Of all the things we deal with day-to-day in running a services business, clients are probably the one thing that take up the most time.
We strategize for them, we write for them, we meet with them, we execute tasks for them. They’re the lifeblood of our business. And what do we want in return for all this hard work? More clients! (Okay, we want money too and the glory, but stick with me here!)
We’ve all seen those ads promising a “guaranteed” way to book more clients, but we all know it’s not as easy as hopping on the magical unicorn and sliding down the rainbow to Get-rich-quick-ville.
Finding and booking clients is work. You have to hustle. Network. Make sure your name is out there in the right circles. And with all these promises of getting booked out in a flash, sometimes it’s hard to know where to focus our efforts when it comes to building your client roster.
The flip side is also knowing when a client may not be worth the time and effort we are expending on them. There’s a balance that we’re all striving for in client services, and part of attracting great clients is being able to deliver those services in a way that serves us.
With all of this is mind, we’ve rounded up our top five posts to help you book more clients and improve your client services:
#1 – 10 Warning Signs of Bad Clients and How To Deal With Them
We’ve all had those clients. The ones who make you want to pull your hair out and leave you wondering why you ever thought working with clients was a great idea.
Whether it’s constantly pushing your boundaries, chronically paying their invoice late, or them expecting to be treated like a special snowflake, there are some things you just shouldn’t let slide when it comes to your clients.
So how do you eliminate these opportunities for bad client interactions?
Like any relationship, there are red flags that crop up along the way that we can be on the lookout for. We give you the warning signs you need to keep on your radar and some options for how to deal with them when problems arise. You can click here to read the full post now.
#2 – Building a Better About Page: 5 Hacks for Connecting With Clients
Your About Page is arguably one of the most important pages on your website. Which makes sense, because people visiting your site want to know about who you are and what you’re all about. Potential clients are using your About Page to figure out if you’re someone they want to hire, so your About Page is really your first impression.
The trap that people fall into with their About Page is that sometimes what should be interesting and engaging for the reader is actually really dry and boring. No one wants to read your whole resume starting from high school! An About Page is meant to woo potential clients by grabbing their attention and drawing them in. We shared 5 hacks on how to connect with clients and make your About Page go from good to great.
#3 – 19 of the Most Recommended Tools for Working With Clients
We all know that when you run a services biz, time is money so it’s easy to focus on the money makers, like client work, and let the other “background” stuff slide.
But the thing is…if things aren’t running seamlessly from an administrative perspective, you probably ARE losing money. It’s easy to prioritize working IN your business versus ON your business, but at some point, if you don’t have the right infrastructure set up, things will start to slip through the cracks.
So how do you know what and where to spend your money? From project management to invoicing to scheduling, there is a myriad of tools available when it comes to running a services based business. No one wants to waste time trying out everything currently on the market, so we’ve provided a list of our favorite tools and apps to help you manage your clients.
#4 – 18 Services Business Owners Tell All, How They Landed Their First Clients
If you work with clients, they’re the lifeblood of your business. No matter if you’ve been in business for 10 months or 10 years, getting clients booked is a daily goal that we’re all constantly striving to achieve. Because we work in the online world, it’s easy to get lulled into a false sense of security that we can find clients simply through an email list or website referrals. But the reality is, finding and booking clients requires a bit of hustle, whether it’s online or in person. You can’t just sit back and wait for the clients to come to you.
We went out and asked 18 business owners where they found their clients, and what resonated the most was the consistent theme that you just never know where you will find people. It could be at a speaking engagement, could be a friend of a friend, could be through a Facebook group. The bottom line…you need to create opportunities and actively engage, whether in person or online. You can read their tips on finding clients here.
#5 – Improve Your Client Experience With These 5 Simple Questions
We all know that a happy client is a repeat client. A happy client is also much more likely to refer other clients. Ensuring that every experience they have with you is outstanding is crucial to success.
This all sounds great in theory, but we all know that sometimes there is only so much you can do to improve in this area. It’s a work in progress for most of us.
So what’s the secret to making sure your clients come back over and over, and even better, that they spread the good word about how awesome you are? Create a top-notch customer experience! You can read about how to do that right here.
[embed_popupally_pro popup_id=”9″]
