You’re supposed to bring in new clients, but don’t know where to find them? One of the best places to find new business is in your former client files and the only thing you’ll need to do is pick up the phone.

Making those calls can be kind of scary! I mean…you haven’t talked to some of these people for a while…a long while. An awkward amount of time may have passed because you’ve been busy, or perhaps just felt too uncomfortable to reach out to them, so you didn’t, maybe they’ve moved…or moved on. Quite frankly, you don’t know what kind of reception you’re going to get and the thought of the whole process gives you butterflies in your stomach so you put it off once again. My advice is to just bite the bullet and make the call. It’s really not that bad, you’ll see.

Some business sites recommend that you ‘have a reason’ to call such as a sale or new product. I personally don’t like this approach. To me it says ‘I want something from you, so here I am popping up out of the blue.’ In my opinion the best reason to call is that you’ve been thinking of them and wanted to see how they are doing. Don’t try to sell them anything or ask them to come back, this should feel like a friendly catch-up. Ask how they are doing, if you know anything about their hobbies, children or other things that are special to them now is the time to inquire about them. Show a sincere interest in what they have to say. You will be surprised at how often your former clients let their guard down; say they’ve been thinking about you or have meant to come back in to your business.

Still don’t know how to get started? Here are some tips to get your re-activation plan rolling.

Get organized – Start by going through and sorting all your contacts and decide who you want to call.

Set goals – How many calls will you commit to making per day? Plan to take breaks when you start to get tongue-tied.

Take time to prepare – You have to be prepared for anything…really! Decide what you want to say and make an outline.  Realize that not everyone will react in a positive way. Be assured that this is not personal. Promise yourself to not let those few calls curb your enthusiasm.

Practice first! I know this sounds like a painful exercise but don’t skip this step. It will pay off as you make your initial calls.  Don’t practice on your customers!