Recruiting New Clients as a Business Starting Out
Recruiting New Clients as a Business Starting Out Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

Whether your business is online or has a storefront, the most important factor for your success is your customer or client base. But recruiting new clients as a business starting out can be challenging. How do you build enough hype around your business -- something your potential clients have never tried -- to bring in enough to get you started? We have a few ideas.

Know the competition

Find out how your competitors attract clients.

  • What do they offer their clients?
  • What do they do well?
  • What improvements could they make?
  • What will you do differently?

These simple questions can reveal how to attract clients and how you can gain a competitive edge. Look at the competition's websites and gather as much information as you can. Your successful competitors are doing something right, so don't be afraid to copy good ideas.

Know your clients

One, know your competition. Two, know your clients. When you know your clients, you can guide their loyalty. Figure out who your audience is -- something you should have covered in your business plan -- and follow through. Release promotional material with a clear target audience. Aim to make your clients feel welcome in your business. Establish communication on a first-name basis and follow up on sales with an email or a phone call. Check that they are happy with your service. If they aren't, come up with a solution.

Use your immediate circle

If you are a rookie, you probably won't have tons of money to pour into an advertising budget. So don't hesitate to ask friends, family and ex-coworkers to advertise for you. The number of people your immediate circle can reach is sizable. Ask them to spread the word, post flyers and share on social media.

Have an active online presence

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It doesn't matter what your business is, it should have an online presence. Create a Facebook page or group, use Instagram and, perhaps, start a website. Use these social channels to promote your business and highlight special offers and new lines. If a client posts a question or comment, reply promptly and politely. If you get negative comments, address the problem. Interaction makes you real to potential customers and makes them more likely to give you their business.

Launch an event or a soft opening

Curiosity may have proverbially killed the cat, but it will also attract people to your business. Build this curiosity by organizing a launch event. Advertise through local channels and social media. If you're a restaurant, post pictures of the food and drinks you'll sell to get people's mouths watering. A soft opening will also let enough people in that onlookers will want to go in and explore themselves.

Become part of a community

Make an effort to connect with the community you're in. Offer to advertise a local non-competing business in exchange for the same. Become a sponsor of the local radio station. Participate in farmers' markets and local artisan events.

Try to avoid groups that have a contentious platform. This move may immediately put off a large demographic, and you can't afford to lose clients before you gain them.

Discounts and promotions

Offer incentives for first-time customers, but make sure you can afford to do this first. A new business faces many expenses, so you don't want to lose money on your promotions. Also, don't give too much of a discount. A returning customer who then pays the actual price might question the difference.

Referrals

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Use your first-time customers as your sales team. You may have seen banks use this tactic. If you refer someone to open a bank account with that bank and they do, the bank will pay you a small reward. Do the same with your customers. Offer them a discount if they return with a new client.

Know your business

This may seem obvious, but it is surprising how many people don't know what they can and cannot do. Let's take a new restaurant as an example. A restaurant has a limit on how many clients it can comfortably handle. If Alfie's new restaurant can accommodate 50 diners, but 100 turn up on opening night, then 50 people will be disappointed. Bad news travels faster than good. Do not overstretch yourself. Work within your limits and grow when and where you can.

Final thoughts

Step one, bring in first-time customers by building curiosity. Step two, make a great first impression. Step three, see their referrals bring in new customers. What once seemed like an impossible task is now easy as pie.