5 Mistakes That Keep You From Getting Clients (And How To Actually Find Them)

Do you ever look at all the activity in your business and wonder why you’re not getting clients?

I recently had a conversation with a group of business owners who were deeply frustrated at the difficulty they were having finding clients. I’ve been there before and know that frustration well. 

As we got into the nitty gritty, it became clear that the majority of their activity was unfocused. They were lacking an overarching marketing strategy. As we dug deeper, 5 themes emerged, and today, we’re going to tackle each one. 

These 5 mistakes are incredibly common, and while I won’t say they’re always easy to fix, they will give you insight and direction, so you have a solid starting point to move your business forward. 

Mistake #1: You don’t have a defined niche.

Too often, I see new business owners with an undefined target audience. They know they can help lots of different people, and they don’t want to exclude anyone. I’m all about being inclusive, but your niche isn’t the place for that. As the adage goes, “If you’re talking to everyone, you’re talking to no one.” Picking a specific audience enables you to be clear about the problem you can solve for them. It helps ensure your marketing message is clean and clear, so your efforts aren’t wasted. 

Let me speak directly to the multi-passionate entrepreneurs… I know the idea of picking a niche is hard. But you have to start somewhere, and trying to support lots of people with lots of things is not going to help you be successful. You don’t have to stay in that niche forever, but you do need to get up and running, get some traction, and THEN you can expand. 

How do you know if you have a clearly defined niche? Can you simply and straightforwardly answer the statement, “I help ______ with ______, so that they can ______.” If the answer is no, or if others are still confused, you need to do some work here. 

Additionally, take a look at your marketing materials. Better yet, have someone else do this. Visit your website, your social media, and any other marketing collateral you have out there. Are you targeting a single audience? Is it obvious to the average person who you serve? If not, spend some time really digging in here. Who do you want to serve? The answer shouldn’t be everyone. And then get to work looking at the big problem your audience is having and take it from there. 

There’s no time for niche drama!

Mistake #2: You haven’t clearly defined the result you provide and the impact it has.

No one cares about your product or service until they understand how it can help them. At the end of the day, people want results. They don’t care about the details, the process you use (unless it’s unethical or harmful), or the price (sometimes). They want to know how you’re going to help them fix their problem and the impact that will have on their life. 

Simply put… tell people how you’ll help them, and then tell them HOW you’ll help them in all your step-by-step process glory. 

Mistake #3: You have an ineffective and inconsistent marketing system. 

Most of the business owners I work with don’t have a solid, clearly defined marketing system. They’re doing some things really well - usually nurturing their audience and cultivating relationships (super important!), but they’re lacking clear strategies for getting in front of new prospects and converting those prospects into paying clients. Both of these pieces are essential to building and growing a thriving business. 

Some of this comes down to inconsistent efforts. Some of it comes from a lack of visibility. Some of it stems from Mistakes #1 and #2. And lastly, some of it comes because it’s easier to do the “fun” stuff, like create business cards and flyers, even though neither of these activities will give you the bang for the buck you really want. 

The most powerful thing you can do from a marketing perspective is develop a plan for getting in front of your ideal prospects on a regular basis, build rich relationships with them, and make real offers to help them get the results they want on a consistent basis. 

Mistake #4: You have unrealistic expectations. 

There is no easy button in business. It shouldn’t always be a slog through wet cement, but unless you’re a shiny, glittery rainbow unicorn, you’re not going to go from zero to six-figures overnight. 

Time and again, I see business owners trying something for a week, getting no results, and then moving on to the next thing. And the next thing, and the next thing because that’s what they see all the big guru/influencers doing. 

Unfortunately, what they’re seeing is the product of YEARS of work. The realization that our efforts aren’t generating the results we want is incredibly frustrating. 

Business building takes TIME and CONSISTENCY. 

The fruit you’re seeing right now is the result of the seeds you planted 90-120 days ago, so, if you had inconsistent marketing efforts with varying strategies and tactics, you’re likely to see inconsistent or no results in your client pipeline. 

Keep showing up. Keep making offers. And the clients will come. 

Mistake #5: You’re afraid to sell. 

I get it. You don’t want to be the sleazy, slimy salesperson we all hate. But here’s the deal: you can’t have a business if you’re unwilling to sell. You have to be willing to put yourself out there, tell people what you do, and make offers that are designed to help your ideal prospect get the results they want. 

You don’t need a script. You need ears to listen and a heart to serve. 

That’s what selling really is: service. 

If you believe you can help your prospects solve their problem and get the result they want, then why wouldn’t you make an offer? That’s why you went into business in the first place, to help people with whatever it is you do. 

I’m going to give you my favorite question to make the transition into the sales conversation a little bit easier: “Would you like my help with that?” 

This question is really powerful, and it takes the sleaze right out of the equation. 
So, that’s it. 5 mistakes that are keeping you from getting clients and a few ways to fix the gaps in your business. I go deeper into this in the Empowered Entrepreneur Community. So, join us over there, and let’s get you some clients.