What am I doing wrong? (no clients)

Dolly Welsh

Sun, Jul 21 2013, 11:58 pm

You have got to have your calendar in front of you so you can make an appointment on the spot!!

Also, it takes more time than this. You should keep a diary of exactly what happens and review it occasionally.

It might take a hundred pushes to get one. That's normal.

It's always, Yes. Now.

NOT, I'll get back to you.

It's always Right Now Sure Yes Of Course Now. There is only Now. People have NO TIME. They are starved for time. You must give them ice cream right now.

Obviously your purse is full of business cards, to give out at the drop of a hat at any time.

Drop off piles of your cards here and there. At the mikvah?

Last edited by Dolly Welsh on Mon, Jul 22 2013, 12:20 am; edited 1 time in total

FranticFrummie

Mon, Jul 22 2013, 12:04 am

I'm going to counter some opinions here.

I found that if I RAISED my prices somewhat, my sales actually improved! There's a fine line between being overpriced, and creating "perceived value". Cubic Zirconia looks just as good as diamonds, but diamonds cost more. What do people want? Diamonds! Why? Because of the perceived value that they are getting something better, more prestigious.

Look at all the money that goes into marketing diamonds. People already know that diamonds are valuable, it's not like this is news. Yet the marketing campaign goes on year after year, to keep people feeling that diamonds are special and more desirable.

With my products, I had to create the image that there is something special and valuable about my work that sets it above the competitor, and justifies the higher price. Custom made, one of a kind, vintage components, discontinued colors - all help create a feeling of something that you have to buy NOW, before it gets away. Then you can be proud that you are the only one who will ever have anything like it.

"Handmade" can mean cheap and thrown together from spare parts, but I chose to emphasize "meticulous attention to detail", hours involved in making it, my inspirations behind the piece, how I see someone wearing it, setting a mood, or an emotional story about some of the design elements. The handmade jewelry market is completely flooded with low cost items that are of fairly nice quality, so I had to rise above the crowd and really work my product descriptions in order to get noticed.

amother

Mon, Jul 22 2013, 12:11 am

Wow, thanks for all the responses, many seem very helpful! Will try to respond to some individually:

@curiousgeorge1:
I know that there is a need because I overhear both IRL, on imamother, and out in the world that people are struggling with the problem I work on solving. I know my prices are fair because I have compared with 1) others who offer similar services (I am in the same ballpark on the low end) and 2) other types of services that address the same need (I am much less expensive than other types of services).

I started with this business in a slightly different form, on the side, just over a year ago, while really focusing on my day job and not really pulling it together or marketing aggressively. I first got my act together, defined my more unique niche, and started marketing more about a month and a half ago. So it's not totally dismal, but I do want to reassess, figure out why I'm not getting off the ground, and do something different to help it happen.

More marketing is probably a good idea. Because I'm an individual and not a whole company with a staff, I figure I have time for about 10 clients, but I wasn't sure how many I should have to pitch to before getting one.

@FranticFrummie (first comment): I do try to portray confidence, but I can't actually lie about data!

I'm not looking to get people to change providers, but to get people to choose me in the first place. I don't really want to take any business away from my competitors. What I'm offering to set me apart is a wider range of services all in one place, a higher level of individual attention, and more expertise.

I'm so camera shy but can work on a youtube presentation. Any tips for making it good and not doing more harm than good by bungling it?! Press releases are more my style. Thanks for the idea. I will get to work on it. Any tips on how to get them to print?

Thanks also for the blog link.

FranticFrummie

Mon, Jul 22 2013, 12:13 am

3) I offered a number of pricing plans/incentives/special offers/discounts/referral bonuses/what-have-you's to try and hook a few customers just to get things rolling, which made it a real steal, but didn't help at all.

I just noticed this, and it sounds really overwhelming to me. You may be offering too much too soon. "Referral bonuses" is a red flag, IMHO. This implies that you are expecting a potential client to do some work, and nobody wants to take on more responsibility than she/he already has.

I've tried offering free items with a purchase, and it's dropped like a lead balloon every single time. Nobody cares. They want a quality product, on time, with decent customer service. Regarding things being "a real steal", see my post above on "perceived value", people may be thinking that something is wrong if it's "too good to be true."

FranticFrummie

Mon, Jul 22 2013, 12:25 am

amother wrote:

@FranticFrummie (first comment): I do try to portray confidence, but I can't actually lie about data!

I'm not looking to get people to change providers, but to get people to choose me in the first place. I don't really want to take any business away from my competitors. What I'm offering to set me apart is a wider range of services all in one place, a higher level of individual attention, and more expertise.

I'm so camera shy but can work on a youtube presentation. Any tips for making it good and not doing more harm than good by bungling it?! Press releases are more my style. Thanks for the idea. I will get to work on it. Any tips on how to get them to print?

Thanks also for the blog link.

Don't lie about data, just act as if you already have a ton of clients. Nothing wrong with saying "Great!" Heck, having one client is great, so that's not a lie!

For YouTube, the biggest thing is audio quality. This is a pet peeve of mine. You want a room without any echo, so hang rugs on the walls if you have to dampen the sound. Make several videos and review them before posting, so you can get a feeling for what works for you.

Make your voice as expressive and enthusiastic as possible. Pretend you're reading a fairy tale to a very bored child. It will sound fake to you, but if your voice is natural it will come across as flat and boring. Keep the video under one minute long, and make several of them. People won't watch if it's any longer than that. Twitter is successful because people have such short attention spans these days. Keep it short and to the point! Only cover one aspect of your service at a time. This will also help you boost your Google rankings, as opposed to one long video that just goes on and on. If you can create a powerpoint presentation, that will be immensely useful.

A month and a half is NOTHING, this is the time to start laying your groundwork. If you want 10 clients, you may have to follow up leads for 10, 20 or even 50 for each one that actually signs on. There's no way to predict it.

For getting your articles into a paper, you just have to be persistent. Think of all the literary giants who have had their work rejected over the years. Dickens, Twain, even Shakespeare! Submit, ask for advice, rewrite, submit, rinse, repeat.

amother

Mon, Jul 22 2013, 12:25 am

@Peanut2: But how did any of those people GET their reputation? Didn't SOMEBODY have to be their first client?! That's where I'm feeling stuck. And that's even though I do have a good background in my field, only new to this specific niche in it.

@TwinsMommy, I AM offering the free consultation, but they're not buying anything from it! I did offer BOGO type freebies too, but no takers. I am doing like you, trying to start off with free things until I have at least a drop of revenue that I could reinvest into paid marketing, business consulting, whatever would take me to the next level - but it's that first step that I'm stuck on. Thanks for the social media tips. Not sure how you generate enough content for daily posts on four topics but it's something clear I can work on!

@curiousgeorge1, I would be willing to take clients at cost. I didn't tell that to everyone because I wanted to come off as more professional/confident, but just to a couple of chosen people who had more personal connections to instill their confidence in me but were hesitating on the price. I STILL have no takers. Argh!

I'm a little worried about asking my former clients for testimonials. It feels a little unprofessional. Should I just not be so shy? How should I approach them and ask?

@aniri thanks for the advice and encouragement.

@PrincessGirl I am not in a pyramid scheme. This is a personal service business and my own original model (not original that I'm the first person in the universe to think about it, but in that I put it together on my own in my own way)

@Dolly Welsh, the client that I had to call back to schedule actually solicited me before I initiated my business! She called me based on my reputation from my previous, similar job and asked if I could do this for her. I said yes, because I was already in the process of starting this venture, but I was still in my old job and needed to work it into my schedule there. Sigh. At least now I'll be ready if I get another nibble like that!
More business cards. Will get on that! I love concrete, easy advice Smile

amother

Mon, Jul 22 2013, 12:51 am

Regarding pricing, you may be right that I'm on the wrong track there... but I'm just not sure. I do think I charge a reasonably high base price because I need to cover materials/costs plus my own time, and I do want to charge what I'm worth. But I was hearing a LOT of price hesitation both from my prospective clients and my own market research. Part of the problem I started this venture to solve was that I was hearing a lot of people say "I could really use this kind of service but the cost is prohibitive" so I worked on developing a model that could provide a similar benefit at a much lower cost. Because it's a little less conventional, I STILL heard a lot of price wariness. Then even more because it's new and I'm new at it, and as much as I can portray confidence in myself, in the expertise I bring, in my training, and in the products I work with, I can't lie when they ask "exactly how many successful clients have you had?" So that's why I've offered specials. I haven't offered them all at the same time, I'm not clobbering people over the head with them, but I did offer something to everyone, often depending on the specific circumstance: One client was interested in in-person services in a different locale, so I offered a discount for both her and a friend if they signed up together (and I would save on travel time). Another was not the type who'd be interested in making a social thing out of it (I could tell) and hesitant to commit, so I offered him a pay-as-you-go alternative (usual pricing is flat) that he could stop at any time. Others I mainly offered an introductory special for the first month after my launch, and for people interested in using me for more than one member of their family I told them that if one person signs up at the introductory price they will be grandfathered in to that rate if other members of their immediate family decide to come later on.

Yes I guess my pricing strategy is a bit all over the place! I worked hard on setting my base price (comparing to other similar services, figuring out how much I needed to cover costs and pay myself, etc) but then didn't want to lose the clients I don't even have due to sticker shock. I did use the tactic of making my service better to be worth a higher price, rather than lowering the price - because I do need to charge enough to cover my costs and time. So I offer a premium service and have many reasons why it's worth it.

Any advice on pricing and such is welcome!

shalhevet

Mon, Jul 22 2013, 3:31 am

I would really, really go for a one time business consultation. As you say, you are doing something wrong and you can't put your finger on it - go to someone who can. Lots of people think they have a niche, and they don't.

Are you offering a service? I would say 99.9% of people who want a service will ask their friends/ people they rely on for personal recommendations. Or go to someone they met/ heard speak, and made a good impression. I advertised (I do translations) and I got zero response. My work comes from ME answering ads and then recommendations from people who already used me. I have even got some work from imamothers - and I'm sure it's because they felt they "knew" me. And my work is a cross between a service and a product. If something is just a service (coaching, psychologist, dietician, etc.) people are even less inclined to answer an ad.

One thing you can do is think who your potential clientele is and then give free speaking engagements at conferences/ gatherings where those clients are and/or writing a column in a local newspaper/ ad sheet. If I needed a particular service, I would probably seek it out from someone who I had heard speak and was impressed with (e.g. for business advice, Leah Aharoni http://loveyour.biz/ or Rabbi Issamar Ginzberg or Dov Gordon). I have never looked into business advice, but these are names I know because I have heard them speak and been impressed, and get regular professional updates from them.

slushiemom

Mon, Jul 22 2013, 7:36 am

FranticFrummie wrote:

You stop coming across as being needy, by not being needy. You talk about being scared to go big, and clients can smell that a mile away. Even if you can't afford to go big right now, you must start to THINK big, and project confidence.

Let me give you an example: I sell jewelry. My sales had been very slow, and if people asked me how things were going I would say so. One day, I decided to lie. A friend asked me how sales were, and I said "Great!" That piqued his interest, and he asked to see my inventory. He bought a very expensive set of cufflinks for himself, and some earrings for his wife. His wife loved the earrings so much that she's bought several more pairs from me over the years, as well as bringing me all of her jewelry repairs. I fix the jewelry at a nominal cost, and while she's waiting she browses around and always ends up buying something else. Whenever she needs a gift, or something custom made to match a new outfit, she comes to me first. All because I changed one tiny thing about the way I presented myself!

You mention others in your field, with less than satisfied clients. That alone isn't enough. What is it about your service that will make people want to move out of their comfort zone and switch? People who are only mildly annoyed won't always want to change providers, even if there is a slight price benefit. It has to be something DRAMATIC and very unusual to get people motivated. Everyone is ultra-conservative with their money right now, so they'll be more inclined to stick with a service that is at least a known entity, before they'll go with someone new.

Promotions are a big deal. Work your social media and make it your slave! YouTube videos where you explain your product as if you were giving a presentation can go a long way. They are very high on search engines. A blog featuring one of your services, once a week, will also drive traffic. These are time consuming, but their free.

Write press releases about your service, as if you were a hot news story. Submit them to every small paper you can, and hope that your story gets picked up by a bigger paper.

For inspiration, read this, all of it: http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com Then you'll start to see what it takes to think like a visionary!

FF, this is great! Along those lines, my dh b"H has built up a successful business. However, at the beginning when he was first starting out he would invest in things like designer watches and clothing. He always said that you can't even imagine the power of "the image of success" and he's totally right. When you look confident and successful at a meeting with clients and investors, as superficial as it may be, they take you much more seriously.

Dolly Welsh

Mon, Jul 22 2013, 9:01 am

Stop being camera shy. Make lots of videos and review them 48 hours later, erase, make another one and try to improve.

It is perfectly normal to ask clients for an endorsement. People LOVE to give their two cents. All over the internet there are comments about merchandise. If you buy online you will see.

As you don't want to take your competitors' clients, you are asking people to tackle two unknowns at once: the product, and you. I do admire your discretion in not taking others' clients.

Your ratio is a hundred to one. It is your job to try five a day for twenty days. Then do that again.

You might be nearer the middle, not the lower end, of the pricing. Perceived value, as noted above.

When you get the one client, drop everything and make them the happiest person in the world, 24 / 7. If you get more than one, each one must be the happiest person in the world.

See through the eyes of the client, not your own eyes.

tzfatisha

Mon, Jul 22 2013, 2:32 pm

I suggest doing a small business course at your local community college. they are usually one morning/afternoon or evening a week for anything from 4 weeks to 12 weeks (occasionally they run for longer)
they are a great way to network and even if you have done this type of thing before you will still learn something... even if it's just the latest stuff about tax requirements.
also check out similar courses about marketing or social media.. again a great way to network and promote your business.. plus you may meet a graphic designer who can help you create your business card...or a social media whizz who can help u do those youtube videos... Smile

hatzlacha
remember in small businesses the wisdom says that in the first year you are in the red, the second year you break even, the third year you make money - that's the format anyway.. anything better than that and u are doing good...

TwinsMommy

Mon, Jul 22 2013, 4:50 pm

3 YEARS to make a profit? geeezzzz I NEVER would have started a business if that was going to be the case for me. In my first business I invested $700 in the first month. Businesses where you need to invest $5000 + it might take some months to make a profit... but YEARS? Sure, if you're purchasing a franchise maybe.

My fourth business, I didn't invest anything at all except my time---- EVERYTHING I've made is pure profit.

I think there's a HUGE spectrum of "business". Franchises and huge conglomerates on one end, and people making barettes at home and posting on etsy on the other end. People on the smaller end are NOT going to take 3 years to see a profit. They're going to make less money than the franchise owners over the course of years, but they're going to see a steady profit much more quickly. I don't make more than $50,000 a year right now. I don't care--- I work part time from home and have 2 small kids. If I had a BIG biz, I'd make a lot more money but I'd never see my kids. I made profit in my first month thirteen years ago and never looked back.

tzfatisha

Tue, Jul 23 2013, 6:29 am

I was trying to give the OP a time scale so she could see that she is actually on track.. even tho we don't know what her business is, or how much money she has had to invest..... and also why I encouraged her to go and do a small business course at her local college..

obviously it does depend on what type of business you have and how much money you had to invest in your business before you could open it.. to give the average time you should expect to pass before you show a profit.. but those are the business guidelines.. so that people know if they are on track. yes of course you can start to make money much earlier.. especially now with the internet..

but one of the things that a lot of people don't factor in when they are starting up their own business is the value of their time.
-if for example you are a craft worker.. are you really paying yourself at least minimum wage per hour for your time?
most craft workers I know would completely price themselves out of the market if they costed the time they take to make their exquisite work into the price they sell it for...