Lost clients
The reality is that most businesses will lose clients and therefore need to replace them just to maintain current business levels. Dissatisfaction, moving away, and bad credit are just a few of the reasons a client will leave your business.
Gaining new enquiries
If you are an established businesses you will gain new clients from one of the following two ways:
People who already know about your business
The first way is from people who know about your business but have not used your products or services. They may have heard about you from an existing or past satisfied client who has passed on your details to them, it could be as a result of a marketing activity or your sales team. To summarise, these are your potential clients who already know of your business through one or more of the above activities.
People who currently don’t know about your business
The second way is from people that currently don’t know about your business but have a need for a product or service that you provide. This market could be new to your area or just passing through. They might even be looking to compare you with their current provider.
Is your business in danger?
Any business not attracting new customers from one or both of the above sources risks several negative impacts that could threaten its growth and, ultimately, its survival.
6 Strategies for Replacing Lost Clients
Below are 6 strategies that will help you to replace lost clients:
- Website – Ensure that your website promotes your business in the right way. The right way means no broken links, up-to-date information, and images that load instantly.
- Blogs – These are a great way to showcase your industry knowledge and expertise. They also help to keep your website content current.
- Social Media – Make full use of Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. by creating business pages for each of them and then sharing your content and any success stories.
- Make prospect calls – Many businesses no longer see the need to pick up the phone and have become overly reliant on sending emails. I strongly suggest that you have people in your business who are not afraid to pick up the phone to generate and convert new sales leads.
- Business Networking – This is another great opportunity to get introductions to potential clients. Just remember that very often it’s not the people at the events who will become clients but people they know and can introduce you to.
- Training – If you or any of your team members lack the skills necessary to replace lost clients then ensure you close those skills gaps by engaging a sales trainer or coach who will be able to provide guidance on areas such as telephone skills, sales structure, closing techniques, and overcoming objections.