I’ve lost count of the number of times a client has asked me ‘do you think I should advertise in this publication?’ or ‘do you think I should be on Twitter?’ or ‘should I be sending out leaflets?’.

My answer is always in the form of another question: ‘What are you going to say in that advert, Twitter feed or leaflet?’

You see, whilst most business owners are thinking about which shiny new ‘thing’ they should be using to attract clients, they are missing the critical point. Because the channel you use to communicate your message (whether it’s email, letters, social media, or in-person networking) is not as important as the message itself.

So if you don’t know what to say to get your ideal clients to come and talk to you about how you can help them, the method you use to say it doesn’t really matter.

This is the one thing you really need to get right before you spend any money on marketing. Otherwise you risk wasting not only your money, but also your time and effort as well.

So the answer to the question ‘how do I get more clients?’ is NOT ‘social media’ or ‘newsletters’ or ‘search engine optimisation’ or ‘adverts in the local paper’ or any other method of marketing or adverting your services.

The answer is this: get the right message in front of the right people.

And the right message means whatever your ideal clients need to understand or know in order to realise why they need someone who offers your expert service and why it should be you.

If you’re not sure what that is, then here’s what I suggest: start by writing down the ONE thing that, if you only your prospective clients knew, would make them want to hire you today. Is it the consequences of doing something the wrong way? Or not doing it at all? Or the benefits of getting your help? What’s the one thing they really don’t understand or realise that would really motivate them to take action and get your help?

Once you know what that is, you have your starting point for creating the right message for your ideal clients.

Do you need help to identify the ONE thing that your ideal clients need to know before they will hire you? Or have you worked out what that is but want to know what to do next? If so, apply for a no-charge ‘Get More Clients’ Strategy Session with me. In this 45 min session by phone I’ll help you to:

• Identify who your ideal clients really are
• Clarify what your ideal clients really need to know before they will hire you
• Plan how best to communicate that message to them

To apply for your session, please contact me.