Read time: 4 mins
In this week’s issue, I want to continue this newsletter series and talk about how a specific client prospecting strategy I have coined as the “Free Listing Method” is a great way to get more clients as a Local Small Business Consultant or Digital Marketing Agency Owner…
Two weeks ago I talked about why you simply cannot afford to not have a Virtual Assistant to help you get new clients…
Because you need a VA to do client prospecting for you…
Using proven methods such as the “Free Listing Method.”
With that being said…
Let’s dive in!
To recap…
Why You Need To Use Proven Client Prospecting Methods
In order to have a real business as a Local Small Business Consultant and/or Digital Marketing Agency Owner…
You need to have clients!
In order to get clients…
You need to have a system/process in place to put yourself and/or your business’ products or services in front of prospective clients.
This is where most fail.
They simply do not have or implement a proven client prospecting method.
Because without a proven client prospecting method or strategy…
You’re relying on hope.
And hope is not a plan.
Like the old saying goes…
“Failing to plan is planning to fail.”
So if you want to run a successful Digital Marketing Agency as a Local Small Business Consultant…
This needs to be your top priority.
Nothing else matters.
And that’s why I have decided to do this client prospecting series of newsletters.
But before I get any further into this week’s newsletter…
I want to share with you what I believe to be the Top 7 client prospecting methods.
What The Top 7 Client Prospecting Methods Are
I’ve been in the Local Small Business Consulting industry and have run my own Digital Marketing Agency for the better part of the past 14 years.
So it’s safe to assume that I’ve done my fair share of client prospecting over the years.
With that being said…
Here’s what I’ve determined to be the top 7 proven client prospecting methods:
- Website Hosting Method
- Free Listing Method
- Repurpose Reviews Method
- Google Maps Method
- Google Message Method
- Facebook Pixel Method
- Facebook Ad Method
I’m not going to get into all 7 in this week’s newsletter…
I’m sure you can guess what some of them are from their titles…
But I’ll leave you guessing for the ones you haven’t figured out…
And hopefully you’ll be looking forward to each newsletter of this series which will come in the following weeks!
In this week’s newsletter…
I want to focus your attention on the second client prospecting method: Free Listing Method.
But first things first…
What Is A Local Directory Website And Why You Need One
This client prospecting method revolves around starting up your own “local directory website.”
A local directory website is pretty self-explanatory, but just to be perfectly clear…
It’s a website whose sole purpose is to be a collection of local small businesses in one niche or several niches in a specific geographic area…
But it’s totally up to you and your preference.
BTW, that’s not to say you can’t have both…
Or more than one local directory site dedicated to one specific niche.
But I think it’s always best to keep it simple…
And the easiest way to do that is to have just one local directory website that encompasses one or more niches in a specific geographic area.
Now that we have got out of the way…
Let’s deep dive into how this client prospecting method actually works.
How The Free Listing Method Works
Now that we have established that this client prospecting method utilizes a local directory website…
What you want to do is add as many local small businesses in one or more niches in a desired geographic area to the local directory website.
All local small businesses that get added to your website…
Should also be added to a spreadsheet so that you (or your VA) can make any notes about the prospective clients.
Once you have even just one local small business added to the website…
You can start the next step which is reaching out to the local small business via a cold email (or cold text or cold call)…
With a niche message that simply informs them that their business is now listed on your website…
And asks them if they can verify that the information you have listed on your website is correct.
The local small business will likely be eager to view the website listing to validate the information per your request…
And then they will reply to your email, text message, or phone call to let you know if it’s correct or if changes need to be made.
Usually this type of “providing value first” client prospecting leads to the courtesy response from the local small business owner.
And thus opens the dialogue between you (or your VA) and the potential client.
Oftentimes these local small businesses will even inquire about getting some help…
Especially if you provide a business-like signature in your initial outgoing email or text message.
You can even introduce yourself and your business in the beginning of your message…
Which explains that your business helps local small businesses get more customers…
And that you decided to start this local directory website to “give back” to your local community…
Further helping the local small businesses get even more exposure and ultimately customers/clients/patients.
A true WIN-WIN for everyone involved.
I said this last week…
And I’ll say it again…
The key to this client prospecting method (like any other) is doing the work!
Having a plan of action and executing it.
This is a never ending process and will only be as successful as the amount of work that’s put into it.
And in my opinion that’s why you simply cannot afford to NOT have a Virtual Assistant that you can rely on to do the work that you (and frankly I) won’t do.
So take this proven client prospecting method and have your VA implement it today!
You’ll thank me later!
1. Free your time and scale your Digital Marketing Agency without increasing your workload by getting easy to sell recurring clients in 8 weeks or less here.
2. Build better, faster “Hybrid Sales Funnel Websites” which are proven to reduce bounce rate and generate more leads & sales here.
3. Easily schedule & recycle 18,000+ images in over 101+ niche/industry specific image packs here.
4. Use these high quality professionally designed social media image packs in over 101+ niches/industries here.
5. Level up your knowledge through training programs & done-for-you digital assets specifically for Local Small Business Consultants and Digital Marketing Agency Owners here.
6. Turn your social media profiles into lead generating landing pages here.
7. Remove the complexity, confusion, and overwhelm when it comes to connecting all the tech with sales funnels, email marketing and paid ads here.
Here are some shortcuts to my socials and other important information… 😉