Your clients are your gold mine. Without them, you have no work and no income. What we tend to forget, is client relationships, like any other relationship, need constant contact and follow up.

Whilst spending time to focus on getting new clients can increase your client base and essentially your income, I strongly believe that it’s extremely easier and more effective to leverage your existing relationships.

Existing clients, especially happy clients, are more receptive to additional services and products and it usually costs nothing to market to them. A simple yearly newsletter, a Christmas card at the end of the year, a bottle of Champagne to help them celebrate their new website, a card to wish them happy birthday, or even just an email, every once in a while just to say “hi, im still around if you need me” can do wonders to keeping your client relationships strong and to keep you fresh in their minds if they or anyone they know ever needs your services.

2. MORE GOLD PROSPECTING – THE EMAIL REFERRAL

What’s the quickest thing you can do today to make sure your clients don’t EVER forget about you?

One of the most successful ways of getting new clients is to simply email your network of family, friends and associates letting them know you’re looking for web design work. Ask them to forward the email onto their friends and associates.

Since the email is being forwarded by friends and associates, there’s a much higher level of trust and a lot more likely to get past spam filters.

If you don’t get a direct response, someone will remember you down the road when they meet someone who needs a web designer. They’ll think back and say, hey, I know so and so, who sent me an email, who’s a web designer…

It’ll probably take you about 2 minutes to write up a quick email and shoot it off via email to your friends.

Go on… it’s only 2 minutes!

3. A STAND OUT BUSINESS CARD – NOW THAT’S GOLD!

You never know when you might meet a potential client. It’s always a good idea to carry a few business cards around with you to hand out to people that you meet. When handing out business cards, don’t be shy. Give a card to anyone who will take one, because you never know where your next client will come from.

When designing your business cards, try and be as creative as possible, while still maintaining a professional design of high quality. Keep your business cards simple, and make sure you’re clear about what you do and how you do it.

Does your business card stand out? Does it get straight to the point? Will your prospective new client want to keep it?

Eddie Machaalani,
http://www.interspire.com

Digging Gold From Your Own Goldmine is a post from: OE Design Blog