Client Acquisition Has Changed: Here's What You Need to Lean Into
Episode 666: Show Notes
Over the last three to six months, we’ve been hearing a common complaint from business owners that they need more leads. Guys, quit panicking. There’s a few market shifts that we need to be aware of, but they’re not necessarily changing how you’re going to acquire clients. Everything with clients may feel like it’s changing but in fact, everything is the same! We’re serious; everything is the same.
Marketing is cyclical. You’re going to have something that works now that may not work in 6 months, and then in 2 years, that thing could come right back around again! There are also things that are a common thread forever and always; spoiler alert: it’s relationships. Then there’s going to be hotspots, and what you really shouldn’t do is build a business that relies on these “blips.” Marketing is coming back to its roots, shedding things that don’t work, and bringing things back that have been buried for a while. If you’re interested in everything we have to say on this topic, tune in today!
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Relationship Building: The Key To Client Acquisition
The key to building a strong foundation for client acquisition is to build a relationship of trust. People buy from other people that they know, like, and trust, except when it comes to convenience items, like toilet paper (then people don’t really care who they are buying from). But most of you are not offering convenience items, you’re offering services. And services are purchased by people who are looking to build a relationship with YOU. In the past, building a relationship with your client base on social media was enough to help you stand out in the crowded market. Now, it’s essential for service providers to also build relationships with connectors!
When’s the best time to start saving for retirement? Yesterday. When’s the best time to plant a tree? Yesterday, too. When’s the best time to build relationships? You can probably guess the answer!
Learning How To Be An Effective Squeaky Wheel
As you may have heard, the squeaky wheel gets the cheese! If you make yourself stand out, people will pay attention to you. But you don’t want to stand out in a way that puts people off. There are ways to stand out that show your true personality and how much you care about others, while at the same time helping you get what you need. Don’t feel bad for being loud; the business world is crowded and you have to make sure that people pick you out amongst the competition! It’s easy to be forgotten if you don’t speak up, so use your voice! If clients don't respond to you, reach out to them in a different way and insert yourself into their lives in such a way that they can’t forget you.
One of the Biggest Mistakes Made By Service-Based Business Owners
One of the things that prevents people from buying from you is that you don’t really know what you’re selling (or you don’t express it clearly enough to your client base). If you get really clear on the results and the solution that you are providing to your end client, you’ll do wonders for your business. As marketing shifts, the way that we talk about our services and our results shifts too. Online selling isn’t going away, but in-person selling is picking up a lot these days, and the way that you talk about what you provide to a client when you are with them face-to-face is different from the way you express your offering on a social media page or a website. Be willing to explore hundreds of different methods of brand storytelling; don’t get hung up on one sexy sentence!
The Power of Listening
One of the best things you can do for your business is to ask questions to your clients! While you may have a clear solution in your own mind, if you listen properly to the issues of each individual that you are serving, then you can tailor your solution to solve the exact issue that they are struggling with.
Quote This
What you shouldn't do is build an entire business that relies on blips.
Why Email Isn’t Dead
We think that email as a marketing tool is making a comeback! For the last two years people have been saying that email is dead, and yes, our email growth rate is down, but we don’t think that the desire for email has gone away. We’ve heard many colleagues and friends talk about how they are taking social media breaks, but they are intentionally checking their inboxes to see if the brands they usually interact with on social media are showing up there. How we show up as business owners in peoples’ inboxes is changing!
Highlights
Relationship Building: The Key to Client Acquisition. [0:09:31]
Learning How to Be An Effective Squeaky Wheel. [0:13:54]
One of the Biggest Mistakes Made By Service-Based Business Owners. [0:21:29]
The Power of Listening. [0:27:50]
Why Email Isn’t Dead. [0:30:11]
Today’s Guest:
Abagail & Emylee
The Strategy Hour Podcast
We help overwhelmed and creative entrepreneurs break down their Oprah-sized dreams to create a functioning command center to tame the chaos of their business. Basically, we think you’re totally bomb diggity, we’re about to uplevel the shiz out of your business.
Key Topics:
Connections, Trust, Relationship-Building, Stand Out, Client Acquisition, Listening
