7 Highly-Effective Ways to Attract New Clients

I have been receiving email after email from students of mine asking how they can get their FIRST client, or get MORE clients so they are bringing in MORE business and more money.

The following is a list of the 10 MOST effective ways that I am using to attract new clients and how YOU can quickly do the same without spending a lot of money at all so that you are booking bartending gigs quicker than ever before.

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7 Ways to Book Bartending Gigs NOW:
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1.  Vendor Directories
Get your phone number and website listed in Online Vendor Directories.  This is important because these big sites will have better SEO (search engine optimization) than your website. When someone searches “Dallas Bartender” and the directory pops us, you want people to find YOUR business information. The largest directory is www.PartyPop.com-make sure you are on it.  There are a ton of other directotories for party planners and weddings out there as well. You can also add your business to Google AND Yellowpages’ directories.  But here is my ONE RULE: Don’t PAY to have your website/business listed.  It is NOT worth it!!  If you an get a F.R.E.E. listing, GREAT, if not, don’t do it!

2.  Craigslist.org
Here is a big SECRET for you: I have put WEEKLY listings in my local Craigslist and the listing itself would rank HIGHER in Google than my website!  Pretty Cool!  I have a GREAT Craigslist script for you to use on my website. http://www.bartenderforprofit.com/bbbstep6.html

3. Website & SEO
If you don’t have a website/blog, than no one will take you seriously! Your “web presence” is your virtual storefront where people can “check you out” and learn more about you and your company.  EVERYONE is using the Internet to search online now, are they going to find YOU or your competitor?  I highly recommend just getting a Wordpress Blog and using a blog theme that looks like a standard website. With Wordpress, you don’t need an expensive website designer!  Once you have a website up, people searching Google (70% of Search Engine Traffic) can find YOU on the first page for your keywords (if you are performing the proper Search Engine Optimization techniques), and THAT is free advertising!

4.  Google Adwords
Without SEO, you can actually pay Google money on a “per-click” basis to get on the first page of Google’s search engine results page.  This is a GREAT way to get started when you are brand new with your business because the minute your website is live you can INSTANTLY drive traffice to your site  and start getting phone calls.  If you get TOO MUCH business, you can simply turn off the ads whenever you like…pretty cool!

5.  Preferred Vendor Lists
This is a POWERFUL Step!  Whenever I hear my students complaining about not get any business, I suggest this step right here!  You must keep this in mind: you are starting/running a business, that is no easy job, it takes a little work!  So let’s do some work!  Let’s hustle a bit!  Start calling caterers, party-planners, DJ’s, etc and get them to REFER you business.  When I’m calling up another party-vendor, I tell them a ton of my clients are looking for a DJ, and I have no one to recommend, can I recommend YOU?  The DJ always says YES, and automatically returns the favor and starts to give me business!  Create these powerful synergistic relationships now! ALSO, you want to get on the Perferred Vendor lists for any 3rd-Party Venues in your area…so stop making excuses and start calling them up!

6. During-Event Promotions
Don’t forget! Your biggest way to promote your busines is DURING your event! Simply having IMPECCABLE service is enough to spread the “word of mouth!” BUT pass out your business cards, collect contact information and mingle with
the crowd.  The better you do at your existing event, the more gigs you will book in the future because of that one party!

7.  Social Media
Social Media has taken us by storm in the past two years and as we go into 2010, I am MAKING all of my students use it!  (Don’t worry, I will be posting plenty of future articles on how to use Social Media for your business soon!)  For now, get on Twitter, Facebook & Linkedin and start connecting with other business professionals, past cleints, friends/family etc.  Spend 10 minutes using Social Media a day and see what comes of it!  At the very least, Social Networking sites are very SEO friendly and you can be found in the FIRST few results on Google’s search pages…not bad!

I hope you enjoyed these quick strategies for Client-Getting!  For some, I know these simply serve as a reminder for stuff you already know.  for others who are new and less experienced, hopefully you will take at least one of these techniques and implement it RIGHT NOW in your Bartending Business!  Make the effort, take the action and see the change!  Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, please email me or send me your comments!