5 Steps to Get Clients

Do you ever whisper-shout into the air, “damn! I need to get clients!”?

I've been there. Hell, I'm still there sometimes if I can be totally real with you. You see this dead zone coming up on your calendar and you're like "oh f*ck oh f*ck oh f*ck."

I mean, we all know we need clients right? It's how we make a living after all. But where I see entrepreneurs struggle most is:

they genuinely believe, "I'm not good at marketing"

and I'm here to say: you're better at marketing than you think. The problem is you don't have a plan laid out for it.

The thing is, you can't just proclaim "I need clients! I'm gonna go get me some of them!" throw a post onto Insta and then hope clients appear.

Or, rather, you can do that but your efforts are going to be scattershot and frankly, not fruitful.

The problem with marketing is most folks think of it as just one big...THING. Like a blob or something. And that's really overwhelming (also, weird).

Here's what I want you to start doing: start recognizing your marketing for what it is: a step-by-step journey your client takes that --ding ding ding!-- YOU get to guide them through.

When we break down marketing from one formless giant, jiggly, blob into an intentional process, sh*t starts to flow.

So without further ado, here are my 5-steps to your marketing (aka the journey a person will take from never having heard of you ----> happy, paying client)

ATTRACT: how can you get in front of new potential clients? (these are folks who haven't heard of you before)

Mistake: a lot of peeps try and use social media to attract in new potential clients

Fix: social media plays a different role which comes later in this process (stay tuned to step #3)

Mistake: thinking you need a big ass audience to get clients

Fix: don't reinvent the wheel; leverage OPA (Other People's Audiences) to get in front of new potential clients and don't forget to reach out to YOUR existing network of humans

ENGAGE: once a new potential client hears about you, what do you want them to do next?

Mistake: having people learn about you (say, from a podcast interview or a guest blog post, or a workshop you put on) then having no clear CTA (Call to Action)

Fix: once people hear about you, tell them EXACTLY what to do next. Eg: visit your website; sign up for your email list; book a discovery call

NURTURE: now that a new potential client knows who you are and they've taken the first step to engage with you, how will you foster this relationship?

Mistake: doing nothing after a new potential client engages with you (imagine if you walked into a store and everyone working there ignored you. that's the suck)

Fix: create a short welcome sequence for your new peeps. Welcome them to your email list or your Facebook group or whatever it is. Then for the love of everything holy, love on them! Nurturing is all about serving, helping and sharing. What value can you give to people in your audience?

Mistake: trying to "be everywhere" and, worse, creating unique content all over the place

Fix: create ONE piece of pillar content (for me, it's this email I write you every week) and then use your platforms as distribution channels (eg: as soon as I write you this email I make it into a blog post with pretty pics, then schedule it as a Facebook post and maybe if I'm not feeling too lazy will abbreviate it as an Insta post / IGTV bit). Doing this means you'll actually put out content consistently and get over that dreaded, "I don't know what to say" feeling

Side note: Social media belongs in this step of your process, Nurturing your CURRENT audience. I'll reiterate: please don't spin your wheels relying on social media to attract NEW people to your audience

INVITE: how (and when) will you officially invite clients to work with you?

Mistake: thinking just because someone knows who you are and what you do, they'll take the initiative to hire you. For whatever reason, most humans don't work this way

Fix: Tell folks clearly how to work with you and invite them directly to do so. Literally: "I have 5 spots open for clients in spring 2020! Click this link to book a call and see if we're a good fit."

Mistake: feeling guilty "selling"

Fix: you must always earn the right to sell. Period. And if you've been regularly Nurturing your people, inviting them to work with you shouldn't feel icky because you've already shown up for them like a boss

DELIGHT: once someone says, "hell yes! I'm in!" how do you craft a bomb client experience?

Mistake: taking care of your clients on the fly and winging it

Fix: put yourself in your client's shoes for a mo. Really. Set aside time to do this. What questions might they have as you get started? Along the way? Anticipate these needs then map out your workflow accordingly. This'll create a seamless experience for both of you

Mistake: feeling too "busy" to give your clients a premium experience (or thinking they won't care anyway)

Fix: Your clients are your livelihood. Treat them that way. Put yourself back in your client's shoes: what would make you feel like the most special client in the whole wide world? This is where you write a handwritten thank you note once you finish working together. And put on your calendar check-in dates after you've worked together. A quick email to say, "hey client! was just thinking of you - how're things going? can I help with anything?" goes a long way

These are the exact 5 steps you need to map out (not one step more, not one step less) so you can bring in clients consistently.