What’s getting in the way of finding clients for your business?
Are you feeling frustration, overwhelm, and burnout from doing ALL the things while still not getting clients? Or are you stuck at the gates, not sure where to start looking for clients? Maybe you’re scrambling to apply the endless stream of marketing advice, multiple free courses, or that magic blueprint to success. These one-size-fits-all solutions aren’t taking account of your unique business. With a limited budget, allocating your valuable time is also important, and it’s easy to waste time DIYing things that aren’t your zone of genius. What’s keeping you from engaging with the people you’re in business to help?
I’ve taken all the advice from all the marketing gurus and still can’t get clients
Let’s face it, if you want to learn anything these days, you can open Youtube and find a tutorial on it. Everyone and their hamster is offering a free mini-course. The thing is, these courses don’t take account of your unique business circumstances.
What works for someone else, might not be the best way for you to find clients that are right for you.
You can easily be overwhelmed with too much marketing advice online.
Trying to apply all the marketing tips you come across online is just one of the ways you can get stuck on the path to finding the right clients for your business.
While you’re busy fiddling with your launch plan and your success strategy and worrying that you don’t know enough, there are clients waiting for you to reach them.
If you’re feeling stuffed from the all-you-can-eat buffet of marketing options – you know you can’t fit it all in (!) – step away from the sign-up button or you’ll keep putting off the action that will bring in clients.
But wait, let me get all my systems set up!
Holding back until you’ve got all your systems and integrations set up is likely to lead to you missing out on clients who need you now.
Tools for automating marketing and client processes are great for speeding things up when you have a good flow of clients. But it’s not something to think about first.
When you start working with clients, you’ll learn more about how you want the process to run, and those fancy automations might not be helpful at all.
Not having your workflow or process clear in your mind (or on screen or paper) leads to feelings of uncertainty with delivering your service. And some of these online tools have a steep learning curve. You can end up worrying about taking on more work:
- how will I handle it when I haven’t mapped out my process?
- what happens when I’m stuck on an unfamiliar new automation tool?
- what if I get bits of the process wrong for the client?
Subconsciously you’ll be sabotaging your own efforts to find clients.
Avoid overcomplicating your systems when a spreadsheet or checklist will meet your needs to get momentum with your processes.
Aim to start with repeatable processes, using templates and checklists, which can later be transferred into a client management tool to deal with a bigger volume of work as your confidence builds.
To DIY or not DIY: limitations of a tight budget
When we’re starting out in business, the budget’s tight, we feel like we have to do it all. So we learn all the things, and juggle all the tasks and exist in constant overwhelm. (Not just me, right?)
It’s part of:
- being resourceful and independent
- this darned hustle culture
- wanting to maintain control of this thing you’re building
That was certainly my approach. I wasted so much time DIYing things that weren’t my jam.
There’s a cost to not paying for expert help when you need it.
I discovered:
- I could’ve allowed myself to get more creative if I’d handed over some of the systems or processes that didn’t need my personal action.
- my efforts sometimes fell short of the professional image I’d hoped for and I really should have let someone else take on things like design and some tech stuff that took way longer than I’d expected.
- I’ve struggled on, believing I could figure things out, when reaching out for some mentoring really boosted my results in the end.
It can benefit you in the long run to pay an expert to give you some quick help, so you can free up your billable hours to earn income from your unique services to clients.
Is my solo business really a solo effort?
Trying to promote your business online feels like your hard work is disappearing into a void. It’s getting harder to be seen at all, let alone by the best fit clients. And when you’re:
- not entirely sure if your messaging is right, or
- stuck on ideas, or
- in a slump,
being in a solo or small business feels pretty stressful. You can go around in circles for ages trying to figure it out on your own.
It’d be easier if you had someone to bounce ideas with, to check in with, and to champion each other in business.
Networks can be a crucial element of bringing the right fit clients to your business. Word of mouth referrals are bound to be closer to the mark because it’s from people who have direct experience of you or your services. It’s easier to match with good-fit clients. You’ll keep on sharing your own content, of course, but the added advantage of networks will amplify your potential for reaching clients who need you.
Networking has been one of the foundations of my business, and I love to learn from other business owners, sharing my insights with them, helping each other grow together while engaging in fun events along the way. I’ve written separately on networking, stay tuned for more posts.
How can you harness networking to help attract clients to your business?
- Talk about your business with the people you know
- Join online/offline groups to meet new helpful contacts, and talk about your business.
- Help other people by sharing advice and recommendations
Engaging with others creates a bunch of new opportunities for coming into contact with potential clients.
If your shyness about networking is holding you back from accessing this powerful marketing pathway, keep a couple of things in mind:
- More and more business owners are taking the plunge to get out and network, seeing the value in this activity. Everyone’s a learner. You’re definitely going to be among likeminded introverts along all stages of the business journey
- Networking is about having conversations. If you feel daunted by sales pitches when you go to networking events, find another group. There are plenty of groups for real people getting to know each other in a supportive environment.
Getting clear on what’s stopping you from getting clients
Getting overwhelmed by marketing advice, or learning clever new tools that aren’t quite what your business needs, can distract you from the action you need to take to find clients.
Do you really need to learn more?
Step away from the sign-up button and look inside your business for the keys to success.
If your time’s taken up with complicated systems or doing tasks that can be done more quickly by others, could you simplify things, reduce your overwhelm and free up your time to engage with your potential clients?
I’m Jenny Lindsay, a versatile marketer, copywriter, and opportunity-seeker. I’m committed to helping business owners like you get your marketing foundations sorted so you can find the clients who need you.
Finding clients for your service business can seem like an overwhelming task and believe it or not, getting it all done isn’t the hard part. Deciding how you’re going to do it and making a start, is.
So make a start right now by booking a 15min chat with me and we’ll decide how to get it all done together.