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| Marketplace |
|---|
What say you?
Do you take on friends/family as customers?
14% - Sure! The more the merrier.
57% - Sometimes, but tread with caution
28% - No, best to avoid wherever possible
Marketing | Attracting new business
Once your solo business is up and running the next focus is attracting new
business. One of the best ways of attracting new business is through business referrals.
As well as looking at specific ways of getting a business
referral, this section also includes information on building rapport,
building
relationships and choosing
the right customers.
Using your voicemail message to get new clients
29 Mar 12Deborah JacksonYour voicemail message or answering machine message may be the first contact a prospective client has with your business. Here’s how to make it work hard for you. Read more
Comments: 2Niche marketing: How and why to choose a niche
29 Feb 12Deborah JacksonStanding out from the pack and making prospects sit up and notice you is easier when you have a niche. You know that already – so what’s stopping you from niche marketing? Read more
Comments: 7Are you really ready to attract new business?
11 Oct 11Robert GerrishIn a conversation with one of my coaching clients this week, I was reminded of a simple strategy I learned years ago, but had filed away in my mind. See what you make of it. Read more
Comments: 22Self promotion: Blow your own trumpet
25 Aug 11Robert MoormanRegardless of how passionate we are about our businesses, many small business owners are reluctant when it comes to self promotion. Why is it so hard for us to share our stories? Read more
Comments: 13What’s your distribution strategy?
10 Aug 11Russell DymondDo you sell your products direct to the end user, or distribute them through resellers? Could changing your distribution strategy help grow your sales? Read more
Comments: 10Reaching those who count
24 May 11Robert Gerrish"Don’t count the people you reach, reach the people who count." It’s a classic saying, but with today’s focus on accumulating followers, has it become outmoded? I don’t think so. Read more
Comments: 12Send sales through the roof using social proof
09 May 11Lucinda LionsIn the psychology of persuasion, the phrase ‘social proof’ refers to the way other people’s actions guide our own. Here’s how you can use social proof to increase your sales. Read more
Comments: 17Podcast: Seven top marketing initiatives
15 Jan 11Tim Reid and Luke MoultonTimbo and Luke share the top seven marketing ideas that performed the best for their business in 2010. Read more
Comments: 4Generating word of mouth referrals
29 Sep 10Jo MacdermottReferrals are one of the most effective ways of getting sales, and cost you virtually nothing. So how do you go about generating word of mouth referrals? Read more
Comments: 5How to prevent business referrals from going wrong
16 Aug 10Amanda GonzalezIt’s a lovely feeling knowing others think enough of us to make business referrals. But no matter how good their intentions, it’s not always a great fit. Read more
Comments: 6Righting business referrals gone wrong
26 Jul 10Amanda GonzalezGenerating business referrals is the ultimate in marketing. They’re credible, powerful – and they’re free. But how do you undo the damage when referrals go wrong? Read more
Comments: 2Build business by running an event
26 May 10Peter ChalyEver thought about running an event as a way to build business? Here are 10 reasons why you should. Read more
Comments: 26Attract better, more lucrative clients
11 May 10Robert GerrishWouldn’t it be wonderful if you could attract better clients and increase your fees? Well it may not be as difficult as it sounds. Read more
Comments: 19Evaluating potential business opportunities
07 Dec 09Peter CrockerWhen you run your own business, you’ll inevitably be presented with great-sounding opportunities by prospective partners. But beware, most of what glitters is not gold. Here are some strategies for evaluating potential business opportunities. Read more
Comments: 16Getting new clients with a ‘bait piece’
26 Nov 09Charles CuninghameThe free information offer is one of the most effective on and offline marketing tactics for getting new clients. Here's how to create a cheap and versatile educational "bait piece" that you can use to increase the effectiveness of your marketing. Read more
Comments: 7New business and going to the movies
04 Jun 09Bronwyn SimmondsBefore seeing a movie I’ll browse the poster, watch the trailer or ask a friend what they thought before paying to go and see it. Understanding this process can work wonders when thinking about attracting new business. Read more
Comments: 5How to attract clients
15 Apr 09Robert GerrishMy guest in this video interview is business attraction specialist, Richard Woodward. He works with organisations seeking sponsorship and helps businesses grow their client list. Read more
Comments: 6How to meet and greet potential clients
19 Mar 09Karen MorrisThe meet and greet is the business world’s equivalent to a job interview. The process of meeting potential clients can make even the most fearless of us break into a sweat. Read more
Comments: 6Boost referrals with a memorable introduction
02 Mar 08Robyn HaydonPositive word-of-mouth is the main source of new business for many soloists, and networking is a good way to build it. But people have to remember you to refer clients, so how you introduce yourself to people you meet is important to boost referrals. Read more
Comments: 28The easy way to speak to target prospects
11 Feb 08Robert GerrishThis one’s for those who love speaking, but struggle to find an audience; hate speaking, but know people; or simply don’t have anything very interesting to say. It’s a straightforward strategy to target prospects and I think you’ll like it. Read more
Comments: 23Choosing the right customers
06 Sep 07Robyn HaydonMost of us see the decision to buy as the customer’s. But us soloists are, to a degree, defined by who we do business with, so our part in the decision is equally important. This short exercise will help you to focus on choosing the right customers. Read more
Comments: 5Winning new business: How to avoid the giving trap
07 Aug 07Robert GerrishThere’s you in pursuit of winning new business, all excited by the prospect landing a star client. You’ve spent months, even years, perfecting your policies and procedures and as quick as a flash you shoot yourself in the foot by giving stuff away. Read more
Comments: 13Winning new clients: How to get the gig
19 Mar 07Robert GerrishI recently received an email from Sylvia, a coaching client, which prompted me to write on the important topic of winning new clients. Read more
Comments: 5The art of getting a business referral
17 Oct 06Megan ToughEvery business needs a few influential people willing to speak glowingly about what you do and regularly send a business referral or two your way. Here’s how to cultivate these gems so both parties get great value from the relationship. Read more
Comments: 3More to building rapport than meets the eye
28 Aug 05Richard WoodwardWhen I introduce the subject of building rapport to clients I sometimes get the response “It's okay, I get on fine with people” and a look that says “no need to cover that, let's move on”. Well, not so quick! Read more
Comments: 2Increasing sales by building relationships
11 Aug 05Richard WoodwardIn the pursuit of new business, do we sometimes focus too much on increasing sales and not enough on building relationships? Read more
Comments: 2Attracting prospective new clients
12 Jul 05Richard WoodwardUnderstand what makes your prospective new clients tick and you're on the way to doing business with them. Read more
Comments: 5
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Small Business is Australia's fastest growing sector – this business community site was created for those running a small business of one to five people. Here the solo and micro business owner will find small business forums, a small business directory, free resources, help, tips and advice on: starting a small business; working smarter when working from home; effective small business marketing; small business networking; the solo psyche; staying balanced as a small business owner; small business technology advice and small business finance tips.
