How do you make your client list grow? You just take people as they come and let the list grow by itself, right? And over time, you’ve got yourself a full list of clients. Sound pretty easy?
Well, picture your client list as a plant. What happens to a plant if you just let it grow by itself? It doesn’t grow at all. How do you make a plant grow? You put it in the ground, you water it, and you make sure it has the necessary light. You watch over it carefully, remove any weeds that are creeping up on it, and make sure it stays in the proper temperature. You give the plant lots of special attention, and it slowly grows into a full plant.
So why do people just throw their client list out and expect it to grow by itself? All too often, I hear people complain about their client list – that it’s not growing. When I ask what they’re doing to help it, they say they’re too busy to worry about that – that they’re paying attention to more important things.
Here’s the truth. If getting clients isn’t important to you, you won’t get them. Clients aren’t going to come to you, so if finding them is not a priority, it’s not going to happen.
Once you do have clients, your work isn’t done. Remember our plant? Do you stop watering it just because it’s all grown and it’s not going to get any bigger? You don’t – because it will die. The plant still takes work. Even if you’re not gaining new clients, you have to make sure you’re taking care of the ones you do have so they don’t die out.
Working on your client list doesn’t just mean reaching out to new customers, either. One of the biggest ways a client list grows is by referral. Did someone send you a referral that worked out nicely? Keep in touch with that person, and thank them. People enjoy knowing that what they do is valued and important to you. If they know that their referrals are truly appreciated, they’re much more likely to send more referrals your way. And don’t just send a general “thank you” card – everyone does that!
You need to stand out. Take the time to write a note thanking the person for the referral, and letting them know how it went. Stand out from the rest by rewarding your referrals with genuine feedback.
Remember without customers, you don’t have a business! Having a full list of clients should be a priority. Take the time to work on growing and maintaining your list of customers. Once you’ve worked on it, keep working on it more and more! Our plant can receive too much water or sunlight, but your client list can never receive too much care.
Eva Gregory is a master coach, speaker, author and founder of Leading Edge Coaching & Training, where she helps spiritual entrepreneurs integrate Inner Guidance with proven practical business strategies for growing a list of loyal followers who become raving fans, so that they quickly and consistently attract more of their ideal clients, without compromising their Spirit and values. Join her Successful Spiritual Entrepreneur Facebook community here where you’ll receive plenty of tools, resources and trainings on how to grow a successful enlightened business that lights up your Soul!
