One of the most frequently asked questions I receive is how do I find more clients? I have a two-part answer to this question, the first part of which I will give you today.
Very typically this question arises from someone who has not yet clearly identified who their ideal clients are. So the first part of my answer to this question has to do with that – with clearly defining who your ideal clients are – or as I like to say, who are your Tribe?
I work with a lot of creative, intuitive people who prize freedom. For them – see if this is true for you – the idea of defining a Tribe seems limiting, and they hate that! They don’t want to be pinned down or put in a box. They want to be able to work with everyone who could benefit from what they have to offer. They baulk at the idea of focusing in this way, because they see it as confining.
Now I understand and share the desire for freedom – freedom has a very high value for me. So I would not recommend a strategy that took away your freedom. Instead of less freedom, you will feel more free when you focus in on a specific Tribe. More freedom, and far more effective with less effort.
Here’s why. -> When you have the mindset that you want to have your services be available to everyone who wants them, and you try to do your outreach from that position, it’s very difficult to find clients. Why? Because your possibilities are everyone. And that means it’s hard to find anyone. Either that, or you are talking to everyone but you don’t really have a focus for your efforts.
Having a FOCAL POINT makes all the difference. It’s like in photography, when you have a wide-angle lens, you can get a big landscape in the picture. Many different details are included, and nothing specific stands out. That’s what happens when you DO NOT have a focus point – you have a wide-angle view.
When you have a short depth of field on the other hand, as you do in a portrait, the image of the person is sharp and distinct, and whatever in the background is blurry. The subject’s face virtually pops off the surface of the photo. That’s what a focal point will do for you with your outreach – make your best potential clients POP out at you so you can find them.
When you’ve defined your tribe more specifically, you can brainstorm about where to find them. What types of interests do they have? Where are they likely to congregate? What types of activities are they likely to be engaged in? What are they searching for on the internet when they are reaching out for assistance? Who else works with your people?
Without focus, you cannot answer these questions. You just get overwhelmed and confused. Check and see – is that what’s going on for you?
But when you’ve defined your tribe more, you can begin to communicate with them about what matters to them. A tribe is defined by having a shared set of pains, problems, and issues, and a shared set of desired outcomes and results – that they are actively seeking. Now of course there’s diversity within any group, but don’t let your mind get in the way of figuring this out. 😉
When you do focus in on a group, and determine what is troubling them and driving them to seek support, you can begin to speak to them in their own language about that. When you speak their language, you are talking to them about what matters most to them. It does require you to reach outside of your own perspective and get into someone else’s perspective. It’s oh so worth it because then you COME INTO FOCUS for them.
Everyone is self-centered, looking for what they want. You have to go to where your people are and speak to them about what matters to them. If you simply focus on and talk about who you are and what you think you can do for people, they may not ever hear you because they are not thinking about and focusing on you.
It’s the job of the business owner to reach outside her own perspective to that of her potential clients – not the other way around as so many people think. If you are waiting for them to come to you, you may be waiting a very long time.
When you focus on your people, and you come into focus for them, you have MORE FREEDOM because you move into clarity and you can actually do your work. You know who you are looking for, you know how to speak to them to get their attention, and you have specific and effective solutions to offer them. And everything changes – all your business-related efforts get easier and more effective, and your results sky rocket. And that creates even more freedom!