5 Ways To Use Tech To Find Time To Find New Clients

Technology moves fast, there’s no doubt about that. Those who are in the business of selling their expertise—agency owners, business coaches, speakers, authors, and strategic consultants—need to find the time to find new clients.

Luckily, there are resources like bestselling author, speaker, and marketing strategist Minal Sampat to help us keep up. (We met when I helped her edit her bestselling book on why your marketing stinks.) Here’s what she has to say about growing your business using today’s tech:

Recorded proposals. “An increasingly popular strategy is to record a video of yourself going over the written proposals you send,” says Sampat. “Here’s how you can increase engagement with the video: Keep the video short and sweet—no longer than two minutes. Cover the main points, how it would work, and one to two frequently asked questions. Used in conjunction with video discovery calls, this should increase your acceptance rate.”

Video email marketing. “While you’re recording proposals, record some quick tip videos, too,” says Sampat. “Link to these in your emails to make more personal connections with your audience. Keep these videos under 90 seconds, and tell your list that the video is short—this makes it much more likely that they’ll click through. ‘This 77-second video will change the way you _____’ is a great format. Include an action item at the end to maximize results. A pro tip is to use these videos as lead magnets on your website and/or in your newsletters to engage with the cold audience.”

Virtual backgrounds. “You can do so much more with your virtual background these days compared to two years ago,” says Sampat. “For example, you can edit your background images to include your content. Use a free graphic design program to add a sidebar with your main points to your favorite background image. It looks sleek and keeps you on screen for a more engaging connection. Plus, it increases interaction with your virtual audience.”

Media kits. “Speakers: Create media kits and share them!” commands Sampat. “Event planners want and need your information to share with attendees and boost excitement for their event. Include blog posts, your social media handles, and recorded videos. This doesn’t just foster great relationships with event planners, it also primes the audience, so they’ll be excited to hear you speak in person.”

Website chat. “If you haven’t yet, it’s time to add a messaging option to your website,” says Sampat. “People no longer have the time to look for your contact page, attempt to reach out, and wait for a reply. They want information right now. Some social media platforms offer free messenger apps you can add to your site. They even let you set up automated responses to common questions. Use these to link to your speaker packet, services page, and other resources.”

Bottom line: The number one pain for three out of five people who are in the business of selling their expertise is finding new clients. The number two pain for one out of two is finding the time to work on business development. These tech tools are pain relievers.