448 – Making Business Contacts
Phan: Hi, Montel. Thanks for agreeing to meet with me.
Montel: It’s my pleasure.
Phan: Since I’m new here, I was hoping you might be willing to give me some pointers on how to get new clients. To be honest, I’ve never been on this side of the fence before and I’m a little out of my comfort zone.
Montel: Oh, sure, I’m glad to give you as much help as I can. Getting clients is a bit of an art, but the key is building relationships.
Phan: What do you mean?
Montel: Most of my clients come to me through networking. I get referrals from people who know me and know my track record.
Phan: Really? I was thinking that I needed to send out some direct mail or do some cold calling.
Montel: You may need to do that to start, but if I were you, I’d also spend time making connections in the business community. Go where you think business prospects may be. To woo new clients, you need to meet them first.
Phan: How do I find out where they’ll be?
Montel: Again, you make contacts. You’ve made the first step today by getting in touch with me. I’m going to a reception tonight and it will be a who’s who of the business community. Do you want to go?
Phan: Really? You’d let me tag along?
Montel: Sure, but there’s a quid pro quo. In the future, if you get invited to something like this, you invite me to go along.
Phan: That’s more than fair. I think I just got my first lesson in making business connections.