To Help More Clients (And Make More Mo-ney!), You MUST Meet Them “Where They Live”

Ever wonder why you’re not reaching more people, and when you do, why nobody’s saying YES to your services?

You can have a great idea… then spend hours, days, weeks, months, even years implementing it, and when you finally get it out there, nobody buys.  It’s heartbreaking!

I often see new entrepreneurs juggle a bunch of different ideas, and tie themselves up in knots trying to make them “fit” into some “big picture”… only to end up with a flat, bland, and even convoluted message that their clients can’t understand. (Believe me, I’ve done this myself!)

What’s the problem?  In both cases, it’s what I like to call “Stuck In Your Own Head” syndrome – i.e., you’re stuck in your perspective, and ONLY your perspective.  Trouble is, your clients are stuck in THEIR own heads. It’s a classic case of same planet, different worlds.

When I say stuck, I mean stuck – it’s a sure bet your potential clients are stuck with a problem they desperately want to get rid of, and the ramifications of that problem are swirling around in their heads, day in and day out.  That is a huge opportunity for you – if you approach it right.

To help more clients (and make more mo-ney in the process!), you must meet them where they ARE: in their world, not yours.  Here’s how.

Focus on what your clients REALLY want. Would you like to know the secret of what your clients really want?  (Hang on to your garters, as my mom would say – I’m about to tell you!)  Your clients really, truly want one or more of these things…

To make money

To save money

To save time

To save effort

Become more comfortable

Attain better health

Achieve greater cleanliness

Get rid of their pain

To be popular

This list is from one of my early copywriting mentors, David Garfinkel.  They’re the universal psychological motivators that are the root of buying and selling, going back to the time of the cavemen.

Focusing on what your clients really want often poses a challenge for soul-preneurs^TM because it often involves letting go of our way of seeing things, and that can feel like we’re giving something up… namely, our vision.  (Pretty big stuff – no wonder it feels traumatic!)  But it doesn’t have to be this way.

As transformation professionals, or change agents, we know that the surface problems are just a symptom of something deeper. For example, the root of most mo-ney problems is low self-esteem and low self-worth.  On one level, people with mo-ney problems know this, even subconsciously.  But what’s the front-of-mind, up-all-night kind of problem? Mo’ney!

Once you meet your “peeps” (clients!) where they truly hang out, front-of-mind, you can guide them to life-altering transformations – that’s where your vision, and the deeper work, comes in.  My colleagues Sharla Jacobs and Jesse Koren of Rejuvenate Training call this “walking through the gate.”

Once your client walks through the gate of working with you, a whole world of transformation awaits them. But they won’t take that walk with you unless you enter the conversation already going on in their heads.  And that means getting out of your own.

The great news is, chances are very good that your work already satisfies at least one of your client’s deep desires. Once you have that, it’s about communicating in a way that reaches them.

Use their own words. This one’s critical.  How do your clients talk about their problems?  What words do they use to describe what they want?  Are you using their words?  If not, you’re missing out on connecting with them and helping them.

Luckily, finding out how your clients really speak is easy: simply listen.  Pay attention in your sessions to what your clients are saying and how they say it. Because I’m a writer, I love to “get it in writing” which is another reason why I survey my peeps so often.  Then, pay attention to the words YOU use, taking care that they’re in alignment with what your clients need to hear in order to reach them.

Soul-preneurs^TM often say to me, “But Elizabeth! I don’t help my clients make money, find love or improve their health.  I want to help them with X-Y-Z.” And my question to them is, “Do you want to help people and make a difference?”

If your answer is yes, you must meet your clients where they live. Just a few tweaks can bridge the gap between where you live and where your clients hang out… and serving more of them, more often, with more joy and for more mo’ney.

Need some help meeting your clients where they live?  The Abundant Business Homestudy System contains simple systems to help you uncover exactly what your clients want and how you can help them. Get yours here.

© 2009 Elizabeth Genco Purvis.  All Rights Reserved.

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Elizabeth Genco Purvis, “The Marketing Goddess” teaches spirited solo business owners and conscious entrepreneurs how to attract an abundance of clients, income, freedom and satisfaction in their business while staying true to their values.  Visit MarketingGoddess.com to claim your copy of “Grow Your Business With Spirit And Soul,” a 7-part audio workshop with everything you need to begin attracting more clients right away.