Possibly the most overlooked source of business is the current client list you keep. While I’m an advocate of databasing all your potential leads, your best source of business continues to be the customers already or previously working with you. On average, it costs from 2-10 times to get new customers versus keeping the current ones. Why? Because advertising and starting a new client costs more money than dialog and “refreshing” a current client. Current clients already know how you operate, so they know what to expect. New clients, while terrific to have, will have to be acquired (advertising, outreach, plus a sales cycle, and so on.) Once on board, they will need to be stepped through the way you do business, and each step counts, so must be accounted for. Just like a comfy pair of jeans, it takes time to get a relationship just where you need it to be. In business, that time is also money.

Increasing your reach to current clients might be easier than you think and done right, retention is yours. . With a concise plan and a little bit of work, you can apply these 3 techniques today: