The Key to Landing BIG Clients

As an entrepreneur, knowing how to land clients is everything, no matter your industry. But once you’re past the newbie phase and feel ready to move on to the next level, it’s time to score some bigger clients who will pay you well.

If you want your business to grow, you need your clients to grow, too. You need clients who will:

  • want you for long-term projects
  • have large budgets
  • gladly offer you glowing referrals and testimonials for your marketing
  • bring you repeat business.

Wondering how to attract such desirable clients? Entrepreneur Peter Corbett has been down this road and knows it well. CEO and founder of the multimillion dollar digital agency iStrategyLabs, Corbett has worked with plenty of huge brands including Facebook, NBC, Disney, Volkswagen and Coca-Cola. In his CreativeLive course The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Pitching Clients and Getting Sales, Corbett reveals his successful step-by-step approach to scoring gigs with clients big and small, in any industry. Here’s a sneak peek into Corbett’s pitching strategy to help you land those lucrative gigs:

Your patience, their trust

It makes sense that working with a multinational corporation is going to take more effort than working with a mom-n-pop shop. Instead of a friendly chat at your local cafe to seal the deal on a project, you might be scheduled for multiple conference calls with people from various departments throwing different questions at you. You may get lots of feedback and requests for revisions from a client who has a bigger budget, stricter requirements and tighter deadlines.

All of this to say that you will have to be patient (and friendly, and flexible) to earn the trust of a larger client. They have the funds to pay for the best services, so you will have to prove to them that you are the most qualified to help them with their needs.


Anthony Iannarino has an innovative approach to closing – that works. Learn it.


Believe in your ideas

That being said, you’ve got to know when it’s time to stop pushing your ideas on a client who doesn’t see it your way. If you are butting heads from the very start, it’s not a good sign for the future of your collaboration. Move on and find another client who gets you.

We’re all the same

No matter how big or small the budget of your client is, being an entrepreneur means building relationships. With people. Who are more or less like you. Corbett says that if you can successfully nurture and manage human relationships one-on-one, your business will do well, regardless of how big the client is.

Be a problem solver

Although you have your income goals to reach, Corbett suggests you don’t just go after clients for the money. Your potential client is just another business trying to solve a particular problem in the world. But they have problems of their own, too. If you can help them with a solution, you will become important to them, and they’ll gladly pay you for your help and advice. Just be sure to “choose problems that are profitable to solve,” Corbett adds.

Invest in yourself

Don’t forget that you need to have quality skills to attract those quality clients. As Corbett advises entrepreneurs at any stage, “keep investing in yourself, your people and your work quality. Every single damn day.” Each client experience you have is a lesson learned, so take a moment to analyze your work process, client feedback, the outcome, and see how you can do better next time. Take courses to polish your skills and acquire new ones, obtain certifications to boost your resume, upgrade your website, attend relevant conferences, and keep up with trends and news in your field.


Take a deep dive on the pitching process. Join Peter for The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Pitching Clients and Getting Sales. Watch now.


Post based on April 2016 interview.

Suchi Rudra

Suchi Rudra is a nomadic writer of articles, stories and songs, taking inspiration from her travels. Follow her wanderings at Tread Lightly, Travel Naturally.