As an entrepreneur. finding and attracting clients is typically on the daily to-do list. As a small business owner and part of your marketing, you’ve been told to perfect your pitch so when you’re networking, or presented with an opportunity to talk about your business, you’ll be ready.
The problem is most entrepreneurs who are new in this arena don’t know that jumping in and pitching all the things you can do is often a turn-off.
Stop perfecting your pitch. It’s not going to help you find clients.
Your solution to a problem, in the eyes of your potential customer, should be relatable but it should NOT be a pitch. But wait, you may say, if I don’t pitch potential clients then how do I communicate my solution with them?
Hang tight, I’ll get there, but let me tell you first why pitching is the pits.
Pitching as a sales tactic.
If you’re like me, you hate sleazy sales tactics. It feels icky when someone tries to manipulate you. You know what I mean – those marketing ads that pop up in your social media promising you 10x the profits or 10x the leads without even knowing you, or what phase your business is in – ARGH! Ten times what? They are guessing what that client even has and can make you believe they are going to deliver it. YUCK!
Or, what about the business that trashes their competition? Please. Save it for the soap opera network.
Can we all agree on this? No more pitching, trash-talking, and that over-the-top selling nonsense. It doesn’t make us feel good and it doesn’t make the client feel good.
Build a business that will grow and sustain itself.
I have seen salespeople come onto the scene, in my corporate world, and blow the “sales” roof off of quotas and turn heads. We call them supernovas. They start with a bang with lots of flashing lights but then they fizzle out. Why? Clients soon figure out how manipulative they are in getting “the sale”. The sales reps that sustained high growth revenues, for the most part, cared about their clients and were clear on how they could help them.
I see this happening with marketers too.
I’ve been in this industry for a long time.
Growing a business is not about a few flashy sales. It’s not about dancing on TikTok. It’s about creating sales consistently and doing it correctly. It’s when you not only attract new clients, but also keep them coming back because your customer service is great, what you deliver works, and the experience is a positive one.
And, as a service-based business, this demonstrates your clients have been able to accomplish what you promised. That drives referrals!
After learning this long ago, and then having it reinforced at a few great companies I worked for, I make an effort every day to be true to myself, stick to what I know, and hold tight to my values.
Because, my friends, I am in this for the long game.
With that focus, I’ve found a way to attract the clients I want with nary a pitch in sight. And, along the way, I’ve learned that I love helping female-led businesses, and entrepreneurs like you, do the same thing. Helping you build a sales plan that acts as fuel to your overall marketing, and, the most important part, putting the pieces together to execute it.
The problem you solve becomes your marketing message.
So back to that first question, I asked. If pitching doesn’t work, then how do I communicate my solution to potential clients? The answer, my friend, lies in your story.
When you can clearly state the problem you solve for your clients you don’t need to pitch. Your clients simply want to know how you help people. There are not looking for a bullet point list.
Being confused about something is a vulnerable state. People move away from situations in which they are confused. Don’t move your potential client into a fog. (Donald Miller, Marketing Made Simple)
A Framework to ditch that pitch and create content to attract your ideal client instead.
After 20+ years in the sales and marketing arena, I created a framework that helps you stop pitching in front of your prospects and at networking events. In 2020 I created a masterclass – processes that position you so your ideal client sees YOU as the solution they are looking for. From there, it has merged into the VIP Sales Strategy Membership my participants create a Solution Story for their business instead of a pitch. This framework helped them ditch that nasty, boring, zero-impact pitch for a story that connects. They finally got to attract the quality clients that light them up.
Creating a story of what you solve isn’t a new idea. Case studies are stories. They’ve been in university textbooks since … well … over a century I suspect. Your own experiences with your clients are stories.
The experiences your clients have with YOU are stories. (Often known as testimonials)
There is a story behind your business, products, and services, and offers that people need to hear. When they know it they will then see YOU as their solution.
Uncovering the shiny gems in your story is the heart of your business.
And that, my friends, is one of the tools you walk away with after going through my SSM program.
Creating a Sales Process that Plugs in Your Marketing is Your Missing Link to Success
I launched this framework first in November 2020 at a Solopreneur Conference.
In 2023 I merged the masterclass into my Sales Strategy membership. My clients love the material and the personalized support.
If you’re tired of trying to figure out your the best way to attract clients with your marketing, and you’re not big on bro marketing and pushy manipulative tactics, this might be exactly what you’re looking for.
You do need to apply.
