The top 10 ways to attract and secure more clients

One thing most business owners ask is, ‘How do I attract and secure more clients?’. It’s what we all want, especially during the quieter months and times of a slowing economy.

There are many ways you can attract new clients, that’s the easy part. It’s securing clients that can be the issue if you don’t have the right systems in place. If you’ve got a leaky client bucket situation happening, it’s not great!

I built my business through word of mouth referrals and testimonials. Friends and colleagues referred others through to me, so attracting clients came easily. I quickly learnt that it was the way I treated my clients, the systems I put in place and the quality of my work that kept them.

If I had done a shonky job, didn’t respond to emails or calls, and didn’t deliver what I’d promised, the clients wouldn’t refer others onto me and attracting clients would be much harder.

So, how do you not only attract but secure more clients, even in the current climate? Let’s explore.

Get super clear on what you offer and what the outcome is for your client

People only buy things they want and need, and with the world being online, they have loads of choice. You need to catch their attention – quickly! Your client needs to know exactly what they’ll get if they work with you or purchase from you. If someone lands on your website or socials and has no idea what you do straight away, they’ll move on. The clarity in your message is the first thing you HAVE to get right, so you don’t waste the first impression opportunity.

Repetition, repetition, repetition

Once you’ve nailed your message and made it super clear on what you do and how you help, you need to make sure you’re repeating it – everywhere! It should be the first thing you mention on your website (in your header). Your message should repeat across your socials with a clear call to action on how to get in contact to work with you.

When you’re talking to people about what you do, repeat the same message. When everyone hears you saying the same thing about what you do, who you do it for, and how you help, they’ll remember too. In turn, when they tell others about you, your message will remain clear, and you’ll attract the right clients.

Be attractive to your ideal clients

By attractive, I don’t mean you need to have your favourite lippy on, or hair neatly brushed for a video meeting! I mean, think about all the things you can do to attract clients to your business. What content could you create that solves their problem or helps with specific issues they are having?

For example, you’ve probably worked out that I’ve created this blog post because I’m a business and branding coach and I help you build your business, brand and bottom line – so that’s what I talk about. If you’re my ideal client, you’ll find this content helpful; you’ll know who I am and how I help.

Put your thinking cap on – what are the problems your clients have? What are they searching for in Google? Write a blog or talk about these things, so you’re attracting them to you and your business.

Connection is where it’s at

One of my favourite sayings is ‘People don’t want to be sold to, but they love to buy’, by Marty Neumeier, The Brand Gap. I don’t know about you, but I love to buy! Especially when it’s something from someone I like, know and trust. And the best way to build this trust factor – get personal and connect in a real way.

Social media is amazing for this. Make sure you’re using all the free tools on the social channels to build connections and your community. Focus on connecting one on one with people and having real conversations. Don’t go the hard sale, make connections.

Make the offer

Pretty pictures on social posts look amazing. But let me ask you – are you actually telling your followers how they can work with you? Are you sharing what you offer and what the client experience looks like?

I’ve worked with many businesses who are missing this chance. I put out a challenge to my Insta followers to share 3 ways their followers could work with them and tag me so I could share it. I got messages from so many people saying, ‘OMG, I’ve got new client bookings!’. There were surprised. People who are following you are interested in what you do and may want to work with you in a paid capacity – once they fully understand what you offer!

So make sure that you’re creating your content strategy and scheduling your content that you also schedule in promotional posts amongst all the other content you’re sharing!

Set up effective funnels and channels

This is where reliable systems come into play. When a client is in your ecosystem, you need to build a relationship with them. Don’t just say hi and then ghost them. Some people take longer than others to warm up to you, so think about what you’re sharing with them as a weekly subscriber. I connect with my followers and community in multiple places, and it works.

I start by attracting clients with an offer through a freebie like any one of these that I have. Then I’ll let them know to connect with me on Instagram – because I hang out there a lot and love to connect with people. Then they’ll get my email every week with tips and the latest podcast.

Plug the leaks in your processes

One of the most significant issues many business owners face (and I’ve seen this happen to clients), is not capturing the leads that are coming through. They have a crack in their lead funnel. If someone sends a message or contacts you, they want you to contact them in return. Check your contact forms are working and you’re receiving notifications – tech gremlins can often cause little malfunctions that you may not be aware of.

If these types of things aren’t working, you’re letting money leak out of your business. Make sure your contact system is watertight and make it a priority to make contact with leads within 24-48 hours. I use 17-hats, a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. When a client contacts me through my website, they get a response to thank them for their enquiry and let them know that I’ll be in touch. I receive the notification on my phone as well as an email, and it sits in my CRM as a ‘hot lead’. I log in every day and make sure I’m responding to enquiries that through promptly.

Respond quickly

You’ve done all the hard work – you’re clear on what you do, and you’ve spent time attracting and engaging your audience. Now you’ve been contacted as they’ve decided they want to work with you. Don’t let them slip through your fingers!

Usually, when people contact you, they are in the ‘buy phase’ of your relationship. They have the headspace and time to look for what they want, and they’ve found that you offer the solution. Don’t waste this opportunity. If you wait 5 weeks (or even as little as 1) to get back to them, you’ve probably lost the chance as they’ve either solved their problem or found someone else who could.

In an online world with so many businesses offering similar services, if you’re not responding quickly (even to let them know you appreciate their message and will contact them), they’ll move on.

Build brand ambassadors while you’re working with people

Some business owners are more on the introverted side and are too shy to ask people to share what they offer. If your clients are happy and getting the results you’ve promised, ask your client to refer you to other people they believe will also benefit from your services. If I was working with someone and I loved what they did for me, I’d be more than happy to talk about the work and share their details.

Referrals grow businesses so never be afraid to ask. You could even add it as a line in your email signature – ‘I love referrals, so please feel free to pass my details onto others’.

Read and respond

I talk about read and respond when I do speaker coaching with clients. If you read your community and clients needing something, respond to it. You must decide if it’s something you want to do, and if it is, then you need to quickly and clearly communicate with them about how you can help.

What I’ve seen many people do is build what they want without it being a clear response to what their clients need. When we’re in a tough market, it’s even more important to read the messages being put out so you can react quickly and be able to service your client’s needs.

Conclusion – Let’s wrap this baby up!

At the end of the day, attracting and securing clients is the key to growing your business.

The above 10 tips are things you need to be doing consistently. It’s not about set and forget; it’s about seeing what you can do better, how you can improve on what you have, and creating something that people want to be a part of because it meets their needs.

It can take time to build your audience and customer base, but the more you read and respond, the more you’ll connect. And make sure you’re plugging all your lead leaks and make contact quicker to secure those much wanted (and needed) clients!

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