Here are some of the highlights for me:
So, what do I do to get this fast growth?
First, I’m not your typical computer geek. In our town which is
predominately NASA and tech companies, most out of work geeks are just
that – geeks. Very little social skills. I worked retail
management for 6 years and business to business sales for 7 so I’ve been
forced to interact with people every day, and I have sales experience.I always take the approach that no problem or question is stupid. And I
make sure the client knows this.I always give a verbal summary of everything I’ve done in as plain of
English as I can when I finish a job.I always leave two more business cards with a client when I finish, and
explain that I’d appreciate any referrals they could give me.I do NOT do cold-calls. I don’t do cold-visits. I DO targeted customized
letters to business owners, but that only accounts for about 15% of my
business. The rest is referrals and repeats.
I particularly like the last one. I have a block against cold calling (mainly because I am unsure of myself and my ability to do something other than the work I have been doing the last 6 years – a habit I intend breaking).
The list goes on:
I always call to follow up the day after a major job.
I do NOT charge for phone support.
I do NOT charge for travel time.
I do NOT charge for a follow-up visit the day after a major network change
(for instance I installed a W2K server last week, and thought I was done
to find the next day that the backups didn’t work. The return visit to
fix that problem was no charge.)I send thank-you cards after payment is received.
I give NET-10 terms to businesses, and COD to individuals.
If I’m not doing client work on a given day, I dedicate that day to
marketing efforts (letters, press releases, networking, etc.)I do NOT rely on web marketing, however I do have a crisp website.
I e-mailed everyone I know and told them what I’m doing and asked if they
knew anyone I could talk with who might need my services.I associate with others. I’m in the local Linux group, which doesn’t
generate clients, but does generate LEADS. I help out at the kid’s
schools. I’m active in Church. I make a point to let everyone I know what
I do, without sounding like I’m selling something. I just tell them that
I’m a self-employed computer consultant for small businesses and maybe
that I specialize in networks. If I’ve had a wonderful week and I’m
chatting with someone I might bring up "Wow, last week I got a call from
Atlanta! Can you believe that?" or "I cleaned up about 15 thousand
viruses this week" – it just drives home that I’m a computer jock for
hire. I try to have lunch with another professional at least once a month.I stay in touch with the media. I’ve even been quoted on the 5:00 news by
a local TV station when they were discussing the anti-spam legislation.
The thank-you cards are a really nice touch. There is a lot more to the post than just these tips. I like Joe’s attitude (he thanks his previous employer "for not only spinning me off on my own but for financing my startup ๐") and his honest approach to his work. His advice is simple and it gels with my preferred approach to people I deal with.
What do you think?