50% of marketers have lead generation as their number one goal for marketing campaigns.
Let’s face it: it’s challenging to get your first client.
Most lead-generation processes can be tedious. And many new businesses and startups need to learn how to find their customers. They’ve heard things and jumped into trying them out without giving them a second thought.
With determination and a drive to succeed, you have the power to create incredible products and services that can change the world.
But don’t forget: Acquiring clients is just as crucial for your business to stay afloat.
Your business will remain profitable and reach its full potential with a solid customer base.
Whether you’re an established business or just starting out, learning how to get clients can be the best skill you’d develop.
In this article, you’ll learn how to find your first client in a week or less. We’ll also share some tips for developing the mindset of a business owner who successfully acquires new customers. As a result, you’ll be able to replicate the process to the point where you’re running a six-figure-a-month business.
Client Acquisition: An Overview
“I got lucky because I never gave up the search. Are you quitting too soon? Or are you willing to pursue luck with a vengeance?” — Jill Konrath
Client acquisition is the process of getting new clients for your business. When we speak of client acquisition, we refer to finding the right clients, nurturing them, and converting them.
A well-planned client acquisition strategy is a big help to your sales team. When you bring the right high-ticket client, nurturing and closing them becomes more straightforward.
It’s crucial to remember that developing a perfect client acquisition system takes time. You may ask for help, but you should never give up, especially if your product or service has a market fit!
How To Get Your First Client? 4 Effective Ways
Running a business is a challenging task, especially when it comes to learning how to find customers. With the right approach and persistence, you can increase your chances of success.
Here are the four effective ways that’ll help you find your first client:
1. Ask Your Family, Friends, Or Network
There’s a proverb that says that charity begins at home. Friends and family are the most overlooked places for getting a new client. When deciding on marketing strategies for how to get more clients in the beginning phase of business, some people are already looking too far ahead.
They might think that the best way to land new clients is to go for paid ads straight away. But actually, there are already existing resources where you could tap into a community of interested people.
So, when deciding how to get clients, don’t forget your friends, family, and other networks.
If you observe any MLM company, they ask their members to sell to their friends and family. This is because your family and friends trust you even though they may not trust the product you’re selling.
Two questions that clients ask themselves:
- Can they trust you as a person?
- Can they trust your product or service?
When you are already trusted by your family and friends and other social groups you may be in, your chance of being able to land a client is high.
2. Focus On Delivering Results
When you deliver on your promises, you build your brand’s reputation and earn better chances to repeat business and referrals.
Most clients don’t care how you do it unless you do what they expect. However, it would help if you keep communicating with your clients and updating them on the project’s progress.
It’s ethically correct and improves your brand’s customer experience (CX).
3. Make A Case Study Of That Experience
One of the best ways to communicate how your service/product can benefit your prospects is by showing case studies of success. A case study demonstrates how a business strategy was implemented and provides insight into a specific industry or market.
To make a case study, ensure you document the entire process of servicing your first client. Documentation can be in any form — written, video, or screenshots. That way, after you land that first client and have these assets to prove their success, you can show it later to new clients.
Showcasing case studies can help your clients in the following ways:
- They’ll be able to build trust and confidence in your abilities which is required for long-term work.
- They’ll understand what challenges you faced and how you overcame them.
- They’ll be able to see the great results you brought for the previous client.
4. Leverage The Framework For Future
The steps mentioned above will help in getting your first client. And it’s only the beginning. Once you find your first client, keep the ball rolling by deciding on how to get more clients through a clear plan.
In other words, use the framework for the future. Use the knowledge and experience you’ve gained to fine-tune your approach and make it even more effective.
Also, do some feedback collection and client testimonials and showcase them on your landing pages (wherever applicable).
Get First Clients: Don’t Cold Call
A cold call or email might not work effectively for getting the first clients for B2B businesses. The reasoning is simple: with little or no social proof to back up your company’s quality, it will be harder than cold-calling at a later phase of your business development.
They’re likely going to ignore your outreach efforts. To grab your client’s attention, there has to be some affinity.
It would help if you focused on building relationships with your audience, creating valuable content, and relying on your network to get the first clients for your business in a week or less.
Cold calling and cold emailing aren’t bad – they can actually be really effective when done well. But you need a very good strategy in place, so it’s often not what we recommend to new entrepreneurs without some training and guidance. To learn more about cold calling techniques, check out this article next.
Client Acquisition: Some Other Tips To Keep In Mind
Boost Your Confidence
“Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” — George Bernard Shaw.
If you’re just starting out, confidence can be an issue. Most entrepreneurs fear going all in for various reasons, mainly due to the lack of confidence.
- What if there were better products and services?
- How will the market respond to my products and services?
- Is someone willing to hire my company?
It’s human nature to have doubts about oneself. Remember that you can’t know unless you experiment. There’ll always be better products and services, so you shouldn’t worry about other businesses. Stay focused on your clients’ needs, and you’ll be on the right path.
Network Strategically
You have heard that your network is your net worth. And to quite some extent, this is true. Most of the time, businesses find their first client in their network.
But this begs the question — is mindlessly networking going to help you? Apparently, not.
You should network strategically. For instance, on your LinkedIn profile, you should only connect with people with some sort of common ground with your business.
If you’re a marketer and connect with a college engineering student, there are lesser chances you’re going to get any benefit. You should network with the buyer persona of your business to get first clients.
Also, it would be best if you networked by attending events and fests that matter to your industry. You will get to meet many people — some might turn into clients, and others might help you expand your business with collaboration.
Use Social Proof To Your Advantage
Humans are social beings. We trust the majority as it makes us feel certain. Leverage this psychology to your advantage. How?
After you get first clients and service them well, ask for their testimonials and feedback. Request them to rate or endorse you on social media like Facebook and LinkedIn. They can also write a Google review about their experience working with your business.
The best form of client testimonial is video. You can ask them to record from their phone and then use that testimonial on landing pages to convert more leads.
Also, you can share these testimonials on your social media to build trust with your followers.
Leverage Your Network
Once you build your network strategically, put the good word out about your business. Create content that people want to share and post on social media.
On professional platforms like LinkedIn, people are always looking to connect with service businesses that can help them. Learn how to use LinkedIn for business to get first clients for your business.
Ask them for a referral if you have completed a project successfully. If they are happy with the results, chances are they’ll mention your service in their network. This is a simple and cost-effective (free!) way to think about how to get more customers.
FAQs: How To Get More Customers
How long does it take to find your first client?
There’s no fixed amount of time to find your first client. It depends on various factors, such as the type of your business, the audience you’re targeting, your marketing, and your message. For some companies, it can take a few days or weeks. For others, it could cost months or even longer.
How can I get clients quickly?
Working out how to find customers can be a long process. The more you optimize this process, the quicker you can get clients. You can automate and delegate the functions which don’t require your intervention and shorten the cycle. For example, you can use Zapier to set automation which will book a call automatically on your Calendly without requiring a human.
How do I get my first client with no experience?
When you have no experience and are just starting out, ask your friends and family to spread the word about your business to get first clients. Also, you can offer a free trial on your services or take small projects to build your portfolio and collect client testimonials. You can also collaborate with other established businesses to reach new clients. Our article above on how to find clients will help business owners, whether they’re a beginner or seasoned professionals.
Wrapping Up: Get First Clients
These are some of the most effective methodologies to find your first client. Use them to acquire clients while documenting the process. Later, analyze the process and figure out what worked and didn’t.
Thousands of clients are looking for your help. You need to reach them. Finding new clients is an ongoing process. And you have to change and adapt as the world changes. If you need help getting your first clients, let us help you. We at Scaling With Systems build effective client acquisition systems that will bring new leads every month. Our methodologies have helped hundreds of businesses and generated millions in revenue. Book a free consultation call with us, and someone from our team will be there to handle all your queries in no time.
