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Getting more business

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  • 28-02-2016 9:55am
    #1
    Mickeybradley
    Registered Users Posts: 12 ✭


    Hi all,

    I'm in business 6 years, our yearly T/O has stagnated in the past few years. Our business is a service based business with customers generally needing services once every three - five years.

    My question is, how do we generate more sales leads in a cost effective way?


Comments

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    #2
    nuckeythompson
    Registered Users Posts: 939 ✭✭✭nuckeythompson


    What sector?


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    #3
    mneylon
    Registered Users Posts: 7,739 ✭✭✭mneylon


    You haven't given any details on how you got your current clients.

    General assumption would be that you need to advertise / market more..

    Blog | Tweets



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    #4
    Mickeybradley
    Registered Users Posts: 12 ✭Mickeybradley


    It's legal work, so it wouldn't be high volume. We currently use google and calendars.

    Blacknight, your missing the point, cost effective advertising.


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    #5
    jimmii
    Registered Users Posts: 14,810 ✭✭✭✭jimmii


    Its almost like you are deliberately making it hard for people to help! When you say google and calendars do you mean you're running and AdWords campaign and sending out free calendars?

    I would have thought for legal work AdWords is going to offer the best results as google is likely to be where people head when looking for legal work unless they already know someone. If you are already using AdWords how competitive are the keywords you are targeting?

    How much have you put into your website? For me personally this would be absolutely key if your website isn't looking smart its going to give me the impression the company is the same.

    What are you doing to try and get customers to refer you? That would be a key thing to target for me if I were you in your area and to make sure I had a system to measure it too.

    Are you a member of any trader associations or BID teams? Be a good way of getting some face time with potential corporate clients.


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    #6
    Mickeybradley
    Registered Users Posts: 12 ✭Mickeybradley


    what's a BID team?


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    #7
    Axwell
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 10,462 Mod ✭✭✭✭Axwell


    Business Improvement District - basically a community made of up local businesses in a town or city.

    As an example - http://www.dunlaoghairebid.ie/


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    #8
    jimmii
    Registered Users Posts: 14,810 ✭✭✭✭jimmii


    Mickeybradley wrote: »
    what's a BID team?

    That's what you reply with!


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    #9
    Mickeybradley
    Registered Users Posts: 12 ✭Mickeybradley


    jimmii wrote: »
    That's what you reply with!

    Are you in business or completing a leaving cert course?


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    #10
    pedronomix
    Closed Accounts Posts: 997 ✭✭✭pedronomix


    Mickeybradley wrote: »
    Are you in business or completing a leaving cert course?


    I would proffer that this comment pretty much sums up why your business is finding it hard to gain new customers. I can only suggest a Dale Carnegie "How to win friends and influence people" course.


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    #11
    jimmii
    Registered Users Posts: 14,810 ✭✭✭✭jimmii


    Mickeybradley wrote: »
    Are you in business or completing a leaving cert course?

    No like everyone I'm a potential client. Good luck getting new work. If you can't answer the questions I asked then there are things you really need to address before going after new customers.


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    #12
    route9
    Registered Users Posts: 326 ✭✭route9


    jimmii wrote: »
    No like everyone I'm a potential client. Good luck getting new work. If you can't answer the questions I asked then there are things you really need to address before going after new customers.

    I think he is, as they say jimmii, having a larf.


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    #13
    jimmii
    Registered Users Posts: 14,810 ✭✭✭✭jimmii


    route9 wrote: »
    I think he is, as they say jimmii, having a larf.

    Maybe it's a Junior Cert project.


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    #14
    EIREHotspur
    Registered Users Posts: 767 ✭✭✭EIREHotspur


    Axwell wrote: »
    Business Improvement District - basically a community made of up local businesses in a town or city.

    As an example - http://www.dunlaoghairebid.ie/

    I had never heard of those before....Dun Laoghaire the only place with them??


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    #15
    jimmii
    Registered Users Posts: 14,810 ✭✭✭✭jimmii


    EIREHotspur wrote: »
    I had never heard of those before....Dun Laoghaire the only place with them??

    There's a city centre one too that I was part of they are who is behind dublintown.ie and they put on events in the city mostly around Henry St. There's business groups everywhere though.


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    #16
    SBG387
    Registered Users Posts: 14 ✭SBG387


    Hi MickeyBradley,

    I'm no marketing guru but I do run my own business (IT consultancy area - Although I'm still unclear what 'consultant' really means). Almost by accident, I get into discussions with some of my clients about how they can improve their lead generation activities. My clients tell me the advice is valuable. And none of them have gone out of business yet!

    Perhaps I'm being naive but you've posted a question on a public forum so I'm assuming you are serious about trying to improve your lead generation capabilities. I'd like to help and I'm sure there are others here who would too. But we need a few pointers to get the discussion started.

    Either here or via pm, can you give a quick summary of how you have generated leads for your business before, how your business got started with your existing clients etc?


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