The Joy of Working From Home:

by Jeff Berner

© 1996, Jeff Berner.
All rights reserved.

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Ensuring Repeat Business

For a moment, let's assume you already have an established base of, say, eight clients. Don't neglect them! After all, no one is more likely to use your services again than someone already impressed by a successful project you have accomplished together. Drop a note or call occasionally to check in. Mail an occasional cartoon about their favorite sports or arts interests, or an article you know will be useful or amusing. This kind of added value and genuine thoughtfulness has become rare these days and will be remembered.

Be bold, have fun, and use a little ingenuity. Herlinda Lopez, a graphic designer in Sonoma County, California, had built a client base of forty restaurants, shops, and other enterprises for her one-person business, MacAccess. Although her clients liked her work, she waited and waited for their repeat business. Then it dawned on her that she could remind those clients about her services and build good will by getting them all together for a barbecue. Herlinda had already developed a small mailing list of people familiar with her talents and straightforward business ethics. It was there on her computer, ready to refresh her presence in the community. Showcasing her talents once again, she designed a terrific invitation to the "First Annual Thank-You Barbecue" and mailed it to her clients with a postage-paid response card. She enlisted one of them, a restaurant, to cater her barbecue in exchange for designing a new menu for them.

Twenty-three clients returned their cards and about fifty people attended the party. They all had a wonderful time and were delighted to be appreciated in such a tangible, social way. The barbecue gave Herlinda a comfortable atmosphere in which to engage in shop talk and subtly remind her clients of her services. Two existing clients asked her to meet with them the following week and she was given numerous leads. One lead brought her a client who signed her up to layout and design a program for the local symphony, and that project turned into a year-round assignment.

If you do something similar for your own clients, consider inviting a local newspaper to cover the event as a human interest story, or send them a press release about ten days ahead. It's fine publicity and can often be more effective than paid advertising.

Continued Success

As you succeed in reaching clients and customers and start to bring in business, there are a few things that you should do constantly, consistently, and in an organized way.

First, keep a list of the names, addresses, and phone numbers of everyone you have ever contacted about business, and keep it up to date. Flag those who have become clients, and include notes about their special business interests, hobbies, professional affiliations, family names, and birthdays. Include those who refused your first or even subsequent offers; unless they told you not to call again, they still count as potential business. Collect and store business cards in transparent card organizers. Leaf through them now and then and call a few prospects. You may be surprised to hear, "I was just thinking of you a few minutes ago," and that the timing is right for a new project or a new order.

Second, actively accumulate laurels to emphasize your expertise. If your profession or business turns out a product such as graphic design, photography, copywriting, or advertising, include examples in a portfolio to show potential customers your accomplishments. If your product is three-dimensional, such as pottery or jewelry, and can't fit conveniently into a zippered portfolio, take photographs and create an album. It will impress prospects and give you "trophies" of your efforts beyond a growing bank account.

And finally, remember that you can never afford to postpone seeking new business. If you do, you will go from rags to riches and back many times. I used to wait until I finished one project before looking for another, and my cash flow would come to a screeching halt, sometimes for weeks on end. Don't make the same mistake. Make it a habit to call a few prospective clients each week. Send out a few brochures with cover letters. And follow them up with phone calls and visits. Remember: perseverance equals success.

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