‘How do you land big clients’? Particularly the bigger companies out there which want more than just compliance services. Competition for these clients is tough. As I’m sure many of you already know it can be challenging to say the least. Landing those big clients takes a lot of time and hard work but with the right mind set and actions it’s all possible. Read on for some helpful tips…
1. Ask for referrals, don’t wait for them
In an ideal world ALL of your happy clients will spread your name like wild fire. Don’t get me wrong though the majority of your clients will be happy to. However, they are busy and finding you referrals is unlikely to be a high priority on their to-do-list. If you’re finding this to be the case why not give them a little nudge? The best way to give them a nudge is to find them referrals, or involve them in a brainstorming session to identify people you should actively approach.
2. Follow up with lost clients
‘Lost clients’ are clients you may have spoken with or sent a proposal to in the past, but didn’t win the business. Think of a couple of clients you lost say a couple of months back. Why not send them an informal follow up email checking in on how they are currently getting on and if there’s anything you can do for them? This is a great tactic to show your being helpful and show you care about them. Doing something like this can really go a long way, and if it isn’t working out with their chosen supplier could spark a conversation about them using your services.
3. Put yourself out there.
Sitting behind the computer all week in the office is not great for your back or eyes. It’s time to take your work out of the office and attend a networking event or a conference. Why? Because these are places where you’ll find prospective clients mingling. It’s really important to put yourself out there. I know it’s easier said than done, especially when your to-do-list is longer than your weekly shopping list. Getting out within the community and building genuine, solid and meaningful relationships will get your firm’s name out there. Online networking is just as important as face-to-face networking. After all your clients will be networking on-line. The best thing about online networking is that you can virtually do this anywhere at any time, providing you have access to the internet.
LinkedIn is a great place to post articles; you can also get people who are on LinkedIn within your company to share your posts as well. Doing something as simple as this can help grow your connections and you never know could help land you some new business.
4. Write a case study
Case studies show demonstrate to clients that you know your stuff and will be able to help them with similar challenges. A case study usually covers the client, challenges, process and results of a project or engagement. A case study, which shows you work with the larger businesses like them, can be the difference between a prospect making contact or not.
5. Take the softer approach
It sounds counter-productive but what you don’t want to do is immediately start trying to sell to a company. Taking the softer approach can sometimes have a bigger effect than a hard-nosed sales pitch. For example if you see an article or any information you think that would be useful to any of your prospective clients or current clients, why not email it over to them mentioning you think it will be useful information for them. You’ll be viewed as helpful and thoughtful as opposed to a pushy sales person. This puts dividends in the bank for next time you want to reach out.
6. Get Personal
You know the saying it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Making personal connections with well-placed people can really help to increase your success rate. When you are networking, aim to be well rounded and be prepared to talk about things other than business. Sports, Travel, are a few examples of subjects that could help you find a common interest with someone. Go for a drink or meal with them; make a pitch after you’ve shown yourself to be more than just another sales person. You will be far more likely to be fishing on fertile ground.
