5 Steps To Consistently Find Clients

How do I find clients… and how do I do that consistently?

Over the last five years, I’ve worked with hundreds of business owners who struggle to answer this question, and the bulk of their challenges all come back to these two things: they don’t have a client attraction system and they’re not taking consistent action long enough to see real results. 

Today, we’re going to dive into what a real client attraction system and consistent action really looks like. And I promise it’s not about doing more stuff. If anything, you’re probably doing too much.

Let’s dive in.

CAPTIVATE
Captivate is all about getting in front of people who don’t know you or your business. Every time you go to a networking event and meet a new person, speak at an event, appear on someone else’s podcast… you have an opportunity to create awareness and visibility about your business.

Last week, I talked about the importance of your unique value proposition, and this is where that starts to come into play. Captivate is your ability to attract and hold the interest of potential right-fit clients, and you do that by listening, actively addressing a problem they need solved, and/or showcasing what you’re about and why you care. 

When people sense that you share their values, care about issues that are important to them, and see that you can help them solve their biggest problem, they can’t help but be drawn in. You don’t always have a ton of time to do this, so make sure your messaging is clear, concise, and compels them to take the next step.

Practical ways to do this: Networking events, being a guest on a blog or podcast that serves your ideal client, PR, speaking events, business collaborations…

CONNECT
The next step a potential client takes is a direct response to what you’ve invited them to do, and that step will depend a lot on what your business model looks like, what you’re offering, and the goal of whatever you happen to be doing at the time.

A strong lead magnet, a free piece of content that addresses some aspect of the challenge they’re facing, is a good first step. In exchange, they’ll share their name and email address, which enables you to begin the process of getting to know them and for them to learn more about you. 

As you think about the best way to start that process, remember that a clear call to action is essential. While the next step may seem obvious to you, you have to give people precise directions, so they know what you want them to do. 

Practical ways to do this: Create and share a lead magnet, host a business challenge, teach a masterclass or webinar, or host a free event…

CULTIVATE
Most business owners find this step of the process to be the most natural, especially if you care about building authentic relationships with your future clients. Hands down, this is where it’s often easiest to serve and give value. It’s also where you’re able to delve deeper into why you do the work you do, what your vision for the future is, and how you can help people in a practical, step-by-step way. 

We already know that people buy from people they know, like, and trust. This is where you bring that to life. It should go without saying that cultivating relationships has to be authentic. People want to know that you care about them, especially as a service-based business. 

When you’ve done this, inviting them to take the next step and invest in your product or service becomes a no-brainer.

Practical ways to do this: Share regular content via social media, your blog or podcast, write a regular newsletter, gather people together for connection events…

CONVERT
Convert is the next step in the process and is the culmination of the first three steps. When you’ve done a good job of cultivating the relationship, potential clients are clear on how and why they should work with you. 

Inviting someone to spend their time and money on your services is your job as a business owner. After exclusively working with entrepreneurs for the past five years, I can easily say this is the part of the process people struggle with the most. But let me share something someone told me when I first got started.

She said, “Jess, you have the cure to someone’s cancer.” 

When I stared at her in confusion, she said, “You can help someone fix their biggest challenge. Sure, it may not be life-threatening like cancer, but it’s keeping them from living a full, happy, and rich life. And that has real consequences.” 

As I sat with that, I thought about how true that was. I realized that if I did have the cure to actual cancer, I would be shouting that from the mountaintops. I would tell everyone I knew about it. So, how is my work any different? How is yours?

It’s not. 

You have the cure to someone’s cancer, and they’re just waiting for you to tell them about it.

Practical ways to do this: The way you invite people to begin the process of working with you will vary greatly from one business to another. For many service based businesses, this can look like a direct link to purchase your offer on your website, asking people to fill out an application form, holding consultation calls…

CARE
Care is one of my favorite parts of this 5-step process because now you really get to shower your clients with love and create an excellent experience for them. 

The kind of experience a customer has at every stage of your business creates lasting impressions, and your goal is not only to help them work through their challenge, but ensure they feel seen, heard, and cared for throughout the process. You want them to walk away from their experience with you, with that WOW feeling!

Practical ways to do this: Map out your customer experience, so that you know exactly what you want them to experience every step of the way, develop a smooth and easy on-boarding process, send a thank you note or welcome gift, lay out your off-boarding process… this step can take so many forms, and it doesn’t need to be expensive. The goal is for your clients to know you care, that you want them to succeed, and that you’re excited to support them on their journey. 

CONSISTENCY
This isn’t an official part of the process, but I would be remiss if I didn’t say something about it. Client attraction isn’t a one and done kind of thing. It requires that you take consistent action, meaning you are actively trying to move people through this system. 

Let me be clear though, consistency does not equal constancy. You don’t need to be on social media 24x7 or generate a ridiculous amount of content every week to make this happen. 

When you know what your unique value proposition is, who your ideal client is and where they spend their time, and what they need from you at each step of this process, it becomes much easier to take focused, strategic action. 

One additional note on this: On average, it takes about 90 days to see real traction, so stopping and starting with the next shiny object will not help you. Stick to your plan. 

What’s Next?

As you look at your client attraction system, where do you shine? Where could you improve? The key is to look at what you’re doing and give an honest assessment of where the gaps are and actively work on closing them.

To help you do this, I created a Client Attraction Scorecard. In this quick exercise, you’ll answer a few questions about your activities under each of the five areas I shared above, and the result will showcase your strengths and areas for improvement. Your next step is to download the scorecard here and then take focused, strategic action to tighten your system up. 

If, after completing the scorecard, you would like help working through your client attraction system, refining your messaging and unique value proposition, let’s jump on a quick call. During this complimentary call, I’ll help you figure out 1) where the gaps are in your client attraction system, 2) where you’ll get the biggest improvement in the next 90 days, and 3) an immediate action step you can take to close those gaps. I’d love to help you refine your client attraction system. You can book a call by clicking here. 

Here’s to curing someone’s cancer!