When you’re starting a business, the biggest question on your mind is this:
How do I get clients?
Today I’m going to walk you through the first five steps you need to take — they’re also the most important steps — so you can get moving and start getting clients.
Let’s dive right in.
Step #1 – Get Clear on YOU
The first step to getting clients is getting clear on you!
What do I mean by that?
You have to start with what YOU love to do and who YOU love to work with. Don’t start by thinking about your “target customer” or “ideal client avatar.” Start with what you love to do and who you love to help.
Why? Because if you don’t love the work you do and the people you work with, your motivation will be low and your results will be lackluster.
On the flip side, when you start with work and clients that light you up, BIG things can happen in your business.
Your Action Step: Claim what you love to do and who you love to work with. You must start here.
Step #2 – Get Clear on Your Client
Once you’re clear on YOU, you can then think about the clients you love working with. You need to get into their heads to hear their thoughts and into their hearts to feel their emotions.
Ask questions like…
– How does she feel right now?
– What does she want most?
– What does she think will happen once her problem is solved?
I’ve talked about this next part many times before, but it’s so important I can’t not talk about it again.
You need to answer questions like these from the perspective of your target client. You need to get into her head and answer these questions as she would.
This means you must avoid jargon, industry-speak, and expert-talk. The words you would use to describe your clients’ problems aren’t always the words they would use to describe their problems. This distinction is crucial!!
When you find your clients’ exact words, you can access the goldmine that will help you market to them. Knowing their thoughts and feelings and desires is the key to attracting clients.
Your Action Step: Find the exact language that your clients are using to describe their situation and desires.
This isn’t easy, but it’s essential! Make sure you do this step!
Step #3 – Create a “What I Do” Summary
Once you know what you want to do, what your target client wants, how she describes her predicament, create a “what I do” summary.
I had you practice this last week by posting a brief sentence summary describing your work.
When written jargon-free, your “what I do” summary is the starting point for everything.
It’s the perfect answer to the question, “What do you do?” whether you’re at networking events or social gatherings. It’s a great bio. It’s perfect on your services pages. And it informs everything else in your business. (More on this in a moment.)
Here’s an example of a straightforward, clear summary:
I’m a coach for moms who are ready to get back into the workforce. They’re ready to do work they love and earn money for their families, but they have no idea where to begin. I help them find a career path and a job they’re thrilled about.
You know you’ve nailed it when people give you that, “Oh, I understand” look or even say they need to hire you.
You might be thinking, “But Jenny! Writing this summary is hard! I can’t get it to three short sentences.”
To which you have my sympathies… to an extent.
Yes, it is hard work, and it does take brainpower. It’s also how you get results!
This is why I spend two full weeks with my Make It Work Online clients on this exact exercise. It’s that important!!
Click to TweetIf you can’t speak the language of your customers, you won’t get customers. It’s as simple as that!The good news is that when you nail your summary, you’re primed to take the next step (and then make money)!
Your Action Step: Write a concise, three-sentence summary that descries what you do, who you help, and what their results are. It should ring with a *zing* of truth and make you think, “YES! That’s what I do!”
If you’re not finding that *zing*, don’t move onto the next step until you do. (FYI: All of my clients nail it. I make sure of it.)
Step #4 – Create an Offer People Will Buy
Once you have nailed your “what I do” summary, you can create an offer your people will buy.
Now there’s a big mistake too many people make: they skip the summary and jump right to the offer.
Why is this such a bad idea?
If you can’t write a concise description of what you do, no one will “get it” when you tell them! This means it won’t matter what offer you create, because people won’t understand that you can help them and they won’t hire you.
However, when you nail your summary before creating your offer, your offer will have people saying, “Oh! I totally need that” or “My friend needs that!” Before you know it, clients are lining up to work with you.
Based on your summary, you should know exactly what your client thinks she needs. Create the exact offer she’s ready for, and it will be easy to sell.
There’s a lot that goes into writing great copy for your offer, and the thing I want you to most remember is that you must use their language, because it’s their language that sells (not yours).
Your Action Step: Create and write the copy for an offer that solves your target client’s exact problem.
When you work with me and get your summary and offer just right, people will be clambering to hire you (and that’s just awesome!).
My Personal Recommendation for YouThe “Jargon Trap”: The Reason Prospects Aren’t Turning into Paying Clients & How to Change It Fast My Personal Recommendation for YouThe Questions You Must Ask Yourself Before You’ll Get More ClientsStep #5 – Spread the Word
If you’ve done all the steps above correctly, then you’re ready for the final step(s): spread the word.
There’s a lot that goes into those three simple words, and it’s also that straightforward.
Once you have a clear “what I do” summary and a great offer that people are hungry to buy, you need to go out there and tell them about it!
You will…
– guest post
– be of service on social media
– build your list
– network in person
– offer free calls or webinars
– offer free workshops in your local area
– hop on the phone with people to connect
– write great blog posts and send them to your list
In fact, I recommend you do all of these things and keep doing them until you get traction (even if it takes a few months or more!).
It’s not easy starting a new business, but when you put in the time and energy and stick with your plan, it will pay off. Persistence and determination is a must!
Your Action Step: Map out the steps you’re going to take to spread the word. Then get to it!
(Yes, this is hard work. And yes, you can do this. I know you can.)
Your Turn
I want to hear from you!
Have you nailed your “what I do” summary?
Have you created an offer?
Are you working on spreading the word?
Or, did you jump ahead to steps 4 and 5 before completing steps 1 and 2? It’s okay to admit it, as long as you go back and do that important work first.
Let me know where you are, how it’s going, and how I can help.
*****
My personal recommendations for getting more clients:
6 Emails That Bring in More Clients
Turn Your Opt-in Offer into a Client Magnet
Desperate or Determined? Why One Will Kill Your Biz & the Other Will Catapult It
Want More Clients? Make Sure You Do This
21 Ways to Get Clients Fast
Hi Jenny,
I was so looking for your list. Thank you!
I’ve nailed the other pieces. My website reflects that now. I’m ready to start doing more enrollment conversations.
I try to do at least two events where I’m doing live networking. That has gotten me more clients the internet so far. 🙂 None for the packages. I’ll add blog radio interview. I also decided that I would email the women I know and let them know about my discover session.
I realized yesterday that I hadn’t really tried some of those things (like blog posts/radio). I got discouraged way too easily. I decided to put in the effort and make it a real try.I got a radio interview yesterday, so I’ll add one of those. I have a friend who will also introduce me to other radio shows (she does them).
ll add blog radio interview. 🙂 I got one of those yesterday. I’m so pleased! I can’t believe that happened!
Thanks again,
Nathalie
Sounds like you’re on the right track, Nathalie!
Something to think about is that you’re “reaching out” in person at networking events. Are you putting that same energy and time into “reaching out” online? It could be the case that the internet would work well for you (I believe it can!), just that the effort and energy and connection isn’t the same as what you’re putting in offline. Just something to consider.
I admire your persistence — a key to success in business — so keep it up!!
Hi Jenny,
I so want it to work online. Your reply made me think that I needed to look at what was limiting from making that happen. I think you are right that I’m not putting out the same energy online. I worked on what was stopping me earlier. I’m going to try again and keep going.
Thanks for the reply. it really made me think.
Love & Light,
Nathalie
So glad that helped!! (Expert eyes on your actions can make such a huge difference!)
I definitely skipped to steps 4 & 5 after losing my job last year and scrambling to “make it work” (I couldn’t resist!) and prove that this path could be sustainable. Now that I did that, but am not seeing the traction + growth I wanted, I am taking a step back to focus on 1-3!
Still refining my “what I do summary”. Its getting there! I’m definitely a bit attached to some of my language and am struggling to let it go (let it go…) in exchange for my target client’s language. It never ceases to amaze me how powerful words can be.
I have an idea for a bite-sized offer that my early market research shows will be a good fit!
Yes I’m working on spreading the word! I’ve been building relationships with other bloggers, networking in person, and going outside my immediate field. For example, in 2014 I went to many a sex ed conferences and happy hours. I LOVE them and believe we all need our tribe of colleagues to bounce ideas off, etc but this year my focus is more on places where strategic partnerships or clients are. I’m focusing more on female-centric events (e.g. women’s circles) and conferences (e.g. BlogHer) in addition to guest posting and doing interviews with lifestyle + women’s magazines and bloggers (shameless not-so-humble-brag = like Elle.com and Cosmo.com).
OH! and taking your advice with thoughtful comments! My need for connection is being filled up wonderfully now that I’m focusing on more deliberate + intentional ones instead of just posting as often as possible. 🙂
I love that you see the value in the first few steps, Kait!! So many people want to jump right into the more active parts of business building, but the hard brain work at the beginning is important, too! And yes, our clients’ language is KEY!!!
I love the examples you shared about what you’re doing to build your business. That’s so helpful to other readers. Yes — a great example of leaving deliberate, thoughtful comments. Quality over quantity. (Cuz now I’m a Kait fan!!)
Keep it up, woman! You’re on the right track!!
I definitely skipped the “what I do” step. I have a pretty easy time knowing what my customers want, because I was them once (which also happens to be my USP). And people are responding well to free content. Yet, I’m really struggling to get sales (courses and coaching). That’s what lead me here — searching for the missing piece to get my followers to buy and become customers/clients.
Now I have my “what I do:”
I guide and mentor parents raising kids with ADHD and/or high-functioning autism. They want to struggle less and be more effective parents, but are overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. I guide them through the process of getting a grip on ADHD/autism, and restoring some sanity.
Still needs a little perfecting — it’s hard to say all that parents of challenging children want in a single sentence.
Thanks so much for this article!
Penny Williams
Author of “The Insider’s Guide to ADHD,” “What to Expect When Parenting Children with ADHD,” and “Boy Without Instructions”
You’ve got a pretty clear summary, Penny! The only room for a little improvement is more specificity with “struggle less” and “more effective” — see if you can dig deeper and really figure out what those parents want. Uncover their exact words, and you’ll have struck gold!
Hey Jenny, I think I’ve tweaked my summary statement. Hoping you’ll take a look so see if I can improve it before moving onto writing sales copy. Here goes …
I help busy women who have lost their energy and are in constant pain, fatigue and exhaustion. They feel anxious, scared, overwhelmed and very frustrated by searching for and trying to piece together a solution on their own. They want a holistic approach with a practitioner who will really listen, do the digging and help them find a solution tailored to their needs. Together we get to the root of your chronic symptoms, find a solution that works, so they can feel good again and get back to their busy lifestyle.
Thanks so much for all your content. It has really helped me get clear. Like you say, it’s simple but not always easy to speak our client’s language and not our expert lingo.
Good start! I left you some comments in the other post 🙂
The main thing you’ll want to do is look at these articles on client language. It’s tricky but essential!
https://jennyshih.com/2016/06/jargon-trap-reason-prospects-arent-turning-paying-clients-change-fast/
https://jennyshih.com/2013/02/why-you-shouldnt-sell-coaching-and-what-to-sell-instead/
https://jennyshih.com/2016/06/copy-mistake-thats-killing-sales/