From Small Business Marketing Workshop Blog.
It can be a real struggle for many small businesses to find new clients. One of the most common things we hear small business owners say is that they don’t know where to find potential clients. That can definitely be a problem, BUT not knowing where to find clients is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the constant struggle to find more clients.
Here are three common mistakes small businesses make that keep them constantly looking for clients.
1. Try to be everything to everyone!
We know, you want clients, ANY clients. So, you try not to exclude anyone. Your services are just right for everyone, and everyone can benefit from them. In your website, or when you’re talking to people you try to be everything to everyone.
2. Don’t have a plan
So you know where your business is today, and you probably have an idea of where you want it to get to. But how do you get there? Many small businesses jump in headfirst without coming up with a plan. They try lots of things, but wonder why they’re not having as much success as they expected. What you need is a marketing plan!
A marketing plan is like a roadmap that tells you how to get where you want to go. It helps you define the how, when, where….and is an actionable plan.
If you take the time to put together a marketing plan you’ll think about (and probably research!) where to find your ideal clients. This is usually a brainstorming exercise where you come up with a big list of possible places you might connect with potential clients, then narrow it down to the best ones. So you’ll have a big list of places you might be able to connect, and you can try them one by one if you like.
A marketing plan makes you think of the big picture and the small details.
3. Talk about yourself too much
Be very, very careful not to talk too much about yourself, or in the wrong place. ie. The homepage of your website should NOT begin with information about your company; when it started, all the good work you do, etc.
What do people really want to know? They want to know what you can do for them. Notice we didn’t say “what you do”? You should always focus on the problems you solve. ie. if you’re a Massage Therapist you don’t just “give massages”, you reduce stress, relieve pain, etc. Save the information about your company for your website’s “About” page. (where people really DO want to find out more about you!)
There are certainly lots of mistakes you can make as a small business, and we at the Small Business Marketing Workshop in Toronto want to help you avoid them! We’re excited to be able to help more small businesses in Toronto find more clients, and grow their business.