This may seem like a strange question. After all, if we’ve already defined them as “your clients,” doesn’t that mean that they’ve already done business with you? And, if that is the case, did the client not know or understand what they were purchasing?
Of course your clients know what you’ve done for them. The question is, do they fully understand all that you have to offer? My bet is: not!
The fact is that most people will pigeonhole you into the category that their personal experience with you has determined you belong. For example, although I know that one of the cashiers at my supermarket uses Mary Kay products, I never thought that she might also sell Mary Kay products. As far as I'm concerned, she's the cashier at the market and that's it for her professional life. Now, since so many dedicated Mary Kay users are also Mary Kay consultants, the fact that she is also a consultant shouldn't have been much of a surprise - but it was.
If you belong to a networking group, it is rare that fellow members have a full understanding of all that you offer. For instance, I’ve been a member of one networking group for almost five years. I’ve spoken often about Lev Promotions' three areas of expertise of Lev Promotions: promotional products, trade show marketing and event marketing. Nevertheless, most of the other people in the group remember me as the promotional products person (or worse, the "pen lady") and forget (or never registered) that I can help them with other marketing needs.
Even more so, I have a client who has purchased imprinted mugs and pens from me for years. The other day, they called me to see if I could refer them to a company who could provide them with imprinted calendars and tote bags. I was disappointed that they truly believed all I do is mugs and pens, even though I have presented them with ideas for and samples of many other types of products over our time working together. In the end, I was thrilled to refer them to myself and they were happy to be able to work with someone who understood their needs without having to break in someone new!
It’s all a question of education. Even if your focus is in one area of your industry, make sure that you mention (verbally and in your written and electronic communications) the other aspects of your business that people may have forgotten about or never consciously took note of. It’s all about capturing as much of your current clients’ business as possible.