Learn The Easy Way To Find Clients In Our Busy, Noisy World

It’s loud out there. It seems like daily we read about some new app or device erupting into our consciousness. Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat… we get our news and our entertainment from more sources these days than we can count. Something new is always grabbing our eye and complicating our lives.

That said, on one hand, that does make staying in touch easier. If we leave our cell phones at home, many of us travel with tablets or laptops so one way or another, someone can reach us.

But, it also means there is a lot to keep up with and that can feel overwhelming.

A writer on Psychology Today says we feel this way because of how our brains were originally created to function. Clearly, our ancestors didn’t have to deal with so much media or so many devices.

But in our modern world, we do have to deal with it. And given that the vast majority of our clients look for information on the Internet, one wise discussion to have is how can you cut through the noise? What can a writer to do talk more authentically to their potential (and existing) clients? And what can this shift do to your bottom line?

The truth is, a lot.

In the same way you’re tired of being sold to and pitched as a consumer, so are your clients. Loneliness is at an all-time high and people are hungry for the truth. Clearly we can argue that our media has some issues giving us the “full and unbiased” truth regardless of what side of the political discussion you fall on.

So if people want more authentic communication, the first step is to give it to them.

Don’t pander. Ever.

Don’t censor your words out of fear of speaking your truth.

And for heaven’s sake, don’t lie.

Be straight, honest and direct and your readers will come.

That said, one major error many healing professionals make is they miss the mark on what clients are ready to read in an article. It’s important that potential clients can see themselves (in their current situation) in your articles. If you write to topics that are too far ahead of where they are in THIS MOMENT, you will lose their interest.

Because we’re all busy, all we really make time for is the stuff we NEED. Therefore, it’s wise to really nail your topics down to the ones that your readers NEED to know about, as opposed to things that are merely nice to know.

Perhaps it’s wise to think of it like this: in crisis, all we can do is address the most pressing issues; the things that if they are LEFT ALONE, cause greater stress. In a “need to know” world, these are the topics that lead the most qualified clients to your doorstep. Because we all know that clients don’t seek help, let alone invest in, unless it can solve a problem.

In our noisy world, the topics you help people with that ease them out of crisis and into healing, those are the ones you should write about. The return on that investment is clients who are actually seeking the help you provide.

And wouldn’t it be great to have more people calling you for help in the moment they are actually ready to hire you?

If you want to find clients like this, you have to write about topics in the “NEED to know” versus the “NICE to know” category.  Very often these topics follow the immediate emotions that happen after a breakup, the loss of a job, a kid/family member moving out, an addiction that’s out of control and/or the consequence the client is facing for their behavior.

Their NEED is to heal the acute pain they are in.

The underlying reasons that led them to this pain are too personal and often hidden from your client’s view.  Whether it’s their emotional intelligence or mere closeness to the issue, they are largely blind to what you (as an outsider) can see with ease.

What they can relate to is their pain. So if you want to find new clients, you have to start where your clients are living: in their pain.

Here’s a few examples of the difference between NEED to know and NICE to know issues:

A client who is considering divorcing her husband and is grieving. She NEEDS help to process her feelings and decide what to do about her future. It would be NICE for her to also learn about her patterns of being attracted to selfish men, her co-dependency and what happened in her childhood to get her into this marriage, but NONE of those topics address what she’s feeling IN THE MOMENT.  This client needs help with her day-to-day decision making and how to move ahead with her life. Anything else will be overlooked because of the chronic stress she’s under.

Here’s another:

A client who has a history of being in meaningless relationships and is feeling deeply lonely, bordering on depressed. For her, friendships, boyfriends, you name it, she can’t seem to keep people around for long. She has a red-hot temper and if you were to ask her ex’s they would tell you she pushes people away when they fail to do her wishes. She ends the relationships and then sings the victim song about always being left and abandoned, all the while not seeing the part she plays in her own dramas. 

Her awareness of it is limited. Before she can really dig into the pattern, she has to admit her hurt feelings. What she NEEDS is to grieve. What she NEEDS is someone to help her with her sadness. It would also be NICE for her to take a look at the pattern and identify her own behavior as the common denominator. But her openness is around her pain; the rest will come one trust is build and a skillful therapist can move the discussion into a deeper discussion.

The bottom line for most of us is that the issues we face are far deeper than can EVER be addressed in one article, video or book. We need to get help for all of it. BUT we’re only open when those windows appear that connect our deepest desires with our wiliness to explore our pain.

When you write content that addresses your client’s NEEDS, you create the opportunity for the “NICE TO KNOW” after they are in relationship with you.

And we all know THAT is where the deeper work lies.

Need help figuring out how to grow your business? We are here to help. Learn more about listing on the YourTango directory or schedule a free consultation to speak to us privately about business coaching/SEO services here.

This article was previously published on YourTango Expert's marketing blog and is reprinted with permission from the author.