The #1 Reason You’re Not Booking Paying Clients (and How to Troubleshoot It)

 

You work hard, girl. I know you do. 

So let’s go ahead and appreciate that for a moment.

(We spend so much time focusing on what doesn’t get done in a day or what results we’re not getting, appreciate that you work freaking hard.)

But you’re not getting the results. 

Like for example, maybe you spend what feels like a million hours at your desk every day (in actuality it’s probably 12 hours, but that’s still a million hours too many) and you wake up the next day and still have a to-do list that’s insurmountable.

And no clients to show for it.

So then the doubt creeps in. 

Can I really make this work? Can this really work? Can I really make this work?

And the guilt. 

I’m taking too long to do this. I need to make more money. I shouldn’t be wasting mine and everyone else’s time. 

And the questions.

Um, is this a waste of my time? Cuz it’s making me feel like crap…
Can this even work? Because it doesn’t look like it.
Is everyone just faking success? Because I’m starting to think so.
Am I really cut out for this? Because maybe it’s just not for me…

Even while you feel like you’re checking off all the boxes for your creative business – or you’re freaking trying to, there are a LOT of freaking boxes, like a LOT, it seems – you aren’t getting anywhere fast. 

After working with a lot of creative entrepreneurs, I’ve noticed something.

The number one reason we don’t book paying clients is because we’re not making offers. 

You might be like, Duh, Sarah Elizabeth, I’m making freaking offers, people just aren’t taking me up on them. But before you dismiss what I’m saying, take a look at where and when you’re making offers. How many are you making? Are you doing it consistently? And are you following up? Is there a sense of desperation in them? Are you being friendly and helpful? And is what you’re offering helpful, clear, and specific?

Making consistent offers is essential. You might think if you’re not making money, you don’t have a business, and that’s true. But if you’re not making consistent offers, you won’t make money.

Therefore, if you’re not making consistent offers, you don’t have a business. 

You can busy yourself to death with website work, email newsletters, launch planning, and Pinterest, but if you don’t build yourself a strategy for making consistent offers, all that work will be in vain.

And here’s the kicker. You don’t NEED all that other work to make offers.

Which means your to-do list just got a WHOLE lot more manageable. 

Now all that stuff like website work, email newsletters, launch planning, Pinterest (and let’s be honest, there’s a freaking million things to do) are important. But they don’t need to be focused on all at the same time.

And they don’t all need to be ready, done, perfect, and in place for you to start making your business profitable.

You just need to focus on what will allow you to make offers well and consistently. And THEN you can focus on the next step.

Remember. Consistent offers = real business + paying clients. Don’t chicken out. Don’t make yourself wrong. Don’t say it’s not working. Simply keep showing up. Keep trying. You’re already working. We just gotta find a way that works.

And a final word. If you’ve been reading all this going, I’m MAKING freaking OFFERS, SARAH ELIZABETH, they’re just not WORKING, never fear. Let’s troubleshoot and make this click.

 

What to check while troubleshooting:

• Consistency: Are you posting often, consistently, and upping the ante? Hint: Consistent might not mean what you think it means.
• Confidence: Are you making offers from a confident and centered place or is desperation making you spammy?
• Positioning: Where are you making your offers? Are you getting in front of your ideal client?
• Languaging: How are you making your offers? Is your messaging on point? Clear, simple, and specific?

Things to try:

• You’re not wrong: So stop making yourself so.
• Free offers: Try making consistent free or low-end offers to build your confidence and relationships.
• Be freakin’ helpful: Focus on building relationships instead of rushing a sale. This isn’t about you. It’s about your clients.

Keep offering,

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