One of the most common things new coaches say is “how do I get started?” This applies to getting new clients, getting themselves out there or in charging for their services. I will often hear people say that they need to get started on a website, order some business cards and start growing their email list or following BEFORE getting clients.
It’s interesting to see what the mind makes up that you need in order to generate clients or to be taken seriously as solopreneur. There are certain markers of “professionalism” that you may believe you must have in place to feel like you are open and ready for business.
While all of these things have their place, they are not at all required to getting started and bringing in clients that will pay you for your expertise, guidance and support now. What you need most to get started in your coaching or healing business is a willingness to be creative, put yourself out and utilize your existing network.
Here are 5 ways to get new clients even if you don’t have a business card, website, or email list.
Open for business. If you want to help people in your area of expertise they need to know that they can come to you for that service. If people don’t know how you can help them, they won’t think to hire you or refer your services when they are needed. If you are just starting out update your everyday conversations to include that you help married couples rekindle their passion, or help women lose weight without starving or help people land their ideal job. This becomes an open invitation for people to ask you more about what you do. You also want to update all of your social media profiles and email signatures to include your professional title or service. This is both an easy and free way to share what you do along with your contact information to reach you for more information.
Ask for referrals. There are people that you know already that would be happy to share the benefits of your work with others. Who is in your network already that may know people you would like to serve with your skills? Perhaps they offer a service that is complementary to the one you offer or they are just well connected to people you may want to get to know. Make a list of these people and reach out to them and let them know what you are up to and ask for referrals. It’s a sincere gesture when you offer the person you are asking a referral from, a free session or some sort of sample of your work. This way they can feel good about making referrals and know that the people they send over are in good hands.
Offer free value. If you are like most of the heart centered entrepreneurs I know, you just want to be able to share the knowledge, resources and tools you have with others. There are so many ways to bring value to your potential clients and serve them with inspiration, information, resources, and tools to further their growth. What value can you provide for the people in your niche that will have them seek you out as their go to expert? Heartstorm the most common questions that people have about your subject matter and address them in your content. This is a great starting point for your growing audience to get to know you, like and trust and you. You share through blogging, video, social media posts, podcast, etc.
Host an event. An effective way to bring people together and share your expertise on your subject matter is by hosting a class, workshop or webinar. When you take the initiative to put together an event, you position yourself as a leader in your niche. In that process, you have an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge while also giving people a taste of the transformation that is possible by working with you longer term. Whether you host your event in person or online, you can use this method as a vehicle to grow your audience, test your material, gather information about what would serve your audience best and of course get paying clients by inviting people to work more deeply with you.
Find Speaking Gigs. The advantage to finding local speaking gigs to share your expertise is that you get to connect with an audience that is already interested in your subject matter. Rather than spending time to find people in your niche who are looking for your services, someone else has already successfully gathered members interested in your topic. As a guest speaker you bring additional value to an already existing community with a fresh voice. Quite often the event planning and organizing details are handled and you get to show up and shine as the speaker. Your call to action can include having people sign up for your mailing list, sign up for your free opt in, a free consultation or low end offer.
These 5 ways of generating clients for your business are FREE or low cost, don’t require a lot if any technology and are accessible to you no matter where you are in your business. The important thing is to pick 1-2 of these that you can commit to implementing consistently. Don’t let lack of a website, business cards or a small list deter you from getting your skills out into the marketplace and making a difference in the lives of the people you are meant to serve.
You know and have enough TODAY to start helping people make major shifts in their life or business. If you need additional support to implement these strategies, schedule a complimentary Business Clarity Call with me to get crystal clear on your next steps.
Warmly,
Kadidja