Client Hunting/ Prospecting

 

Finding new clients can be a challenging and nerve-wracking process. You have to present your ideas and hope that they will impress the potential client enough to hire you. We learned a lot from our client hunting experience last week and we want to share it with you.

 Here is a summary of our discoveries:

•  75% of the SMEs we visited did not know what a social media manager/ marketer does

•  9% thought that social media marketing was easy, but 5% admitted that they did not see much benefit from their efforts

•  7% had inactive accounts

•  6% were sales people who were unaware of their business’s online presence. They agreed to pass on our message.

•  2% thought that online marketplaces like Jiji were sufficient for their business needs

•  1% was convinced that their business did not need to be online

Pie chart

Overall, we attracted 9% of potential clients

Lessons learned from our initial attempts to convey our message during the client hunting, we realized that it is important to: 

1.  Identify the problems that the client might be facing and confirm them before presenting your solution.

You want to address the actual issues that the client is experiencing, not what you assume they are. For example, we started by asking the client if they or their business had any online presence. Then we focused on the business account if they had one and evaluated their performance. We then suggested ways that our business could help them improve or achieve their goals on the platforms. If they did not have one, we explained some of the advantages of having an online presence and some of the services we could offer them. 

2.  Show them your proposed solution.

Based on the problem that the business is facing, offer a possible solution.

3.  Engage the prospective client in your solution.

 You want to have a dialogue not a lecture. Let your clients express their opinions and preferences for their business and do your best to respect their views, investigate, and integrate them.

4.  Explain the outcomes or benefits that your efforts would bring to the business or client. 

You want to show the value of your solution and how it would help the client achieve their goals or solve their problems. You can use metrics, testimonials, case studies, or projections to demonstrate the impact of your work.

5.   Use simple and clear examples that the client can understand. 

You want to use examples that are relevant to the client’s industry, niche, or situation. You also want to avoid jargon, technical terms, or acronyms that the client might not be familiar with. You can use analogies, stories, or visuals to illustrate your points. 

6.  Ask for information about the business. 

You want to gather as much information as you can about the client’s business, such as their goals, challenges, needs, preferences, budget, timeline, competitors, target audience, etc. This will help you tailor your solution and proposal to their specific situation and expectations. You can use open-ended questions, surveys, or forms to collect this information.

7.  Get contacts and follow up

You want to get the contact details of the decision-maker or the person who is in charge of hiring you. You also want to follow up with them regularly until you get a response or a confirmation. You can use email, phone, or social media to communicate with them. You can also use a CRM system or a spreadsheet to track your interactions and progress.