It’s 2018 — let’s make it our best year ever!
In December, I put out a simple survey asking what your biggest challenges around your business are. And without a doubt, the most common challenge that came up across the board is: getting clients.
So… Guess what…
I’m going to help YOU get more clients in 2018!
I’m doing a lot of development in this area. And I’m not ready to talk about all of it today. But I figured a high-level overview on the topic would be a nice way to start the year.
And so I’d like to introduce a concept called…
The 4-Dimensional Client-Getting Success Formula…
It’s really easy to look at one or a couple of these factors and think you’ve got client-getting all figured out. Or at least, that you think you know enough about getting clients that it’s time to start chasing them.
But unless you really take the time to develop — even, master — all four, client-getting is likely to be slower, harder, and more frustrating than is has to be.
Flip that around and master these four dimensions of client-getting success, and you’re likely to end up in the enviable position of having all the clients you can handle.
So: what are the four dimensions?
— Positioning
— Offer
— Lead Generation
— Sales
Simple enough list. But let’s dive a little deeper into each, and see how they work together for maximum client-getting success…
How to position yourself as THE best solution to your client’s needs…
All great selling and client-getting starts with positioning.
Let’s put you in the client’s shoes for a minute.
Let’s imagine that you’re running a multi-million dollar business that sells high-ticket home construction projects. You have a team of project managers that are sales-competent and can close a hot lead with consultative selling, but that aren’t necessarily that great at generating those leads. And so you go looking for help generating leads.
You look at marketing service providers.
You run into one person who claims to be a marketing copywriter and consultant, who can write anything you want for a low fee and a fast turnaround.
And then you find someone else who specializes in generating homeowner leads for high-ticket home construction projects. They have a track record of success generating leads for businesses just like yours.
Is it obvious yet who you’d pick?
Duh! You’d pick the person who specializes in and is positioned as the expert at solving the highly-specific problem that you’re wishing to have solved.
You don’t want the generalist. You want the specialist. You want the specialist with the proven history of getting the result that you’re going for.
The same thing is true, no matter what client you’re talking about.
Back in your shoes.
Positioning yourself for a very specific market is the first thing you need to do if you want to achieve maximum success in getting clients.
Find a market that has a specific problem they are willing to pay to have solved, and solve it for them. But don’t just solve it. Become THE EXPERT at solving it.
The narrower your focus, the easier this is. Why? Because you speak to your clients directly. You can address them directly in terms they recognize. You can use their language. Everything feels 100% custom. (But it’s also duplicable from client to client to client within the niche, with only surface-level customization on a per-client basis.)
And so the first and most important question they’re always asking — “Is this for ME?” — is answered with a yes. Then EVERYTHING else you say becomes easier to believe.
But positioning is just the start…
Get your offer right to close more deals…
Even once you’ve established some positioning as THE EXPERT in your narrow field, you can’t just sit on your hands and wait for clients to come to you. And, even more important, you can’t assume that clients will identify your true value and pay you what you’re worth and what you want.
You have to create a clear and compelling offer.
Good news: it’s way easier, once you’re positioned right.
Let’s go back to that positioning directive:
“Find a market that has a specific problem they are willing to pay to have solved, and solve it for them.”
What is the problem? What is the result they’re looking for? How can you create an offer that gets them the result they desire?
Get clear on your core offer.
What is that one service that you can execute at a high level, that gives your ideal client the exact result they desire?
For example, as a copywriter, I’ve made most of my living since 2010 creating a long-form direct response promotion and supporting copy for financial publishers.
They want more customers for their investment-related publications. They have a history of successfully using long-form direct response copy to achieve that goal. I have developed a track record and history of success in creating that kind of promotion, for that kind of client, in multiple media.
The price point of my offer has changed quite a bit (actually, it’s increased 10X), but the core deliverable has barely budged.
It’s an offer that works.
My offer that works isn’t necessarily what will work for you. But what will work for you is developing a clear, compelling core offer targeted directly at that problem your ideal target market has and is willing to pay to find a solution to.
Important: most service providers charge too little, and end up overworked and rushed, and serve their clients at a lower level as a result. Charge more. Find the VALUE you provide. Quantify it. Measure it. And make sure your fee is commensurate with the value. If you’re charging too little, raise your fees. If your value isn’t high enough, find a way to increase the value you are creating for each client.
Now it’s time to actually go out there and sell yourself…
Well, kind of…
You must generate and control the flow of leads into your business…
There’s a lot that can be said about this. And I’ll just barely scratch the surface here. But you must be proactively investing time, energy, and resources into generating demand for yourself.
There are a million approaches to this. But generally, they all fall under “marketing.”
Find a way to reach out to your target market. Where are they? Where do they gather? What media do they tune into or read?
How can you put yourself there? And what do you need to say to grab their attention and start a conversation?
Hint: at the phase of “lead generation,” it’s seldom: “hire me.”
Rather, the first promise you typically want to make is something along the lines of:
“Here’s how [DESCRIPTION OF IDEAL CLIENT] can get [DESCRIPTION OF RESULT]…”
You want to give them an idea that you have the specific and actionable solution to the problem or challenge they face.
And, in fact, you might even want to tell them how they can do it themselves. This establishes credibility, and contrary to the knee-jerk apprehension of most “expert” businesses, revealing exactly how you do what you do actually makes great clients want you more, not less.
You can do this in a thousand ways, in a thousand different campaigns. But in all cases, the end goal is the same: you need to give your ideal prospects a clear and compelling next step to take if they’re interested in working with you.
What does this mean?
You promise the solution to their problem. You tell them what that solution is. You explain that you help businesses like theirs (or people like them) solve that problem. Then, you offer to get on the phone with them, to see if you have a fit.
Yes, if you’re selling high-ticket service packages, you probably do need to get on the phone. There’s really very little way around it. You need to make a good impression on a client, and that’s typically hard to do hiding behind email. One good conversation though can make the sale…
Now it’s time to sell — and close the deal…
Your selling conversations should disqualify more than they qualify.
Your goal is to find out if you’re dealing with a perfect prospect. Your goal is to find out if you can get them the result they want.
They’re not a good prospect just because they can give you money. They’re only a good prospect if you can help them get the result they want.
You need to get on the phone with them, and walk them through a series of questions designed to help you understand if you can help them. There are many “fit” questions that must be answered.
Think in terms of diagnosis: your goal is to understand their situation, and what treatment is needed to get them the result they desire.
Then, once you determine that you have a fit, it’s time to prescribe that treatment. You tell them what you can do. Which is a presentation of your core offer as the “action plan.”
Answer any questions they have, and tell them the next steps to move forward, typically starting with a payment due.
If they’re not ready to move forward yet, make sure to get at any unanswered questions, and have a persistent follow-up system to stay in touch.
This is a vast oversimplification…
But that’s the nature of putting this advice in essay form.
Stay tuned as I announce more on these topics in the coming weeks…
Yours for bigger breakthroughs,
Roy Furr
