As consultants, solo-preneurs and independent professionals one of our biggest challenges is getting a consistent flow of clients. Especially when you’re just starting out.
Sure we all want to generate leads online. Just imagine, sitting back putting up a website, buying pay-per-click advertising to drive traffic to that website and then our phone ringing off the hook. Unfortunately, that happens…. like NEVER! You actually have to work to get clients. And these three keys are critical to your success. Let me explain.
Too often we chase the next, new shiny object that promises us how “Clients will be falling over each other to hire you!” Or things like, “new clients will be throwing themselves at you!”
HOGWASH!
While there are some very effective ways to get clients from online strategies nothing and I mean NOTHING beats face-to-face contact when you’re a consultant or independent professional. That may not be exactly what you want to hear because that sounds like work. And its not a pie-in-the-sky, over-promise, under-deliver, new shiny object, get millions of clients by osmosis kind of thing. Its proven!
And here are three key success factors to ensure you’ll get all the clients you can handle. When in doubt… do these!
Key #1: Be Seen
One of the best ways to get clients is simply by being visible in your marketplace. If you’re someone who thinks they can get all the clients they want by sitting behind a computer. I’m sorry to tell you but you’re wrong. Smart people know they need to be seen to build relationships and trust with their market.
Key #2: Be Heard
Have an opinion! Don’t be someone who simply goes with what everyone else is saying. If you have the guts to express your opinions and illustrate why your opinion is the right one people will be drawn towards you like never before. You can’t please everyone so don’t try.
Key #3: Be an Expert
We can’t be all things to all people we serve. I know we all want to but we just can’t. So instead of focusing on several different things – never really getting good at any of them – why not start out by becoming the go-to expert in one thing? Being viewed as an expert is the surest way to get clients coming to you instead of the other way around.
So How Do You Implement These 3 Keys?
We have taken these three key success factors and rolled them into a perfect client getting system called the Client Getting P.L.A.N. If you’re tired of worrying about where your next client is going to come from, fear no more! The Client Getting P.L.A.N. will take you through a step-by-step process to get you as many clients as you can handle. And the cool thing is that you can turn it on or off – like a faucet – whenever you need to. Click here to watch a free video training series on the Client Getting P.L.A.N.
Share your comments below!
Valid points Drew.
Too often the Gurus claim push button ease attracting new clients without having to do any heavy lifting. The heavy lifting being the phone or simply getting out into the marketplace to say hello.
And of course trying to be all things to everyone presents it’s own host of challenges. There’s always someone who can build a better website, deliver better copy, develop a better seo strategy and on and on and on.
I’ve trained myself in html just so I better understand the challenges a client might have and how a few tweaks might help their site perform better. Also to keep my developers honest.
Sometimes the problem with their site could be speed related, misplaced javascript, image optimization, compression etc. Heck they may just need to to have an analytics code popped onto each page so they can finally see what’s going on.
I’m not a great web designer but do have a basic grasp on the subject.
Perhaps they haven’t even kept track of their past customers and just don’t have the time yet still spend crazy money on old school advertising.
Sometimes it’s just stopping into a store and introducing yourself.
The conversation seems to take on it’s own life after that.
Just my take on the shiny object syndrome and looking for the next great solution.
Don’t get me wrong. I’ve bought plenty of gadgets, plugins, themes over the years that have turned out to be useless or the support has disappeared. But I’ve also bought a bunch that have helped my business and have plenty of themes and plugins to use if the client needs a particular solution.
For me it’s about getting “back in the box ” and reminding bsuinesses about the basic stuff – getting reviews, staying in touch, and fine tuning what they already have in place with the upside of possibly saving them money and increasing their revenues.
Just my humble opinion.
Thanks as always for the email
Nat
Hey Nat,
Thanks for the great and insightful feedback. Awesome stuff!
I too have bought my fair share – probably way more than my fair share – of gadgets, tools and whatnot. Some are must-haves for my business but most are nothing more than something that looks cool but does nothing but take me away from my business and goals. In any case, the main focus of this post is all about getting clients by being visible. If we can just do more to be seen more will get more clients. Then we can use our tools and whatnot to help them.
Thanks again!
Drew
Very good article. Thanks Shankar
Thanks for the kind words Shankar. The Client Getting P.L.A.N. is dramatically changing people’s businesses!