How to Get Your First Clients as a B2B Business

The failing point of many startups in their first year in business tends to be the struggle to find clients. Which can, admittedly, be more the case when you are attempting to run a B2B (business to business) structure. This is because people find it hard to buy into a new brand and can be quite wary, which is only more the case when it comes to a B2B client.

From this, you can start paving the path to acquiring your first B2B client. Simply follow some of the next points:

Create Connections

Existing connections are the biggest asset that you have as a new B2B company owner. You need to create a list of all the people you know and their business connections. As this will, inevitably, give you a number of different avenues to potentially get your new business in front of the right people.

You can meet these people for coffee and give them a soft pitch. If they’re not interested then try not to push it, as you can always ask them to pass it along to someone more relevant.

Blog More

Blogging is incredibly important as a business. It can help establish your expertise, give your business a platform and improve your searchability for certain long-term terms or issues. For some businesses, it is proven to be one of the most established forms of client acquisition.

Of course, blogging isn’t just about populating your own blog with good content. You need to start outreaching to people throughout your industry with similar blogs or publications, as you can set yourself up as a prominent voice in your own niche. It gives your startup some much-needed exposure.

Try to Avoid Cold Calling

Cold calling and emails can be very annoying. You probably get multiple cold calls and emails a day, so you know how painful these can be to receive on a daily basis.

But, not only that, you often cannot reach the people who actually matter in the business in question. You will get third-tier or salespeople contact details rather than decision-makers. Which, on the whole, isn’t ideal for your business or finding the right B2B clients. Therefore, you need to ensure your cold calling and emailing is of premium quality before actively pursuing this strategy.

Host Functions

One of the key ways you can help get yourself more B2B clients is via functions. Host an event and you could bag yourself many new B2B deals, which can be much more lucrative than other sales tactics. As many of these people may already be interested in your brand or service already to accept an invitation in the first place.

Hosting these events, of course, requires a good space to make the right impression. If you don’t have a commercial space that works right now, then you need to pursue a more professional space. Get a commercial property management team on your side and you will be able to find a space that is both functional for work, but great for functions. And retain a good relationship here to ensure a positive outcome for any future commercial rent review that may occur.

Do Competitor Research

Your competitors are likely doing something right, otherwise, they would not be your competitor. That is why it is important to actively view what they are doing and how successful they are in their strategies. If your competitors are doing very well on social, have a good presence on Google, or simply showcase their products in attractive ways; it can all be key points to refining your own strategy.

Profiling your competitor’s customers can also be of use, though not very precise as you won’t have the exact data. But, you can investigate who follows them on social media, etc., to determine the general user profile. This way, you can strategies to pursue these types of customers in your own campaigns.

Final Thoughts

All in all, the competition for gaining B2B clients vs. B2C may seem steeper, but it is generally the same process with a little more formality involved. You need to actively pursue smaller opportunities more frequently, without harassing people with cold calling. Make your blog well-optimised, research your competitors and make sure that you know what connections you are making for the long term.