Four Simple (But Important) Things to Remember About Finding Clients

It keeps me up at night.

During a call this week, a client told me someone asked him how he expected to get clients. He said he didn't know how to answer that, and since then, it has kept him up at night.??

I immediately thought, fantastic, it should. But, not to be harsh, it's reality.?Being an entrepreneur takes time, consistency, patience, and talking. I mean, a lot of talking. How will the world know about your talent unless you get out there and tell them??

You will quickly learn that you don't have a marketing department as a consultant. Unless you have been a recruiter in your military career, marketing, and business development are entirely foreign to you.?I see some entrepreneurs try to compare themselves to an established Fortune 20 company as a template for what they need to do as a consultant. As a result, they tend to focus on the wrong things.?

The truth is, you are it. Everywhere you go, you should be marketing your business. Of course, your marketing will look much different than a big box store, but that doesn't mean it's not as effective.? As the ancient Greeks said, "Know Thyself." What I mean by that is to know what you and your business can do. Focus on what you are highly skilled at and be able to describe it briefly.?

Your networking strategy should have a purpose. Of course, opportunities can pop up in unexpected places, but most of the time, they occur precisely where expected.?

You MUST go where your audience is.

1. Be intentional about where you show up. Figure out who needs your service and work your way into that conversation.?You will continue to expand the network boundaries when you believe in the value you bring and can articulate exactly what you do.
2. Create opportunities to share what you do with groups, and become the solution to the problem they are facing. Even better, be the solution to the problem they don't even know they have. For example, a company contacted a client of mine to consult on a seemingly straightforward project which later developed into a much more lucrative opportunity because he could show them that their problem was much bigger than they realized.
3. Be the best idea they have heard. You tell people, and they will tell two friends, and it continues without you.? You have to set yourself apart from the crowd and tell them how your experience differentiates you from everyone else.
4. Be a connector that lifts others up. If you are networking, you know what people are doing and what they need to accomplish their goals. To stand out, follow up after an event, and make an introduction for someone. If you don't know anyone in that industry, that's okay; follow them on social media, engage with their post and show support. When you open up your network, people want to reciprocate the generosity.?

In the end, you should have a networking strategy to reach your clients, but the idea of how you are going to connect with your clients should not scare you. You know who they are and where they are - now go there!?