Set Your Clients Up For Success (Your Business Will Thank You)

You know what often gets overlooked when a coach or consultant starts their own business?

Customer experience. 

Many new service providers are so consumed with figuring out what the scope of their services are, where to find their clients, and how much to charge for their offerings, that they jump over this key concept. Working with you should be an easy process.

Finding you should be easy. Which means that you need to show up wherever your ideal clients are hanging out. In this day and age that means getting super clear on the demographics of your client and discovering what social media platform they spend their time on. To show up in front of them, you have to be consistent on that platform, you have to crack the code of what makes a successful post, what hashtags to use, and so forth. Your goal is to become recognizable to your ideal client, so they know who you are and the basics of what you do. Which takes me to the next point...

Understanding what you do should be easy. Your website can be pretty, and can have call to action buttons, and all the appropriate stock photos you want. But if it doesn't give a clear and accurate rundown of what you do and who you do it for, then it's going to fail you. The same with your linkedin profile, facebook page, and instagram- I'm not even going to touch tiktok. if someone can read any of those pages and still say "I'm confused about what you do" then you have a problem.

The method to get in touch with you should be clear. Do they inquire about rates? Is there a booking button for a consultation? Do they have to submit an application? Do they just email you for more info? Create clear instructions for a prospective client to get in touch and they will. 

Hiring you and paying you should be a breeze. This is the step that most service providers accidentally sabotage themselves on... they make becoming a client too complicated or they're unclear of their payment policies. My philosophy is that if someone decided to hire you, they obviously need the support, which means that they're busy, which means that they don't have time for unnecessary tasks such as manually paying invoices that can be automated with an autopay system. Create systems that are kind and respectful of your clients' time and energy and they will stay your clients for longer. Make it easy to pay you, make it easy to book a call, and easy to get in touch. 

Set the rules of engagement. Create clear boundaries around communications so everyone knows what works best. Also, tell them about how to continue working with you beyond the contract date so that they can plan appropriately. This will also alleviate any anxiety you have about broaching the topic because you'll know they're expecting it.

Starting your own business, selling your services is hard. You spent all your time becoming an expert in your field and now you have to take on being an entrepreneur as well. Don't expect yourself to know everything when you start and if you're feeling lost then hire a mentor who can show you the way. There's no reason to suffer through trial and error when there are resources out there that can help. 

By: Katie McManus, published on her blog at www.katiemcmanus.com