Hook, Line and Sinker - Netting your First Clients

4. Reeling Him In

To really make this client "your client" you need to completely understand his needs, offer him solutions that meet those needs in the short and long term, and give him a good reason to come back.

The key to understanding the client's needs is simply to listen. If you hear where your client has come from and how hard he has worked to establish his business, you'll gain an appreciation for why he wants his site to be perfect. And if you take that appreciation home with you, you'll prepare a better product.

You are no good to your client if the solutions you offer don't fix the problem, don't improve his business and don't help him sleep at night. So be creative, be aware of your boundaries and always remember how important his own clients' business is to him.

Though your first contract with a client may be a simple $50 letterhead, do not treat it with disdain. Often clients need to ensure that they feel comfortable with a company, and the amount of thought and work you put in early on (when it doesn't quite seem worth it) can benefit you years down the line

Those Other 10 Fish

If you can understand a client's needs, meet those needs, and provide the best product and service possible, you'll quickly find your fold of clients growing from one to a half dozen. However, you still haven't entered into the "big league".

In order to truly grow your business and make your way into the headlines, you need to land the other 10 fish you left back in the lake when you left your client. You need to let him know that the treatment you gave him was not for him alone but represents the standard for every client you ever get: just make sure you mean it.

Some quick ways to show clients you care include:

• to provide client evaluation forms for their feedback
• offer special discounts to current customers
• send newsletters to current customers to let them know about changes in your businesses
• hand them your business cards and brochures (so they can pass them on to friends)
• give your client a reason to be proud of the choice they've made.

This article isn't intended as a roadmap to your first million, but it is meant to show you that not only is it possible to get clients when you're young or inexperienced -- it isn't really that hard. So, pull up your socks, put on a clean pair of underwear and make that call!