Whether you’re a newbie or have been in the business game for a while, there are times when you think: Shit, I haven’t got any new clients ????
I know what it’s like to have huge yawning gaps in your diary (and yes, it’s a bit pant-wettingly scary) but I was never one to rest on my soggy laurels so here are the steps I took to attract new clients…
1) Get crystal clear on who you’re for and the results you get
My core message is the place I start and always return to when I’m feeling a little shaky about my work, my confidence, and my income.
It’s very grounding
I know once I have this fundamental info dialed in, I can market my biz, tweak my offers, get clear on the words to use and — importantly — feel like I’m bossing it every time someone asks, so what do you do?
So, are you clear on your own core message? Do you know who do you help, how and what’s the outcome?
Here are three examples to help craft your own message:
Examples:
- I help coaches and healers clarify their message and get over marketing overwhelm so they can easily and confidently attract clients
- My client Marie, teaches anxiety sufferers the fundamentals of yoga so they feel relaxed, calm, and more positive in their daily lives
- Bianca, a personal trainer, helps working mums develop stress-free exercise plans that fit into their busy schedules so can they meet their health goals.
Can you see how getting clear on your core message makes it easier for you to:
- find the right clients
- become known as ‘the expert in….’and, then get more referrals
- create content that attracts followers
- develop offers or packages that you know your clients will love
- build your confidence
Uncovering your message and honing your niche and finding your niche is my absolute favourite thing to do,
if you need a hand with that click here
2) Make it easy for people to find you
So, now you have an idea of your niche — what you do, who you do it for, and the happy outcomes — it’s relatively simple to start marketing strategically.
If you’re not already creating regular content (or if you are and not publishing it in the places where your people are) now is the time to up your blogging or vlogging game.
I know so many people struggle with creating content, but it really is the best way to find your voice, test what you know and get eyeballs on your biz. And now you have a sense of your audience’s cares and desires, creating useful content should be straightforward
I use the Island A & Island B approach, taught to me by The Quiet Marketer
- List 8 Challenges your client’s experience (Island A)
- List 8 Desires they have (Island B)
- Draw the dots between the two (how they get between the two)
- Get writing/recording (and publishing)
Example:
Challenge (Island A): My clients are struggling to get clients
Desire: (Island B): They want a full diary and consistent revenue
How they get from A to B:
- Use their existing network and ask for referrals
- Explore partnerships; where else are their ideal client’s shopping, surfing, asking Qs?
- Talk about your point of view, what you believe in, what p*sses you off
- Talk about your approach, your process or methodology. Show you help get clients from A to B
- Talk about your credentials; what have you already created, what results have you have
- Offer a free consultation
Each one of the above points could become a blog, social post, carousel, reel or live.
OK, so you might be freaking out a bit (especially if you’re new to business) about finding 8 problems and 8 solutions, but now this is the time to get creative.
So many of us are past versions of our clients (I know I certainly was: my ideal client is me in 2018 when I was just starting out in business) So think back to the problems or issues you had before you knew what you know now.
Still stuck? Read more about how to discover your ideal clients here.
3) Activate your network
Man, this is one of those things that sounds like too much hard work, but sooo isn’t. So many biz owners don’t reach out to their network when they need help for fear of bothering people, getting rejected, being ignored, or embarrassing themselves.
But, when funds are low you have to weigh up all your options, and I have found this exercise brings about all sorts of interesting opportunities.
(NB This is not about cold-calling or spamming — no, no, no — it’s about asking for support from your friends, family and past clients; i.e. those people who know you and genuinely want to help)
Approach A:
Send a message to your friends, family explaining you have some gaps or slots in your diary and ask them if they know of anyone who needs your help….make sure to include your niche statement., ie who you help and the successful results they get. (It’s amazing how many of nearest and dearest have absolutely no idea what we do)
Approach B:
If you’ve been in business for a while then it’s likely you’ve had success, happy clients, and those who expressed interest in working with you, but perhaps the timing or the offer wasn’t right.
Send them an email – or, better still, send a personalised video (I use Bonjoro – easy to use software to create and email personalised videos. It’s fab, the people I’ve sent them to are delighted to receive something thoughtful and considered)
Be upfront about why you’re getting in touch, explain that you have spaces in your calendar, and ask if they have anything they need help with. My approach is to firstly take a look at what they’ve been up to, to understand a little more about their current work and how I could possibly help them. I also comment (authentically) on a few of their social posts so I know when I’m emailing them it’s not a total surprise.
Make a list of ten people that you enjoyed working with and would welcome contact from you.
I love this approach. So often, people think that the only option is to find new clients, but usually, the fastest and most effective way of boosting income is to reach out to those who know, love, and have worked with you before.
4. Offer a free consultation or coaching call
Think about when you last bought a service from a provider — a plumber, business coach, a personal trainer. The reason you selected them was probably because you;
- Knew them personally
- They were referred to you by someone you trust
- Or you got to know them via their content, email list, social channels or a freebie.
Either way, the risk of you parting with your cash, or wasting your time/energy on working with them was massively reduced because you already had a relationship with them, you already trusted them in some ways. Yes?
Reducing the risk of someone saying yes to you is the biggest way to transform prospects into clients.
And a great way to overcome any hesitation and reduce the risk of buying from you is by offering a free consultation.
It’s what I do in my business, I advertise my free Clarity and Connection call at the end of each blog and throughout my website.
I love these calls, they give me a chance to dive deeper into the issues my ideal clients face and make new connections.
At the end of the call, I give out homework, I then follow up a week or so later to check-in and quite naturally, these conversations turn into ways of working together.
It feels a much less icky way to build my business and supports my values of service and generosity.
For more about how to make free consultations work for you, check out this article by my marvelous business coach, Caroline Leon.
5. Keep the faith
Friends. this business lark is a rollercoaster.
But I’m learning to enjoy the ups, go wheeeee on the downs, and take a breath at the bottom, before the long climb up again.
I urge you to keep the faith, be creative and keep experimenting.
The ideas above are just are few things that may help to shake the tree and generate some interest and income, but so much of this marketing lark is guess and test. My final advice, enjoy the discovery process and…
…be more glue — sticky (ie consistent), useful, and keep making connections