Five Ways Towards Finding and Landing Paying Clients

How to Attract Paying ClientsIt doesn’t matter whether your business is a virtual or a bricks and mortar business, if you don’t have any customers you don’t have a business. You must have engaged clients to have a true business. Of course the name of the game in any type of business is to make money! Many people try to start an online business, they do a lot of planning and learning but they never are able to move to that next level and actually find paying clients.

Landing paying clients for your virtual professional business at times can seem very daunting. Building a list is actually easy…but having a list of customers who are actually paying clients totally another story. Are you ready to go to that next level? If so follow these five tips you’ll soon find yourself with a full list of active paying clients.

1. Create a Professional Profile

It all starts with your professional profile. Remember clients don’t buy your products because they want them. They can probably find it offered by someone else online. They buy it because of you. You have to build trust with them. If they find you trustworthy and are happy with the products you sell them, they will return for more.  So you have to start out with writing a profile about yourself, it is really just an online resume that you will use on all your all your social media accounts, especially linkedin.com and also on your website. It will show what you have done, and what you have to offer in terms of experience. Try doing it in clear bulleted points and an explanation. Ensure that your all profiles on all your social media accounts are accurate, professional and complete. Don’t forget a nice professional head shot, because trying to be anonymous on the internet no one will ever take you seriously.

2. Create a Professional Website or Blog

Working virtually requires a certain amount of technical skills one of which is the ability to showcase your work virtually. The best way to do this is to build a professional website or a blog that showcases what you’ve done and what you’re doing. You can easily build a one that looks pretty great using templates offered on self-hosted WordPress, it is the one of the most used website building platforms in the industry. If you are uncomfortable with technology, you can easily outsource the task to others, up and running quickly. However in the long run you should take the time to learn how to use the WordPress comfortably. There are many free tutorials on the internet showing you how.

3. Ask for Testimonials & Recommendations

Even if you never have worked virtually before, ask people you know or have worked for to provide testimonials and recommendations for you. Simply if you don’t ask, you won’t get them. Make it a habit of asking every person you know for a recommendation. It doesn’t matter if you’ve done actual paying work for them, you may have assisted on some project at work or for school, or even given them some sort of advice that helped them in some way, or volunteered to work with a particular group or at a function.  Just politely ask them to give you a testimonial and a recommendation.

4. Ask for Referrals

Ask your friends and people who you know for referrals to others who may be interested in what you have to offer through you business.  This especially works great by offering them an incentive them in form of a discount on work they might need or exchange for something they need for finding a paying client referral. Remember, most of your virtual professional business will run on word-of-mouth, so it’s important to always ask for referrals.

5. Promote What You Have

Once you have set up your website or blog, social media accounts, and testimonials be sure to actually promote your website or blog by posting content that you can share with people through your social media accounts. Participate in online events where you can talk about your expertise. By being a  part of your virtual community,  you will find that soon you’ll attract more business clientele than you ever dreamed of having.

Being successful in virtual marketing is all about creating a professional online presence, and ensuring everyone that you come into contact with online and offline, has heard about your business your good reputation.  Then before you know it you will start building that client list until it’s bursting at the seams.

Author: Bill Pickert

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