Step by Step Guide to Get Your First 100 Clients Here are 5 steps to make sure you get to that milestone of 100 clients very fast.

By Swati Sinha

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Fetchr

Client loyalty is the key a solid business foundation. It is very important to get those first 100 clients, so much so that it is more of a challenge. Success of newly incepted product or service depends on speedy addition of clients and also gaining their long term association with the item on sale.

Startups even with a wonderful idea, product or service face real challenge in finding those clients, onboarding them and retaining them in the long run. A closer look at the ecosystem clarifies on those crucial strategies to reach and retain our first batch of 100 clients.

My business may not be too old but it has enabled me to think from a client's perspective. I would be making profit, only when the end users of my services are benefited. Here are 5 such steps to make sure you get to that milestone of 100 clients very fast.

Make a list

Keeping a list of prospective clients is very important. They may be the top players in the market but it should not make you uncomfortable approaching them. You should always reach for the stars and wade our way towards the best. But this doesn't mean you go in without preparation - you should get into the minutest detail that can add value to the client. Once you are in, next step should be to find the key stakeholders and decision makers. List them down, you have almost done half of the work already.

Reach out personally

Social networking sites have made reaching out to our prospective clients very easy . We have our list ready and now our next step would be to send personalized mails to them one by one . We should write small , crisp mails which should be enough to start the conversation.

That first mail could be reference of any common acquaintance , or some news about the person addressed. It should be anything but not a sales pitch. We should wait for some decent time gap before we follow up with them or send a gentle reminder about our presence.

Sales pitch should be initiated only when we get a go ahead signal from the prospective side. We should always do enough research about what our client needs before we try to sell them our product or services. These personalized conversations are the key factors in initial take off.

Referrals

Our best marketers are our existing clients and they act as catalyst in getting many more business. We should always keep them updated about our skills and latest upgradation. We can also share some good incentive to keep them activated. Nothing can replace word of mouth and positive feedback from our existing clients. These reviews are something which add to our credibility and inturn affects our business positively.

Content Marketing

Consumers have slowly become immune to advertisements or banners on television or magazine. All these are replaced by creating and curating valuable content for the audience, which can change or enhance consumer behaviour.

Basically it is important to reach out to customers, with something that adds value, without direct approach to sell anything.

Customer Thank You Card

Last week I ordered meal for my whole team using a food application, really liked the services and gave them a positive review in the app store. After 2 or 3 days I got a personalized " Thank you" card. This was a small gesture but made me feel a privileged customer. Expressing gratitude and thanking customers is a very essential ritual for retaining them. Such stuff spreads by word of mouth and brings many more customers for your business.

Swati Sinha

Founder & Principal Advisor, Savanna HR

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Side Hustle

'I Was Called Crazy': This 27-Year-Old's Side Hustle Hit $30,000 a Month in Under a Year — Now It's Worth Millions

Changing regulations forced Angel Rodriguez's jet ski rental company to shut down, and the young entrepreneur had to figure out his next move — fast.

Science & Technology

Want to Make Money With AI? Here Are Easy Steps to Unlock Explosive Profits in 2025

Learn to turn Google AI Studio into a profit-boosting machine with this three-step framework. Train AI to analyze data, uncover sales opportunities and maximize profits.

News and Trends

Ranbir Kapoor Launches Lifestyle Brand ARKS in Mumbai

ARKS will offer premium footwear and wardrobe staples like tailored shirts, white T-shirts, and trousers, reflecting Ranbir Kapoor's sophisticated yet relaxed style influenced by cinema and fashion trends.

Growing a Business

The 10 Best Podcasts Every Entrepreneur Should Listen to for Growth, Strategy and Success

Unlock your potential with the 10 must-listen podcasts for entrepreneurs, offering expert insights on growth, strategy and success.

News and Trends

Navi Restructures Leadership, Appoints New CEOs for Navi Technologies and Navi Finserv

Under the new structure, all lending businesses within Navi will be headed by Abhishek Dwivedi, while Rajiv Naresh will oversee non-lending operations