Ten Tips for Finding New Sales Leads for Your Home-Based Business
Most home-based entrepreneurs are so busy dealing with the day-to-day challenges of their businesses that they don't have time to cultivate and win new customers. But most businesses simply won't survive if they don't actively seek out new customers. If you want new customers and clients, you need to spend time and energy in marketing.
Here are 10 tips on how to look for and find new sales leads:
- To market, to market. First identify your target market and the unique solution your product or service has to offer. Don’t try to be everything to everybody.
- Make a plan. Don't approach your marketing plan haphazardly. You can't wait for new clients to come to you, even if your business is doing well. Schedule times to do specific marketing tasks, such as making cold calls, attending networking events, and looking for new markets on the Internet.
- Create alliances with influencers. If you are an accountant, for example, a local Web designer may be helping launch new businesses, and can refer the new business owner to you for your services. Seek out informal partnerships such as these that can recommend you to prospective clients.
- Offer incentives. Let friends, colleagues, and family members know you are actively seeking new clients and offer incentives to them for recommending you. You can give them certificates to their favorite store, tickets to a play, a trip to a spa, or a small percentage of the signing fee.
- Track results. Since your time is precious, you can't afford to waste it on ineffective marketing tactics. And you will only know which tactics are effective by tracking their results. Track exactly how many clients come in from each marketing tactic, and use only the ways that are most efficient.
- Collateral materials. It pays to create and distribute brochures and other materials that describe you and your firm. They tell potential clients what you do, how you do it, why you're good at it, and the types of clients you work with. The best brochures are written from the client's point of view and always tell prospective customers what's in it for them.
- Making contacts. Engage in professional activities, such as joining professional associations, giving speeches, or teaching a course. This will elevate your credibility and stature in the field and introduce you to people who may need your services. Speaking at seminars and workshops helps get you recognized as an expert in your field, enhances your reputation, and increases your visibility. All this adds up to a larger pool of potential customers.
- Community service. Sitting on boards of directors for nonprofits or performing volunteer work can help introduce you to influential people, both in and out of your line of work. If you make the right impression, these people could be potential clients or referral sources.
- Expert advice. Write an article and submit it to a publication that is read by your target market. Newsletters also give you an opportunity to demonstrate your expertise and give your readers useful information at the same time. The newsletter is a constant reminder to your customers that you are in business and interested in helping them.
- Personal follow-up. How actively you choose to follow up on the leads you generate will depend on how busy you are and how aggressively you want to seek new customers. Just remember that the more follow up you do, the more effective your marketing program will be. Your main objective in following up with a phone call, email, or mailing is to get clients and prospects to talk. Find out what they need, and let them know how you can fill that need.
