The Fastest Way to Get Clients
My clients often ask me, “What is the quickest way to get clients, when you need money, like yesterday?”.
My answer is simple: speak in front of a room full of people. Do a workshop, event, lunch and learn – whatever you want to call it. Just get out there and speak.
For so many people speaking brings up fear – even terror. But the truth is that after you’ve spent even 60 minutes speaking in front of a room, you’ve officially become the expert in their eyes. You’ve sped up the know, like and trust process – a process that online can take months and sometimes even years. Assuming that you’ve done your talk well, the people in that room are ready to buy from you.
Yet, here’s the kicker – you have to actually get people in the room in order to speak to them. And then you’ve got to ask them to work with you. This is the place where many of you run into difficulty. Either you show up and there are 2 people at your workshop or you do your workshop without ever really giving an offer (or selling).
Here are steps 1-3 to make the workshop process easier (for 4-7 see the Revenue Breakthrough Program):
1. Partner. Partner with an Organization that Has a List. If you are just starting or have a list that is less than 1000 or not very responsive. Do your workshops with an organization that already has a list of people. It is difficult, especially in the beginning, to fill a room of people on your own. It’s not a personal thing, it’s just that if you don’t have the know, like and trust factor established over a long period of time, people simply will not go out of their way to leave their houses and come to see you.
Therefore, always partner with an organization and hold your events there. For example, if you are health coach – do your workshops at yoga studios, gyms, community centers and spas. The most important point is that the organization must market you to their list.
2. Promote. Help the Organization with the Marketing. I see this all the time. You prep for weeks for your workshop at your local gym. And then you go to give it an there are 2 people there. Then you realize that the gym didn’t send out the e-mail blasts that they promised and the flyers didn’t get put up until 2 days before.
You must realize that most organizations don’t really know how to market events. You’ve got to show them and you have to be involved with the marketing from the beginning all the way through to the day of your event. Write the copy for them. Make sure the flyers are up. Go and talk to people and invite them to come. It’s in your best interest to get and stay involved to make sure there are lots of bodies in the room.
3. Offer. Spend at least 15 minutes on Your Offer. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen this happen. The speaker gives tons of great content right up until the end of the workshop and then she rushes and mumbles through the part about how to work with her further. The audience realizes that the speaker isn’t taking her business seriously and sub-consciously the audience members dismiss the value of working with her. Even though there are people in the audience who could so benefit from the speaker’s services, everyone walks out a bit dazed and confused about what to do next.
Plan your content so that you leave 15 minutes at the end of the workshop to talk about you and the services you offer. Realize that you are doing your audience a FAVOR by letting them know how much they need to work with you. Start with talking about the benefits that working with you privately can bring. Also, always offer a clear way that they can work with you. For most of you this could include a complimentary session, meeting or consultation. And be sure to limit your offer so that it appears valuable. Perhaps you will only offer sessions for the next week. Or only offer 5 sessions. Or perhaps you’ll add a bonus to the first few that register.
Just remember that when you rush through the offer you are only hurting yourself. People in the audience actually want to hear more about you and what you do, especially if you’ve already given great content.
So, remember these three rules: partner, promote and offer. That way, you too will be able to take advantage of workshops to fill your business or practice.
