| Customers are people that come to your business | | | | Clients save you money. If you have loyal clients you |
| and purchase your product or service once or maybe | | | | will not need to spend large sums of money on |
| twice. Attracting customers is expensive. It often | | | | advertising. You can tell your clients about upcoming |
| requires an expenditure of your time and money as | | | | specials by announcing them in your newsletter. Using |
| you slave at your computer designing advertising | | | | an auto-responder will allow you send a very |
| campaigns that may or may not work. You also | | | | personalized email to everyone in your client email |
| design coupons and offer free samples or products | | | | account. There are also various places that will send |
| to draw new customers. You spend countless hours | | | | out greeting cards for you too. Using a Virtual |
| finding unique ways to brand your business in order | | | | Assistant can also be a great resource to help you |
| to attract new customers. | | | | on converting customers to clients. Initially, it may |
| Clients are your loyal customers. They return to | | | | take a few dollars to turn a customer into a client |
| purchase your product or service without you having | | | | but in the long run it will be a great investment. |
| to spend a great deal of time or money enticing | | | | Clients are also a great source of word of mouth |
| them to return. | | | | advertising. Women particularly love to have what |
| It makes good business sense to convert your | | | | their friends have so they will want to go to the |
| customers into clients. This may take some time and | | | | same establishments that their friends patronize. |
| money at first but in the long run it will be a great | | | | Remember, people do business with those they |
| investment. You want to establish rapport with your | | | | know, like, and trust. |
| customers. Upon meeting a prospective client at a | | | | If your customers treat you disrespectfully by |
| networking event, through an introduction, or the | | | | arriving late for appointments, not showing up for |
| first purchase you want to take time to express | | | | appointments, or canceling appointments at the last |
| gratitude. Send the person a handwritten note or | | | | minute it is time for some self reflection. You may |
| email expressing that you are pleased to make their | | | | want to solicit feedback from your customers to find |
| acquaintance. Do not attempt to sell the person | | | | out why they are not becoming clients or why they |
| anything. Think of the stages of a friendship. You | | | | are not loyal to you. Ask yourself honestly if you are |
| begin will small talk and gradually move on to deeper | | | | providing value to the customer. What are you |
| topics. The same process is used to develop a client | | | | providing that they are not getting from someone |
| relationship. You invite the person to join your | | | | selling the same product or service? If the answer is |
| newsletter campaign. You being to introduce the | | | | nothing think about what you can do to begin to |
| person to your business by sharing an article that you | | | | offer value. Do you make them feel special by |
| have written that the person might find beneficial. | | | | remembering their name? Do you offer them |
| Continue to build rapport. You can ask the person to | | | | something extra for free? Is your establishment |
| join you on Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social | | | | clean? Are you presenting the correct image to your |
| media places. | | | | customers and clients? |
| If the person has already become a customer you | | | | When you take time to know your customers and |
| will want to add value to the service or products you | | | | establish rapport they will become clients. Clients will |
| are providing. Make the person fall in love with you | | | | give you peace of mind that you are doing things |
| and see you as the expert. Have you ever heard of | | | | right and you will not have to spend endless amounts |
| a baker's dozen? A baker's dozen is 13. This practice | | | | of money on advertising. Cultivating relationships with |
| started a long time ago. Local bakers wanted to have | | | | your clients can be no cost when you employ social |
| repeat customers so they included one extra item in | | | | media and computer technology. |
| the bag so that the person felt special. By giving the | | | | Remember to take time to develop rapport and add |
| customer one extra cookie or pastry it guaranteed | | | | value when conducting business so you that you will |
| that the person would become a client. Who doesn't | | | | convert your customers into clients. |
| like getting something free? | | | | |