Presenting the right image

Customers calling in should have their calls answered and diverted professionally, and with the features of eVoice’s eReceptionist, you can give clients a professional impression. No more phones ringing off the hook because you’re busy – eReceptionist works 24/7 to give a big business impression on a small business budget.

It’s also important that your marketing collateral doesn’t give the impression that you only work with small businesses. A revamp of your website might be needed to take your pitch up a notch, and reframe your services for bigger clients.

Harness the power of social media

Social media can be a powerful weapon in attracting customers. People who start out blogging about the beauty products they like can suddenly have hundreds of thousands of followers looking for the products they recommend. On top of this comes attention from the bigger companies that are looking to leverage off the publicity and get a piece of the action.

So a blog about beauty products may be sponsored by L’Oreal, for example, and the blogger may find themselves being paid a considerable amount of money to allow L’Oreal products to be advertised on their blog. The fact is that a blogger in these circumstances is behaving like a B2B who has attracted a bigger client for their product (the blog).

In the same way, you can set up a blog about your business. It could take the form of a simple journal, or give tips based on the products and services you are engaged in. With enough hard work, you can generate a following that will draw attention to your business.

Networking events that aren’t on the net

The traditional method of attracting clients for a B2B is to go to networking events. You can learn a lot about your local market and meet potential clients simply by putting yourself out there. Join your local business network or chamber of commerce. Talking to other B2B owners can be very useful.

For example, you may think you have a clear business plan and goals, and your friends and family are all supportive. But when you explain what you do to a fellow business person, they point out holes in your plan that you didn’t realise existed.

Getting this kind of feedback is invaluable, as is meeting potential clients in person. And make sure that you follow up on those business cards you take. Make notes on your smartphone about who seems more likely to be a potential big client, and follow them up with an offer of further contact.

B2B relies more than any other business model on networking and on creating a professional impression. With a service like eReceptionist answering the phones for you, you’re already on the way to attracting bigger clients.