6 tips to go from “crickets” to signed clients.

You’ve done it.

You’ve gone through the process of creating your brand, writing your website copy, getting your photos taken, and launching your website.

Your business cards are neatly tucked into your wallet. Your Instagram following is steadily growing. And you’ve let everyone in your life know that it’s official, you’re open for business.

After months of investing money, time, and energy, you’re so excited to share your services with the world, and you have high hopes for making this your full-time gig.

However, there’s one thing that isn’t quite coming together for you—finding paying clients. With each passing week, you feel yourself getting more and more discouraged that no one has contacted you to learn more. And while you know it takes time, you can’t help but feel insecure and worried that all of this work was for nothing.

You think…

Oh no, this is bad. No one is going to hire me.
Shoot, what did I do wrong? Is something missing?
How the heck does this marketing stuff work?
What if this was all for nothing?

If this is something you’re experiencing right now or go through depending on the season of your business, I’ve got you.

With so many of us spending money on courses, web designers, developers, and social media gurus, we all want to make sure there is a return on our investments. Because we make those investments in ourselves in order to do work that we love, and to build an empire that will have a positive impact.

But if being an entrepreneur has taught me anything, when you bump up against a challenge, it’s time to reassess and course correct. It doesn’t mean you’re destined for failure!

Marketing and sales are together an art. And it takes time to not only find your bearings with both, but to understand what your target audience responds to. Both things are only learned through trial and error and not allowing feelings of discouragement get you down.

It’s all an experiment and it’s all ok.

That said, it is so much easier—and nicer—to navigate when you have direction and trusted advice. Which is why I wanted to share 6 tips to help you land new clients.

#1: Build Your Community. Every business owner thrives when she has a loyal tribe of subscribers and followers, and the bigger that tribe is, the more people she’ll likely sign on as clients. Your tribe is simply the pool of people who are interested in your work. You know this because they have taken action: they open your emails, they like your posts, they comment, they email you to say thanks, etc.They love you, and the more people that love you, the more clients will arrive out of the blue. The key to building your community? Being consistent with your content (blog posts + social media posts), kindly responding to every comment you get on every post, giving away free advice via your blog, your opt-in (see more on that here), or your Instastories. LOVE THEM UP, and ALWAYS think about what might help them thrive that day.

TIP: Pick one platform and post on it regularly. That could be your blog (1x per week) or Instagram (daily). Even if you don’t feel like posting, do it anyway. It’s a must to push through the resistance you have to putting yourself out there.

#2: Build Your Relationships. Life and business are practically nothing without relationships, so always be kind and curious about EVERYONE you meet. Whether you’re at an event or walking down the street, take notice of who’s around you and feel into which people you’re most drawn to. That’s a sign that you should absolutely introduce yourself. Now many of us get shy around people we don’t know or most of all, people we admire. But you’ve got to move past that fear and connect genuinely.

Tell that person you felt drawn to them because of their outfit or glow or smile and had to come say hello: A) it’s is completely honest and real, and B) it will be so sweet and flattering to hear as the recipient. From there is a simple conversation about why they’re at the event, who they are, what they do, and what impact they hope to have with their work. If it helps to have a couple of questions prepared in advance, great! And if you’re nervous, just be honest and say, “Hey, I don’t feel that comfortable at these things. Sorry if I’m awkward.” I bet you a million bucks they’ll say they can totally relate!

As you make friends in your industry, they become your colleagues and contacts, so it’s important to nurture those relationships as friendships, not necessarily business-related relationships. That takes the pressure off and creates space for you to simply get to know one another.

TIP: Making new friends and connections isn’t easy, I know. But it’s essential to not only put yourself in situations that allow you to meet them, but to also do your best to push past the fear of putting yourself out there. Because the more people you know and the more genuine friendships you make, the more you build your reputation and credibility in the industry.

Wondering how to meet people? Here are some suggestions:

• Go on retreats with other entrepreneurs
• Attend every book launch or wellness event you can
• Join a networking group that will connect you to potential clients

#3: Know Your Unique Value. Sure, it’s great to have a beautiful website, business cards, and a social media following, but if you aren’t clear on what makes you unique, if you’re not confident about your value, and if you’re not sure how to communicate it so that people get what you do—that will be palpable through not only your interactions with others (potential clients, partnerships, and otherwise), but even through your website. Knowing what you stand for and believing it on a cellular level is something that gives you more power and influence energetically.

TIP: Write down what makes you different than other people in your field and explain the problem you are solving and how. Then condense that into a brief little pitch that you can share in conversations with anyone. Practice it a few times in front of a mirror to get familiar with it. And then, make sure this message is also clear on your website and social media bios. They must all be consistent!

#4: Give Away Stuff for Free. Naturally your blog posts and opt-in offers are going to always be free. But the stuff that isn’t free is your service offerings. That means as someone just starting out, you have the opportunity to practically give your coaching, consulting, or creative mind away for either free or at a discounted rate for a limited time. You could even call it a “Beta Coaching Program,” and invite people to experience it first for FREE. This is a great way to get feedback from your beta testers AND to get testimonials. Those testimonials are SO important, because if no one can read about the experience of others working with you, they’ve got nothing to go on, and probably won’t even consider contacting you to learn more.

TIP: Create your beta offer and promote it on your personal and professional Facebook pages, as well as your Instagram. Be sure to have an enticing image and copy that explains who it’s for and what the magical results/benefits are. Then, say that you’re offering it for free for the month of October (or whenever). Promote your post on Facebook so that it reaches a more targeted audience as well! When you get a few sign ups (don’t worry about how many there are, all are good!), tell them that since it’s a beta program, you require a written testimonial from them.

#5: Promote Yourself via Partners & Facebook Ads. One of the fastest and easiest ways to get yourself out there is via other influencers and good old sponsored Facebook posts. As far as influencers and partners go, you would obviously cultivate these relationships naturally and they would in turn refer people to you. This can work via other successful people in the wellness industry like doctors, acupuncturists, authors, etc. who know and love you. It can also be fellow coaches or practitioners who simply love giving you a shout out on social media here or there. As far as Facebook ads go, I don’t recommend promoting your services at first. Promote your freebie gift (lead magnet) or your blog posts. This is a more gentle way to offer value without asking for the sale so that you can build your audience up.

TIP: When it comes to Facebook ads, be sure your targeting is spot on for your target audience: age, gender, interests, location, etc. I recommend running them 1x per week and spending between $25-$50 to start just to see how it goes.

#6: Get Cozy with Selling. When it comes to making the ask—a.k.a. selling—to your tribe, it’s important to remember that what you have to offer is not only valuable, but it will make their lives BETTER. So don’t be shy about that. Most important of all, when it comes to sales conversations, the best way to approach them is with an open heart, complete authenticity, and active listening. Know that the person talking to you is very interested in what you have to offer, and it’s best to allow them to chat about their current challenges and why they reached out.

In that process, you will hear their pain points and quickly see how you can support them and be their solution. When it’s your turn to talk, explain that you understand where they’re at—in fact, many of your clients have been their shoes too—and you know that a few simple changes can help them feel better, etc. Then, at the end of the conversation, be sure to ask them straight up if they want to work together. That moment is golden, it’s when they’re the most primed to say yes and sign on the dotted line, so don’t miss it!

In that process, you will hear their pain points and quickly see how you can support them and be their solution. When it’s your turn to talk, explain that you understand where they’re at—in fact, many of your clients have been their shoes too—and you know that a few simple changes can help them feel better, etc. Then, at the end of the conversation, be sure to ask them straight up if they want to work together. That moment is golden, it’s when they’re the most primed to say yes and sign on the dotted line, so don’t miss it!

TIP: Practice having these sales conversations with friends first. It will help you gain more confidence so that when the time comes you will feel cozy and relaxed about them. Remember, these are just conversations, you don’t have to push. Just be you, be honest, and show that you are the solution because you are. NOTE: If someone is clearly not a good fit for you, let them go.

Phew! That was a long one, but I wanted to give you as much insight as possible to help you take your business from “launched” to “landing clients” as soon as possible.

In the comments below, be sure to let me know what was most helpful.