Anyone who has ever run their own business is acutely aware of how they started out. Hundreds of hours spent planning and plotting, wondering how the business will take off, whether it will be successful and all the excitement and nerves that goes along with it.
I remember all the sweat, blood and tears shed as I tried my hand at marketing, phone calls to potential local and international clients, personal visits to local businesses in an attempt to get my name out there and drum up business for myself. I also remember very clearly the feeling of euphoria when the office phone rung for the first time and it was a potential client, it was so exciting because I hadn’t initiated the call, somebody was actually calling ME to request MY services. I practically held my breath throughout the entire conversation but managed to keep it together enough to book an appointment with them but the second we hung up the phone, I fist pumped the air, screamed and danced around the office like a complete idiot. My baby was starting to grow!
I sent out numerous estimates for services always with a hopeful attitude as I waited for the potential client to get back to me and I always maintained a professional attitude even when they chose not to accept my services. It was disappointing but that’s the way it is, people request various estimates before making their final decision but sooner or later, somebody was bound to take a chance on me and I was definitely going to be ready. It is not realistic to think that just because you’ve opened doors for business and are even lucky enough to have potentials to send estimates out to, that you are going to receive a steady stream of clients but if you keep at it, your chances increase and with time, it somehow just starts to tick over almost automatically.
There was a potential client from four years ago who was very interested in my services for his international company. We Skyped a few times to discuss the project and I sat down and prepared my calculations in order to send him an estimate. Up until then, everything had been extremely positive and I was certain I was going to be successful this time and “bag” the client but unfortunately, he decided to go in another direction. My stomach sank because I was so certain he was going to go ahead but true to form, I responded in a professional manner and wished him all the best. Anyway, the reason I’m telling you all of this is because just yesterday an email came through and the little notification box popped up in the corner of my screen and I did a double take. The email was from this same client from so long ago! He requires other services and remembered our previous contact and has come to me. This experience has shown me how important it is to always put your professional foot forward, to leave potential clients with a good impression even if things don’t go the way you expect at the time because you never know what the future will bring.
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