January 02, 2009, 3:51 PM — As you are growing or starting your computer consulting business and trying to get great clients, you might wonder, “How do I establish credibility if I only have a couple of references and am just starting out?â€
References are incredibly important to effectively marketing your computer consulting business and establishing credibility, so you need to seize all opportunities to build relationships with those in your network that can help introduce you to qualified prospects. There are many ways to maximize and magnify the effect of any references you have and get new ones, even if your business is relatively new.
The following 4 secrets can help you make the most of your references as you build your computer consulting business.
(1) Make Sure You Have References in Writing. In order to make your references as strong as possible, you need to get them in writing on your client’s letterhead. You need to make sure your references look professional, so that others know they come from legitimate small business owners. Prospects will be much more inclined to believe the recommendations of small business owners just like themselves with similar IT problems, so you need to make sure that your references look legitimate. Part of the power of a strong reference is that it comes from a third-party, that is unbiased. So you need to make sure that the sources of your references are as clear as possible.
(2) Computer Consulting Business References Should Talk About Benefits. Your references should speak about the specific benefits you provide to your clients: how you save them money; how your technology solution generates more revenue; how you enable clients to close out the month faster; how you improve overall productivity; how your solutions help clients communicate with remote workers, suppliers and vendors more seamlessly. Strong, irrefutable benefits can be an incredibly important part of great references and will make your client references more powerful, even if you only have a few client references.
(3) Be Creative About Getting Your First References. If you have no references for your computer consulting business, volunteering can be a great way to get references. Choose a non-profit organization about which you feel passionate and set up a deal with very set parameters. The key is to give a volunteer project a clear beginning and end, as you can’t afford to give free services forever. As part of the deal you strike, ask the non-profit entity to write a testimonial for you. Because non-profits are usually well-known and also well-respected, their recommendations can be very powerful to your marketing campaign.
(4) Know When to Ask for References. Many computer consulting business owners are shy about asking for referrals. After all, you don’t want to push your clients too hard or look needy. But, you must ask for referrals, so when is the best time? First of all, ask for a referral when someone gives you a compliment. Pay attention when you walk into an office and are finishing a project and your client says, “This new system is great! I can’t believe I can do all this now!†or “I can’t believe how much money we cut out of our expenses in the last few months because of this great new system upgrade!†This is your time to act. When you hear glowing compliments, ask for an updated testimonial, or a new one if you don’t have one from that client yet. Also, be sure to ask if the ecstatic client knows anyone that might benefit from your services.
In this article, we talked about 4 secrets for your computer consulting business that can help you build credibility and get great references that can lead to even greater clients. Learn more about how you can get great, steady, high-paying clients for your computer consulting business now at http://www.ComputerConsultingBusiness.com
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