In an article a while ago I asked the question ‘Who is your ideal client’?  When I see business owners spend money on marketing without knowing exactly who is their ideal client, I ask them to slow down and close the purse strings (just for a while).

Identifying who we sell to and who is a profitable client or customer is the most importanttime we can spend on our business.

There are three ways to make more money in your business as I’m sure you’re well aware.

1 Sell more to your existing clients

2 Sell to new clients

3 Increase your prices

How you interact with your clients and whether you interact regularly will affect your business. You may be using some of the following;

Newsletters, e-zines, blogs, web updates, linkedIn articles or facebook posts to stay in touch with your client base.  Maybe you use all of these or one or two of them. Maybe your business does not need to reach out to customers because you are attracting new clients through a consistent source of referrals. If so, that’s great. Keep up the good work.

If, on the other hand, you’re looking to grow your client base, then using some of the social media methods above may be an option for you. Let’s park GDPR for today and only focus on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram as examples.

By using these methods to stay in touch with clients what you will achieve is;

Attract more of your ideal (profitable) clients;

Let clients know about other services you offer; and

Create an online relationship for the longer term by sharing information and knowledge.

I’m not suggesting online relationships are anywhere close to a real relationship or meeting face to face. Meeting people in person is always my first priority but in order to potentially meet more people or for people to get to know a little more about me, creating content online and sharing a piece of your story, is a great way to start a new relationship.

If you don’t feel you have the time or the skills to create your own content, there is always help at hand. Suzanne May of Story Gem is a content writer. Basically, Suzanne can listen to what you want to communicate to your clients and write an article, blog or newsletter (as well as updating content on your website regularly).

I enjoy writing and for that reason, I’ll always find the time to fit it in. I know many people who don’t enjoy it though.

I talk a lot about time management. For that reason, I believe if someone can do a better job than you at something that isn’t your core strength, but needed for your business, you should hire them if you can afford to. Spend your time focusing on what makes you money and looking after your clients in other ways.

Remember creating content and blogging should always create value for your clients. Don’t spend time telling your customers how great you are. Focus on your clients needs and wants and how you can resolve their issues.

Use examples of issues that have arisen and issues that others face in their sector and what you recommend to help them overcome these issues.

Spread your focus a little from just your core business. Share some stories about staff or successes in your clients’ sector and don’t be afraid to show a little personality while doing so.

People buy from people. They want to know about the person behind the company or the service. What do you value and how do you connect with your clients?

Communicate regularly without spamming. Add value and share information you feel your customers will benefit from.

Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, “What’s in it for me?” [Recently seen on Brian Tracy’s page on LinkedIn]

If you are unsure who your ideal client is or who you are trying to attract, spend time reviewing last years sales list. Work out profit level per customer if you can.

Only by knowing who you are trying to attract as a client or customer can you write articles, blogs or newsletters to these people to ensure they learn more about your business and hopefully buy more from you.

For more information or to talk to me, email wendy@williamsmerrigan.ie and set up a call or meeting.