Believe it or not, your best source of new work is something you already have. And if you mine this existing resource, you’ll be on the road to success. In fact, most successful consultants turn to this marketing goldmine to keep their busy practices growing. What’s the secret?
Your existing customers, contacts and fans!
That’s right — the secret to your consulting success is in the relationships you’ve already built, not in some sort of secret lead generation tactic. After all, the clients who’ve already bought into your offering are already on your side. And they’re the people most likely to buy again, buy more or tell their friends and colleagues about the amazing work you do. In fact, even a happy low value client is better than someone who signs on for a one-off project that pays 10 times as much.
Look at it this way. Say you’re doing a $500 job for a very delighted client three or four times a year. Small potatoes, right? And you get a call from a prospective client who’s offering up a one-time $5,000 job. Which is the better job?
Well, if the small potatoes client buys from you over and over, you’ll likely make $7,500 to $10,000 in the next five years — and they may help you land other clients. In fact, if they sell their own contacts on your successes, it may be easier to win those contacts than the ones you turn up yourself. Meanwhile, that $5,000 client isn’t such a hot deal if you never do work for them again.
Of course, in a best case scenario, you make both clients so happy that they buy over and over and rave about you to their networks. So what are you doing to build a network of raving fans?
Related:
Because of the relationships I have had in the past, I have had the oppotunity to work for on my own with incredible results. However, one of the biggest challenges I’m involved in is the growing changes in my enviroment, because those who helped me to find clients are not in the scenario anymore and because of that I had to change the strategy in order to get the economical stability for living… So, I had to get a job in one of the companies of a clients of mine being in charge of the commercial expansion… I’d like to retake my independence but I do not know what direction should I take…
Existing clients and existing networks are my most valuable source of new work. There are fewer hours required to sell into these groups because they already know me, trust me and I am often already on site, able to deliver straight away.
I would be interested in any insights around how to quickly and easily expand these networks.
Andy
Andy:
Yestarday I found an interesting web page (www.affiliano.com) that I think might be useful for your interests.
Best regards,
Juan.