"What more can I do to find clients?"

Naomi is struggling in silence.

She launched her coaching business eighteen months ago, investing heavily in her brand and website. She posts regularly on a variety of social media channels and is an active member of a local networking group (from which she receives a very occasional referral).

But there’s a problem.

Although to the outside world Naomi appears to be busy and successful, the truth of the matter is she’s struggling to find enough clients to sustain her business, let alone grow it.

Quite simply, all her efforts are falling short. Naomi just didn’t think it would be this hard. And though she was delighted to leave the cutthroat corporate life behind when she launched her business, she fears she may have to return to it with her tail between her legs - and she shudders at the prospect.

So, the question is this:

What else could Naomi be doing to generate more business opportunities?

Here follows my advice to business owners just like Naomi who find themselves in similar situations.

1. WHO NEEDS IT?

Chances are you started a business because you’re good at something. But who needs what you’re good at? This has to be our starting point if we’re going to find the ‘hungry crowd’.

It’s important to ask questions like:

Who needs what I do?

Where are they based geographically?

What industry or sector are they in?

What size of company are they?

What is the job title of the person who needs my help?

As a coach, Naomi could potentially help anyone with a need. But that’s too broad a market. She needs to think more niche. Who has she already worked with? Are there more of those companies (or individuals) whom she could approach directly, for example? Or does Naomi need to zoom in and focus on one specific industry - becoming a specialist coach for lawyers or accountants, for example?

Once she has this information, Naomi will need to punch this data into Sales Navigator in order to create a prospecting list (at the time of writing you can still get a month’s free Sales Navigator trial).

2. WHY DO THEY NEED IT?

Next, Naomi needs to walk a mile in her potential clients’ shoes. She needs to understand the challenges they’re facing so that she can address them with empathy and understanding.

If what she does solves a problem, what specifically is that problem and how is it specifically solved?

If it captures an opportunity, what is that opportunity and how is it specifically captured?

If it helps achieve a result or outcome, what is that result and how is it specifically achieved?

Armed with this knowledge, Naomi can create some very effective marketing collateral. By using a tool like Canva to publish a multipage PDF brochure or case study, Naomi will have a very effective marketing tool with which to reach out to - and relate to - those who need her help.

3. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO REACH THEM?

Finally, Naomi needs to decide how she can proactively reach out to these markets in a non-spammy way. She’s already discovered that DMing a sales pitch on LinkedIn is a no-no. So what is she to do now she has a prospecting list and a nicely-designed PDF brochure to send them?

Well, that depends on the market sector and the job title of the persons she’s seeking to reach.

In some cases, a simple phone call to ask permission to send the PDF brochure is enough.

If it’s unlikely Naomi would reach decision-makers with a phone call, she might consider writing a letter or printing some pain point-focused postcards.

In either case, she could follow up with a phone call and seek to arrange a chat over coffee or Zoom.

TOO BUSY? TOO HARD? TOO SCARY?

I get it. Most people hate the prospect of reaching out directly to their ideal clients - and consequently hope that a combination of marketing and networking will be enough to sustain and grow their businesses.

But let’s look at the cold, hard facts:

In Australia, 60% of businesses fail before their third birthday.

I wonder how many failed businesses hoped that a combination of marketing and networking would be enough to sustain and grow their businesses? I don’t know the answer to that question - but based on my experience over the years, I would imagine it to be a high percentage.

The reality is this: Business is hard sometimes. I don't need to tell you that. It’s not all coffee and selfies. If I want to build a business, I need to do the harder things as well as the easier ones.

THE ALTERNATIVE

Or I could simply outsource the whole kit and kaboodle. For example, my agency, TERRACOTTA, does all of the above for its clients. So if my advice to Naomi is a little daunting for you, consider outsourcing the problem to us.

Here’s to your success, Naomi - whoever and wherever you are!