How to find potential customers and clients

1. Determine your ideal client

Determine who your ideal client is. After all, you cannot reach everyone. You would need a very large marketing budget for that. When you can say which clients you specifically want, you can specifically look for them.

To determine who your ideal customer is, you think about which specific group of people your product or service is interesting for. This is called customer research. "It is important to learn about a customer," Visser explains. "This starts even before someone buys from you or walks into your shop. In advance, I gather information about my ideal customer online, such as place of residence, age and product range. "At the first meeting, Visser asks open-ended questions that he uses to find out the customer's 'problem'. "This sounds negative, but every potential client has a need and a challenge. Make sure you get those crystal clear."

2. Start your marketing

Start by announcing your business. Your potential customers do not yet know who you are and what you do. So, actively make your business known to your target audience.

• Do market research and write it down in a marketing plan. That way, you know where your customer is online and offline. Get active in these locations and make your business known. Do you need help making your plan? Then you can spar with experienced entrepreneurs at Entrepreneurs Soundboard OKB.
• Launch a website that clearly states what you do and for whom - in other words, what problem do you solve for your dream customer?
• Keep your customer involved and regularly post business or product updates on social media.
• Hand out flyers in your area or at a networking event promoting your business.
• Send a press release to (local) newspapers about a development in your business, product or services.
• Make a pitch and practise it. For example, try your pitch on your family, friends and acquaintances first and learn from their reaction. Because even when you talk about your business to your neighbour at a party, this is part of your marketing. After all, this is word of mouth (or 'via via').
• Make sure you are well found online with search engine optimisation.
• Build your network and mingle with industry peers. For example, you go to a trade show where you network and learn how your competitors are doing. Also join your industry association.

3. Increase number of customer contacts

Create different moments when (potential) customers get in touch with you. "Share interesting things with your target group," Van Heck tips. Show that you are an expert. You can do this by writing blogs or sharing your knowledge on a current topic on LinkedIn. According to Van Heck, people make their decisions subconsciously. "We decide something based on patterns we naturally have. Our buying behaviour is determined by routine. For example, many consumers buy everything from one or two online shops and then keep coming back. Then you get what we in neuroscience call a goat's path. So, the more often your customer interacts with you, the more likely they are to keep coming back."

4. Highlight exclusive offers

Make your offer exclusive or offer something extra to encourage purchases. Van Heck: "A temporary opportunity that suddenly presents itself, such as a discount or free product, is something customers want to make the most of." He advises using promotions such as 'There are only 2 rooms available', 'Now temporarily reduced in price', or simply 'Sale'.

Act ethically and according to the rules. The sales opportunity you offer must be real.

5. Sell through online marketplaces

Sign up to an online marketplace. For example, a platform where you offer your services as a self-employed professional without staff, such as Freelancer.nl or Werkspot, or an e-commerce platform like Bol.com or Amazon.nl.

By signing up to an online marketplace, you start building a network or customer relationship. An online place where you can build your name is important to get clients in the future. Find out which platform is a good fit for your service or product, or see where your competitors are. Register on the platform and after, say, 6 months evaluate whether the online marketplace brings you customers.

6. Invest in the customer relationship

Build a relationship and keep the contact warm, Visser tips. "Even at times when I do not want to sell anything at all, I maintain contact. That way, you give customers the feeling that you are working with them and that they are important to you. And customers are always important to you. Ultimately, sales management is about building a relationship," Visser argues. "You want the customer to be satisfied and come back more often. That is why I think along and give advice in the early stage."