- Hey guys, if you're wondering where your next
or first client is coming from then fear no more.
We have 10 proven ways of getting
a client coming up in this video.
- Let's do this, whoo!
(explosion)
We said these were proven ways because they actually are.
We hopped onto the Atomic members group recently
and asked them to share how
they got their very first client.
- There were so many amazing stories
and our members who are just starting out found
that post really, really useful.
So, we thought you may find some of the answers useful too.
- So here we go, here's 10 real ways to get your first
or next client from 10 real businesses.
- First up we had a Roz Kara, here's what she had to say,
"I got my first client locally, she was a florist.
I popped in to see her weekly for about six weeks
until we could verbally agree what she needed.
Then, I took her for a coffee next door
and we signed up a 12 week campaign.
It took persistence, consistence
and I used her closest competitor
as an example of why she needed social media."
I absolutely love that I dunno about you, Pete?
- Amazing. - Six weeks
that was absolute dedication.
Just singling out who she actually wanted to work with
and just trying her best to get that client.
But, it does always take six weeks?
Well, check out this post from Azriel Ratz, he said,
"A friend owned a sushi store.
I showed up one day and said, "you should run Facebook."
(buzzing)
- She should run Facebook.
(laughing)
- Move over Mark.
- I mean we let you, just have
to read out the quotes, it's not hard.
(laughing)
- Take two.
He said, "A friend owned a sushi store.
I showed up one day and said, "You should run ads
on Facebook to get people to come to the store."
He said, "Sure.""
Sometimes it's that simple and you just need to be
a little bit cheeky with the ask.
- Okay, the second way to get your next customer
is from Kelly Noble Mirabella, who says, "First client--
(buzzing)
(laughing)
- All you have to do is read it, Pete.
All you have to do is read it.
- I'm gonna, I did read it actually.
- All you have to do is read it.
(buzzing)
- "First clients came from networking.
Then I did classes locally and got business from that.
Still to this day I get a referral
from classes I taught eight years ago.
Today, I get most of my clients from my YouTube
and Facebook group, just bringing the value.
All right. - Nice.
- That's awesome I think sometimes people run classes
and workshops and they think they gonna
be a good money maker.
In our experience the best way
to use workshops is to actually going on board
other one-to-one clients for other services
where you can charge more for.
And that's exactly what Kelly did.
So, good job Kelly.
- Okay, the third way comes from Della Hudson, she says,
" I hand-delivered a letter to all the businesses
on my local high street and nearby trading estates."
- Nice.
- Love that, I think that's just a really, really simple
but effective way of doing it when you just starting out.
- Next up we have Jen Morrison,
and this is brilliant, check out what she says,
"When I started 'Impressive Babies' in 2005,
a new Ceramic cafe opened locally offering baby's casting,
which were, not very good let's just say.
(giggling)
As I was sitting there in the cafe and a 'new mum'
was asking the manager about casting her newborn son.
When she left, I chased her out the door.
My intro was, "don't pay for his casts, mine are better.
Has he followed me, pretend we know each other."
and I hugged a total stranger in the street
and I am not a hugger.
(laughing)
The manager followed me outside, he was furious!
He knew I did castings.
The 'new mum' totally went along with my story.
We kept pretending we were long lost school friends.
I slipped my newly printed 'Vistaprint' business cards
under the baby's pillow and returned to the cafe.
(laughing)
I arranged to cast her son.
Then we planned an impressive party
and about 12 friends all brought their babies.
Those 12 then told their friends,
who told their friends and so it began.
I'm still friends with Suzanne and her 'Impressive Baby'
is now a great big, six foot tall 14-year old.
I totally recommend chasing people,
chasing potential clients in the street and hugging them."
- That is hilarious.
- Ah-hm. - That is like--
- That's amazing.
- Like the chase and hug technique I think
just doesn't go out of fashion.
- Ah-hm, yeah.
- So, everyone,
everyone should do that. - Should do that.
(squeaks) (laughing)
And Pete just knocked out camera position out of,
it was worth it for the hug.
Feeling loved.
All right, fifth up we have Helen Nurse, Helen says,
" Networking was the key for me at the start of my business.
I would go as much as possible, breakfast, lunch
and evening, even to the opening of an envelope.
I prioritised helping others, introducing people and giving.
I listened carefully to spot aha moments
and then followed up on opportunities religiously."
Absolutely love that, I think networking
can work really well, but you do need to follow up
and follow up religiously.
- Religiously. - Like Helen said.
We did a tonne of networking. - Ah-hm.
- And the follow up is where the actual money comes from,
not eating the bacon sandwiches.
- But networking doesn't always have to be offline.
Check out these two, the first one's from Fiona Mason,
who says, "My very first client was from a Facebook group.
I added a lot of value in the group already.
But when requests for a website developer
or designer came up, I didn't just share
my website or page, like most others.
I would engage them in conversation in the comments
and find out how I could actually help them."
And Laura did the same thing, check this out,
" I networked but all online, networking events scare me."
Yeah exactly, us too.
"And approached potential clients direct
after building a bit of an online relationship."
So, networking could be a great way to get your next client
and it doesn't have to be offline in-person,
it can be online, remember.
But, the key is building those relationships
and it's all in the follow up like Helen said before.
Make sure you follow up religiously.
- Next up check out what Suzanne Allison did,
I really like this one, because it's really, really simple.
Suzanne says, "I got in touch with old contacts
I'd met along my career path and told them
what I was up to, worked a treat."
I think that is a really simple, but effective way
of doing it, if you already have a network
from a past life, then use that network.
Tell people what you are up to now
it can kickstart the next business.
- Next up is Sacha, and she says,
"I got my first client off the back of my course
in April this year which is how the agency developed.
They wanted me to take over the creation and design for them
rather than learning how to do it for themselves."
Of course.
"I put myself out there as an 'expert' in my field
and was invited to speak in groups and over a period of time
I got more and more referrals."
This is great and it almost goes back to
what Kelly was saying with the workshops and classes.
Using that course as a leaching tool,
to actually get those one-to-one clients.
- Okay, next up we have Laura Pearman
and I think Pete, this might be one of my favourites.
- It's my favourite by far.
- This is a really, really good one.
- This is hilarious.
- Laura says, "So, my first business
was a portraiture studio, bricks and mortar.
I stood on the streets near the studio
giving out free pears to passing kids.
On the pears there was a ticket to money off a shoot.
I got my giant family to bring their kids in
and used them as models for all my samples on my walls.
Then, I ran a big online sale, gave shoots away to all
the local schools to use in their fundraising.
I was crazy busy but made no money.
- Wow!
- Okay, the no money thing aside,
I think this is the definition
of just going all out to make your business work
and I absolutely love that about Laura.
Laura will put in the work
and her business is absolutely flying now.
So, I think those pears Laura, were a good idea.
- Ah-hm. - In hindsight,
although it might not have felt like it at the time.
(laughing)
- Next up, we have this incredible one
by Anthony Burns, so let's check this out.
"I sent out emails, typed from my inbox, not bulk email
and then followed them up with phone calls.
It wasn't a nice experience and I'm not
from a sales background and was quite intimidated
by trying to sell it over the phone
and my conversion rate was really low.
But, I hammered away at it, it was that or find a job.
And slowly, but surely I started to get my first customers.
I built up a decent list of warm leads,
but it took six months to convert
the first one to a paying customer.
Don't get disheartened, it will come in the end."
- Love that so much. - Love that.
Now this is absolute dedication,
that's six months of sales calls, that's tough.
- Ah-hm.
- And I think this perfectly epitomises the sheer effort
and dedication that starting a business
and running a business needs.
Sometimes I think that we're just sold this dream
that you know you can just run some Facebook ads
or do email marketing or grow your audience really quickly
with a viral video on social media
and everything will work out
and that you should feel absolutely terrible,
like scum of the earth if you are not a millionaire,
after the first year in business.
- But, I think what all of these examples
have shown today is that sometimes
when we're starting out we have to do the unscalable.
We have to go networking, we have to reach out cold.
We have to send some emails.
We have to run up to people and give them a hug.
(laughing)
- Or give them a pear.
- Exactly, right to get that confidence
to kickstart our businesses and then build up from there.
- I really hope that you found these stories
just as inspiring as we did when we read them.
Guys, can we give them some love
in the comments, all these people.
Thank you so much guys that was really inspiring.
- We do more videos about building
your business every single week.
So, please subscribe if you haven't already.
If you have subscribed, we love you.
- He's been Andrew, and I've been Pete, see you next time.
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