By Molly Hicks, Brand Strategist
As a biz owner–there is one thing you can always count on. Shit WILL hit the fan. No matter what happens, what you plan for, the shit will hit the fan and it’s what you’ve done behind the scenes that matters most when it does. If you are new to business–or just really eff-ing luck, and this hasn’t happened yet, that’s great! But eventually it will and you either need to have the systems in place to keep your biz a float when it does, so you can take as much control of the situation as possible–or lose control of everything. So here are four things that will save your biz from that hustle life..
Filter out the people who just waste your time.
You don’t have a ton of time, so why waste it on people who are just testing the waters with no intention to commit? The truth is–you are passionate about doing a certain thing with your ideal client. Your special skills are appreciated by those that see the value in what you do. So it’s important to help your people see that you are there for them–and that requires filtering people out!
There are sooo many ways to help you resonate with people–but here’s the key thing:
YOU HAVE PERMISSION TO MAKE PEOPLE NOT LIKE YOU. That’s right–I said it! No, don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean to be a complete and utter asshole, I just meant that it’s important to connect with your people and dedicate time to the people you can truly help–and that you enjoy helping.
Many times people think my first answer to getting kick-ass clients requires some type of automation or recurring subscription. But that’s not actually the case. Systems really refer to HOW you complete actions regardless if they are automated or manual. And some systems–well they don’t even look like a system at all, but I assure you they are. Now let’s see exactly how we make that happen, here are four things you can do to connect with the people that think you are an amazingly awesome human.
Make sure your website copy and social media use a consistent brand voice.
Okay–look, when it comes to connecting with people you’ve never met, the only thing they have to go off of is how you write. Even if someone got excited about your newest TikTok or Reel–typically that just motivates them over to your profile, your past posts, or your website! If those things resonate with them–they continue down your rabbit hole. If not, it’s goodbye–EVEN IF THEY ARE A PERFECT CLIENT!
Why?
Because they were attracted to your personality, the way you talk, the way you presented yourself. If your website doesn’t reflect those things–they think you are putting on a persona in the camera. When the reality is–you probably are putting on a persona in your writing.
- Write the way you talke
- Use pop culture references that you utilize constantly
- Don’t feel like you “have” to be professional–that’s a blog post for another day
- BE YOURSELF!
Make sure they understand the investment required to work with you.
One of the biggest debates of all time seems to be whether or not to post pricing on your website. While I don’t want you to be held to an outdated itemized price list–it’s imperative to let inquiring humans know if this is an “I can afford this project right now”, or an “I need to save up to work with my dream person” kinda deal.
After talking with hundreds of entrepreneurs, the biggest fear of posting prices is that people “won’t think I’m worth that much” or some other variation on imposter syndrome. The reality is–that story is not entirely true. Yes–the person might now be able to afford the package they want right this very moment. BUT if they really want to work with you they now understand how much they need to budget. For some people the listed may be less than their imposter syndrome was telling them it would cost! And as for the people who don’t see the value–they were never ideal clients to begin with–screw them!
Inquiry forms are meant to be detailed–get the info you actually need.
Okay–I’ll start this section off with a story. A few years ago I had a referral book and a discovery call to discuss a custom website project. The person who had referred them mentioned to me that the person who had scheduled the call was extremely annoyed that I wanted so many questions answered to book a discovery call.
Honestly–that made me laugh hysterically, because my form included the following:
- Standard Personal Details (Name, phone, pronouns, email, etc:)
- Biz Details (Name, website, socials, and how long they’ve been in business)
- Two open ended questions: (Meaning they could talk as much or as little as they want)
- What are your current struggles in your biz in regards to the techy businessy side of things?
- What are you hoping I can help you out with in regards to your biz?
In order for me to be as prepared as possible for a discovery call, I have to actually know what is important to the client, and their current struggles. It’s essential to be able to connect with them and provide viable options to solve their struggles.
Discovery calls aren’t free coaching sessions–they are opportunities to see IF you can help the person, IF you are a good fit for one another, and ASSESS what is necessary to solve the person’s struggle. You cannot do those three things if you don’t have details. If people aren’t going to invest 10 minutes to complete a form to help make sure they invest their money in the correct person for the job–they most likely will be a difficult client the entire process.
Oh–and for the record, this person wasn’t a good fit–and they went with someone else. And I was happy with how it worked out for them. It’s okay to say no–it opens you up for better clients.
Stop wasting time trying to find a “perfect” time for a discovery call–it’s not financially worth it!
We all forget as business owners that discovery calls actually cost us money! That’s right, the time spent on a discovery call is potential time you could spend working with a client. Which means the process needs to take as little YOU time as possible. (Not sure how much your discovery calls, onboarding and the like cost you? Check out my calculator here.)
When you have an automated system for booking–that actually means you have boundaries around when and how people can get on your schedule. They can only book things that are available, and that means you aren’t compromising your time for uncommitted work! The person can look for the best time for them, fille out your inquiry form, then automatically get an email with a confirmation, plus reminder emails without you ever lifting a finger!
There are multiple systems to help you accomplish this:
- GOOGLE CALENDAR | Yes you read that right! Your google calendar has the ability to have appointment slots for people to book your time.
- DUBSADO | This Client Relationship Manager is more of a many-in-one that includes the ability to automatically schedule appointments.
- CALENDLY | From group classes, to one-one-one appointments and recurring events–Calendly really offers a lot of functionality.
Alright–I guess I better real myself here. I could go on for hours–but that won’t give you any time to implement these four things to help you work with your ideal clients! So set some time aside on your calendar to see what implementing these 4 things will look like for your biz! And remember–no two businesses are alike, so do it the way that works best for you and your clients!
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About the Author:
Molly Hicks (she/her) is a brand strategy badass and founder of the self-named brand strategy and design micro-agency that helps busy AF entrepreneurs make shit happen. Her out-of-the box, cookie-cutter free strategy helps biz owners build sustainable systems that not only grow their business but also make sense to their unique way of thinking.
When she’s not working with entrepreneurs to revolutionize their fields and flip what’s “normal” on edge, you’ll find Molly at home with her family.
If she’s not out “catching Pokémon” with her toddler, or riding the motorcycle with her partner Steven, she’s most likely in the bath with Moscato in hand, sinking hippopotamus like amongst the bubbles.
