Using Networking to Increase Your Potential Client Pool

Depending on your company, you may find that the people you’re encountering in networking situations aren’t as advanced as you need them to be in order for them to be an ideal client.

For example, say you work with small businesses, but all you’re running into are sole proprietors. They’re interested in what you do, but they can’t afford your services and aren’t right for your company where they’re currently at. If what they need is too much for you to give, then by all means, move on. Your business is not a charity and while giving away free information is okay, you have to make sure your bills get paid. Prioritize and make sure you know how much time you can devote and still keep your family, business, and sanity intact.

But if you were in a position once where you see others are at now, helping them over the bump (or through The Dip) will allow you to create your very own business hobby of creating your own clients. It’s like Sea Monkeys…but they’re not freeze dried shrimp.

What do they need
Do the people you’re talking to need advice on scalability? Exposure? Marketing? Planning? Outsourcing? What is it that would move them from where they are to where you want them to be – a potential member of your client pool. Is it something you’ve experienced and can help them through?

How can you give it to them
This is a place where business blogging can be very beneficial. You’re not giving away what your company does for free, you’re giving them a way to become a company that can pay you what you’re worth when they’re ready to use you. Sharing what comes easily to you but not to someone else can be seen as a huge value-add later on when they’ve grown.

If you’re networking in-person, ask the person that runs one of your networking events if they are looking for a speaker. Then you not only have the exposure of speaking in front of a group that could become potential clients, you can clearly tell them who you help and they can refer people they know that fit the criteria.

Stay in occasional follow-up mode with the few sole proprietors you meet that seem like they have serious potential. If you’re busy networking and making connections and growing your business you won’t have time to be one-on-one with everybody, so try to talk to people and see who has the focus and drive to make it to the level you want them to be at.

Remind them that you’re the best at helping the type of company they’re about to become
Without shoving it down their throats, make sure people know exactly who you work with. If they say, "Oh, that’s not me." You can reply with, "But I know it will be one day, you’re doing great!" That encouragement is not something people forget easily. Compliments matter, and people don’t forget them even if they become embarrassed and slough it off.

Helping others reminds you not to forget the basics
When you teach something to someone else, you have to know your subject. Teaching others to get to where you are now will not only remind you where you’ve been but help you teach others a better way to get through the rough patches. If people ask for individual coaching, that is something you should think about beforehand so you have an answer ready. That answer doesn’t have to be yes, but if you’re enjoying the teaching aspect, individual coaching isn’t such a stretch of the imagination. You could meet at a local coffee shop or stay after a networking meeting or even meet them in your office. Whatever you prefer. Just make sure you know in advance what your boundaries are so you don’t find yourself stammering and saying "yes" just because you weren’t sure from the outset if that’s something you wanted to do.