This 'Lumberjack Strategy' Helps Me Find New Clients Quickly — and With Way Less Effort

I was exhausted. My B2B fulfillment business had grown quickly and was doing $1.2 cardinal annually, but uncovering caller clients was a grind. I was trapped successful an endless rhythm of networking events, acold calls, and business paper exchanges that yielded minimal results.

Then I discovered what I now telephone the "Lumberjack Strategy" — and I started getting clients pinch ease. Better yet, I ne'er had to be different networking arena again.

Here's really it works: Instead of hunting for individual customers successful a immense networking forest, I realized I could connect pinch people who had already chopped down each the trees. These are group who spent years building relationships pinch precisely the clients I wanted to serve — and now I conscionable needed their help reaching their clients.

How? By playing a agelong crippled pinch relationships, and strategically hinting astatine really we could do much business together.

Related: How to Craft Irresistible Offers Your Ideal Clients Can't Refuse

For example, here's really I did it pinch Gary (not his existent name). He was a marketing manager I'd done immoderate activity with, who past moved into a mid-level occupation astatine Microsoft. We sent him a immense bouquet of lollipops connected his first day. He said nary 1 other did thing for illustration it.

From there, I dripped honey. Once a month, I sent emails connected resources and accusation to thief him win there. I sent him updates connected my business each 4 to six weeks. I flew to Seattle erstwhile a 4th conscionable to drawback up pinch him — though I ever told him I was location to "see imaginable clients." (I didn't want to freak him out.)

After astir 18 months, an outsourcing opportunity came up astatine Microsoft — and Gary thought of us. That turned into a $4 cardinal contract. Then he started introducing america to different tech companies he worked pinch — truthful that Gary's clients became our clients.

Gary was a cleanable lumberjack. He wasn't a large changeable astatine Microsoft; he was conscionable a receptive, well-connected person. That's who you want.

Related: Get Picky With Your Clients — How to Identify and Attract Your Ideal Customer

Here's really you tin find your ain lumberjacks:

1. Identify who has your ideal clients.

Start by making 2 lists: industries afloat of your potential clients, and circumstantial individuals who already service them. Look beyond the obvious. Sometimes your champion referral partners are successful adjacent fields, aliases moreover "competitors" who service somewhat different segments.

2. Focus connected the connectors, not the connected.

Not each well-connected group are bully lumberjacks. For example, I erstwhile wasted months pursuing 1 of Denver's astir well-connected businesspeople, only to recognize he collected connections but seldom shared them.

There's nary azygous measurement to sniff these group out, but you'll get a consciousness complete clip — and erstwhile you spot that they don't make connections, move on.

Related: How To Attract Premium Clients And Charge Accordingly — Even During Market Instability

3. Build relationships intentionally.

I ne'er straight inquire for referrals. Instead, erstwhile I person a bully moving narration pinch someone, I ask: "Do you cognize 1 different personification who mightiness use from the acquisition you're having?"

This mobility is magic. It transforms the speech from a self-serving petition into an opportunity for them to thief their friends.

4. Model the behaviour you want.

Often, the champion measurement to get clients is to first commencement referring clients. I will commencement sending clients to a imaginable lumberjack, successful the hopes that they'll want to return the favor.

Related: 3 Ways to Attract the Customers You Deserve

Not everyone will clasp this approach. That's fine.

You only request 3 to 5 bully lumberjacks to toggle shape your business.

This isn't astir hoping for referrals; it's astir intentionally building relationships pinch group who tin link you pinch full forests of clients. It took maine 5 businesses to study this instruction — but erstwhile I did, I was yet capable to make my web activity for me.

Chuck Blakeman is simply a serial entrepreneur. This article is drawn from Chuck's caller book, Sell Less, Earn More, now disposable everywhere.

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