There is nothing 'small' about running a small business. Usually it takes more effort than running a large business. You have to act as CEO, Accountant, Director of Sales and Marketing as well as Human Resources. What is so small about that?
When asked the predictable question “So, what do you do?” often a small business owner will reply “I own a small business” or “I run a small graphic design company”. How does it help your business when you refer to it as small?
Instead of saying, you run your own tiny PR Company, how about saying you run a communications firm.
The point is, when you use the term small; it is open to interpretation by the listener as to what the word 'small' means. How do they define it?
You may think small means: “I can handle work for mid-size companies, up to 200 employees”. Whilst the listener might be thinking, “Too bad they can only handle businesses with under 50 employees; my mid-size company could certainly do with their help.”
Do you think if you say you a run a company, without mentioning that it's small, you will be buried by too much work from bigger clients?
Recently, one of my Coaching clients referred to her business as a small graphic design company. I asked her “What do the “large” firms provide to a potential client that you don't?” She thought for a moment and said, “Well, they have a known client list and nice offices”. That was it!
Clients hire you to add value to their business by using your talent. Nothing to do with stylish offices or the fact that IBM is a past client.
I have heard people say that they like working with a smaller company because of the more personalized service they feel they receive by dealing with the owner. And it is true, when a client picks up the 'phone, it could well be you who answers – they certainly don't have to go through six people just to get their question answered. However, it is not the number of employees that dictates the quality of the customer service; it is the mindset of the people involved.
If you want to start landing larger clients, stop acting so small. Give yourself some credit for your talent; tell people what you have to offer and what you can do for them. If you don't start to, no one else will.

About The Author

Anne Duncan “The Reluctant Salesperson's Coach” shows Service Professionals how to explode their business by creating a killer marketing message and getting it in front of 1000s of their ideal clients fast. Get your FREE tips now at http://www.TheReluctantSalespersonsCoach.com.
© Anne Duncan 2006. All rights reserved. May be distributed if full attribution is given and copyright notice is included.
anne@thereluctantsalespersonscoach.com