a process your marketing activities will gather momentum and help you sign up more new clients and create brand ambassadors from your existing ones.