Booking clients is a process that every entrepreneur and small business owner knows well. It is our lifeblood, the very thing that keeps our businesses not just sustained but growing.
What happens, however, when the clients just don’t come? If you’re working overtime only to discover that new clients aren’t booking your services, it’s time to take a closer look at some key aspects of your business.
Gaining new clients shouldn’t be a drain on your entrepreneurial energy. These are the 6 most common reasons you aren’t booking clients and key steps to fix each aspect of your process.
You Don’t Have Clear Calls to Action on Your Website
A call to action (CTA) is a key phrase, question, or attention-grabbing prompt — usually in the form of a clickable button — that guides your website users to move forward through your sales process.
CTAs should be enticing, yet direct. What is it you want the user to do or explore next? Buttons that say, “Work with Me” or “Learn How to Lose 20 Pounds!” are clear, to the point, and help the audience know exactly what step they need to take next.
CTAs should be bright, colorful, and easy to read. The font and font size are as important as the size and color of the button. It needs to pop off the page so that potential clients won’t miss it. You want your CTA to stand out, as though it is saying “Click me!”
Finally, your call to action should clearly guide clients to the page or information they need to book your services. Nearly 70% of small business websites don’t have clear (or any!) CTAs. This means customers are unsure how to proceed, book services, or set up a consultation.
When creating a CTA for your website, ask yourself, “What do I want my visitor to do next?” and let the words, design, and placement of your call to action guide them there.
You’re Giving Away Too Much
Have you ever walked away from a sales call and thought, “I just gave them all my best tips for free”? You certainly aren’t alone! Many entrepreneurs give away their services on their sales call or consultations. The client walks away with tons of free information and no longer needs to hire you for your services.
A sales call is designed to help you get to know the client, what their pain points are, and clarify how your services can help. These calls benefit both you and the client because they let you determine if your services are a good fit for the client and vice versa.
You do yourself and your potential clients a disservice by giving away too much for free. You can truly only help them so much on a short, one-off call. If they really can benefit from your services, use the sales call as an opportunity to introduce them to your process and invite them to work with you. Share your outcomes without sharing your hard-earned experience and knowledge.
You Aren’t Clear About the Benefits of Your Services
What do clients gain from working with you? Many entrepreneurs struggle to clearly communicate not just what they offer, but why their services are beneficial. Your potential clients won’t understand vague offerings. They want a solution to their problem or pain point. And you have an opportunity to offer that!
My challenge to you is to write out at least 5 outcomes a client receives when they work with you. Push into this and really define the benefits of your services.
Once that is clarified, write down at least 4-6 transitions you facilitate for your clients. This is your process, the journey that takes your clients from pain or struggles to a successful outcome.
You’re Too Generic
This goes hand-in-hand with being clear about the benefits of your services. If you aren’t clearly communicating what it is you specialize in—your unique selling proposition (USP)—then it will be even harder to confidently communicate the benefits of your services.
Do you know what you specialize in? If not, ask yourself what you want to be known for. What sets you apart from other people in your industry?
If you feel like you have a grasp of your specialization and USP, but you still aren’t booking clients, then take a look at your business from the perspective of your customer. Do people get what you do? Ask some trusted friends for feedback. If your offerings are vague or generic from the perspective of your audience, then it is time to add some specific language and clarity to your website, store, and marketing efforts.
You Are Overwhelming Your Potential Clients
In an effort to be a catch-all for our clients, we often overwhelm them with too many options upfront. Instead of listing your entire set of solutions on your sales calls, spend time getting to know your potential client and their needs. Then, help guide them into the service that best fills that need.
You have the experience, knowledge, and an in-depth understanding of your offerings. Don’t make potential clients guess which service is right for them! Walk them through your process and what you see as the best fit for their needs. If you discover that they’re not a good fit for your company, refer them to other businesses you know and trust.
You’re Not Confident Enough in Your Skills
We don’t talk about this enough as entrepreneurs. Confidence plays a huge role in our lives, every single day.
When we lack confidence, we tend to avoid speaking to or seeking out potential clients. We hesitate when it comes to pricing our services or sending proposals. Instead, we just hope that they hire us because we seem like good people.
You’re offering a kick-ass service that truly serves clients and helps them get results. You aren’t speaking to prospects to sell them or convince them to work with you. You created this business because you believe in what you offer, right? You created the packages you have because you see how they can help transform a client’s life or business.
You owe it to yourself to be confident in what you’ve created. In your conversations with prospects, be clear about what you offer, how much it is, and how it can benefit them. If your services aren’t the right fit for them, that’s ok. If they are the right fit, then give them a heartfelt invitation to work with YOU.
Build Daily Momentum For Your Business
Booking new clients doesn’t need to be a struggle! Sometimes the simplest changes to your language, website, and approach can solidify the benefits and purpose of the work you offer.
If you are looking for more ways to improve your message, purpose, and sales process, register to find out when the Daily Momentum Business Program reopens!
This program is specifically designed to help entrepreneurs like you radically clarify and solidify their business plan and purpose—leading to profound business growth.
Don’t want to wait? Try the Free 5 Day Business Building Challenge today!
