Practical ideas for finding new clients, selling more products and building a healthier sales pipeline.

One question nearly every business owner asks at some point is:

How do I get more customers?

Whether you’re an accountant, electrician, consultant, manufacturer, retailer or engineering company, ultimately every business needs people to buy what it sells.

I’ve been working with business owners for many years, and one thing I know is that there isn’t a magic answer. Posting on LinkedIn twice a week isn’t suddenly going to double your turnover, neither is building a new website, attending one networking event or employing a salesperson.

Usually, it’s a combination of things done consistently.

So, if you’re sitting there thinking “Where is my next customer coming from?”, here are some areas I’d look at.

1. Start with a marketing budget

Marketing shouldn’t simply be something you spend money on when business goes quiet, include it in your business plan and budget. Decide what you can realistically afford each month or year and, importantly, decide what you’re trying to achieve with it.

If you spend £5,000 on marketing and it generates £50,000 of profitable new business, that’s very different from spending £5,000 without knowing whether it produced anything.

Measure where inquiries come from.

Ask new customers how they found you.

Keep track of leads, conversions and the value of the work won.

You don’t necessarily need a huge marketing budget.

You need one that you understand.

2. Get some professional marketing help

Business owners are expected to wear far too many hats, marketing is often one of them.

A good marketing company or consultant can help you understand your target market, develop your message and decide which channels are actually worth investing in. That doesn’t mean handing everything over and forgetting about it, you still know your customers and your business better than anyone.

The best results I’ve seen come when the business owner and marketing people work together.

3. Your website needs to work harder

When did you last look properly at your website? Not just whether it looks nice. Can someone immediately understand what you do, who you help and why they should contact you?

Your website needs to be easy to navigate, useful and written around the questions potential customers are actually asking. Traditionally, we’ve talked about being found through Google. That’s still important, but increasingly, people are also using AI tools to research businesses, services and solutions. That means useful, well-structured content matters.

Explain your services clearly. Answer genuine customer questions. Include useful articles, FAQs, case studies and information that demonstrates your experience. Don’t write hundreds of pages purely for search engines.

Write useful information for humans and make it easy for search engines and AI systems to understand.

4. Get out and meet people

Anyone who follows me will know I’m a big believer in business networking. I’ve been networking for around 14 years and a significant part of the business I’ve generated over the years has come through relationships and referrals, but networking isn’t walking into a room, handing out 50 business cards and trying to sell something.

It’s about relationships.

Meet people. Learn about their businesses. Arrange one-to-ones. Make introductions. Help people where you can. Then keep turning up. Some relationships can take years before they produce business, that doesn’t mean they haven’t been valuable.

5. Look for businesses that already know your customers

This is one of my favourite ways of developing business.

Ask yourself: Who else works with the type of customer I want?

An accountant might build relationships with solicitors, financial advisers, mortgage brokers and HR consultants. A builder might develop relationships with architects, estate agents, interior designers and property developers. A manufacturer might work with distributors, installers, designers or businesses supplying complementary products.

You’re not competing, you’re serving the same market in different ways.

That creates opportunities for referrals, joint events, shared content, introductions and sometimes completely new services.

6. Consider whether you need someone focused on sales

As businesses grow, there’s often a point where the owner simply doesn’t have enough time to keep developing new opportunities, that’s where a salesperson or business development manager can make a real difference. Their job isn’t necessarily just cold calling, a good business development person can build relationships, attend events, follow up inquiries, reconnect with previous customers, develop partnerships and make sure opportunities don’t disappear because everyone else is busy delivering the work.

Before employing someone, though, be clear about what success looks like, give them targets, systems and a clear understanding of your ideal customer.

And remember that sales can take time.

7. Don’t forget your existing customers

We often become so focused on finding the next customer that we forget about the people who already buy from us, could an existing customer use another service?

Could they buy another product?

Is there an upgrade, maintenance package or complementary service that would genuinely benefit them?

When did you last contact an old customer?

And when did you last ask a happy customer for a referral?

Sometimes your easiest next sale isn’t from a stranger.

It’s from someone who already knows and trusts you.

8. Trade fairs and B2B exhibitions still have a place

For manufacturers, suppliers and product-based businesses in particular, trade shows can put you in front of a concentrated audience of potential buyers.

Service businesses can benefit from B2B exhibitions too, but don’t just book a stand and hope people stop. Have a reason for people to talk to you, run a competition, demonstrate something, have an interesting giveaway.

Ask questions.

Most importantly, collect contact details appropriately and follow up.

The exhibition might finish at 4pm.

The sales opportunity doesn’t.

9. Promotional products, make them memorable

I’ve collected enough free pens at networking events to last me several lifetimes! Promotional products can work, but I’d think carefully about what you’re giving away.

Can you choose something useful?

Can it relate to your business?

Will somebody still have it on their desk six months later?

The objective isn’t to give away as much branded merchandise as possible.

It’s to be remembered.

10. Keep talking about what you do

This sounds obvious, but I’m amazed how many businesses don’t do it.

Talk about your work.

Share customer success stories where appropriate.

Write articles.

Post on LinkedIn.

Send newsletters.

Attend events.

Ask for referrals.

Stay in touch with previous customers.

You don’t need every conversation or social media post to be a sales pitch.

In fact, I’d argue they shouldn’t be.

Being visible and useful means that when someone eventually needs what you provide, there’s a better chance they’ll think of you.

Don’t try everything at once

If you’ve read this and thought:

“Right, I need a new website, salesperson, marketing company, networking membership and an exhibition stand…”

Stop!

You don’t need to do everything.

Pick two or three areas that make sense for your business.

Set a budget.

Decide what you’re trying to achieve.

Give them enough time to work.

Then measure the results.

This is also something I talk about with my mentoring clients. Sometimes having someone outside the business to discuss ideas with helps you decide which opportunities are genuinely worth pursuing, and which are simply another distraction.

Because ultimately, marketing isn’t about being everywhere.

It’s about understanding who you want to do business with, where you can find them and giving them a good reason to choose you.

So perhaps the question isn’t simply:

“Where is my next customer coming from?”

Maybe it’s:

“What am I doing today to make sure they can find me tomorrow?”

Glenn’s Notebook – Business, life and everything in between.