Growing a business means moving from “I sell when I’m lucky / when my network brings me clients” to “I have a system that generates customers regularly.”
The 5 fundamentals that grow a customer base
1) A clear, easy-to-buy offer
If your offer isn’t understandable in 10 seconds, you lose sales.
- 1 sentence: “I help X get Y thanks to Z.”
- Max 3 packages (Essential / Standard / Premium)
- A price or a price range (otherwise you mostly attract browsers)
2) Proof (even small) — but visible
Proof sells more than talk:
- customer reviews, case studies, before/after, numbers, real photos, audio testimonials
- “what you receive” (e.g., timeline, deliverable, steps)
- realistic guarantees (e.g., one revision included, 30-day follow-up)
3) One primary acquisition channel + one secondary channel
Don’t go in 6 directions at once.
- Primary channel (e.g., Google SEO, Google Ads, outreach, partnerships, social)
- Secondary channel (remarketing, email, LinkedIn, structured word-of-mouth)
You iterate until one channel is profitable before opening another.
4) A simple sales process
You want a clear path:
Entry (contact) → Qualification → Offer → Follow-up → Signature
Companies stall because they don’t follow up—or they follow up badly.
Minimum essentials:
- call script / message template
- standardized quote/proposal
- follow-ups at D+2 / D+7 / D+14
- a CRM (even a simple one) so nothing slips through
5) A client experience that triggers referrals
The safest growth comes from referrals.
- deliver fast + deliver well
- over-communicate the steps
- a “wow moment” (a small unexpected extra)
- ask for the review at the right time (right after satisfaction)
Concrete ideas to find clients (depending on your profile)
A) If you’re local (services, health, construction, transport, moving)
- “City + service” page (e.g., “Moving Geneva,” “Clinic X in Lausanne”)
- Google Business Profile: posts + Q&A + recent photos + reviews
- Partnerships: property managers, concierge services, insurers, garages, building managers, real estate agencies
- “Entry” offer: diagnosis / express quote / free visit
B) If you’re B2B (web agency, consulting, finance, industry)
- 1 clear niche (e.g., “I work with clinics,” “industrial SMEs,” “premium restaurants”)
- 1 detailed client case study (even small) + 1 ultra-clear service page
- LinkedIn: 20 targeted connections/day + 5 useful messages/week
- Webinars / audits: “30 minutes — we identify your 3 growth levers”
C) If you sell online (e-commerce or info products)
- 1 hero product + 1 high-converting page
- UGC / reviews / visual proof
- Email: abandoned cart + welcome sequence
- Ads: Search/Shopping + remarketing
The “accelerator” lever many forget: your value proposition
Ask yourself these 3 questions and answer in one sentence:
- Why you rather than someone else?
- What makes it faster / safer / simpler?
- What proof do you show?
Example: “Quote in 10 minutes, intervention within 48 hours, insured, 200+ reviews.”
A simple 30-day plan (that actually works)
- Week 1: clarify offer + 3 packages + 1 sales page + 1 proof asset
- Week 2: set up tracking + CRM + follow-up sequence
- Week 3: launch 1 primary channel (local SEO or Ads or outreach)
- Week 4: optimize (best keywords, best messages, best time slots)
Common mistakes
- communicating “everything for everyone”
- spending 80% of the time on logo/branding and 20% on selling
- not measuring (you must know: leads, conversion rate, basket/margin, cost per lead)
- not following up