Not getting enough clients is one of the worst feelings. Without quantifiable success, it can seem like everything that you are working on and care about is for nothing. Plus, without enough clients, there is often a sense of urgency to generate more revenue.
This can be especially frustrating when you believe that you are doing everything right. When this is the case, it is often time to look at more subtle factors that might be influencing your success.
Here are 10 lesser-known reasons that you are not getting clients that you can start to solve immediately to improve your fortunes:
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Lack of confidence.
When you are selling your services, you have to be confident. You are getting someone else to pay you money in return for a service. If they are not positive that you are going to be able to help them, then they are likely not going to make any sort of deal.
Therefore, you have to make them feel comfortable that you will add value to them. A great way to do so is by speaking confidently throughout your conversations. Even a change in voice inflection can go far or far astray.
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People are busy.
People tend to have a lot on their plate. Any time that they put towards a conversation, or even a website visit, should be highly cherished. They are going to prioritize tasks based on what they believe is the most urgent. Therefore, if they do not find paying for your services to be the most urgent task, busy people will fall out of your sales funnel.
This means that you have to catch them when you get the chance. Whether this is with a chatbot when they visit your site, or by knocking your 15-minute call out of the park, you have to take advantage of the time that you do have.
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You do not make others feel important.
Given that the client is paying for your services, he/she is the one that needs to feel special. This means making sure that their wishes are met (within reason). This also means responding in a timely manner, and makes them feel valued in other ways. Focusing on your potential clients in this way will make them feel better spending money on you.
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You are going after the wrong people.
It is critical to ensure that you have the right target audience. You could be hitting the inbox of thousands of people, but, if they are not the ones whose problem you are solving and/or they cannot make the purchasing decision, then they are often the wrong person. You are going to spend a significant amount of time crafting emails and communicating with prospective leads. That means it is illogical not to make sure you are going after the right people in the first place.
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Bad reputation.
With the recent emergence of software review sites and the growing connectivity in the world, everything that you do is more heavily scrutinized. You might feel like all is going well, but you are struggling to close deals. You should Google your company and see if there are negative reviews online. This search can serve as an instant deterrent to your company and your world.
Word of mouth can also have a negative impact. Any upset previous clients that you have had could be hurting your future prospects. That puts a large emphasis on making sure all customers are happy. When that is not the case, you should do everything that you can to fix the issue. Subsequently, there will not be people going around talking poorly about your services.
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You make small mistakes that loom large.
There are people who will instantly stop being interested in your services upon one small mistake. As unfortunate as that is, it is the reality. That means you have to be very thoughtful about all potential client interactions that you have. Being late to a meeting, having an email typo, or responding a day after you are supposed to could ruin a potential sale. Make sure to be attentive to these little details so that you are not losing clients for bad reasons.
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Your website has design issues.
Today, more than ever, there is an expectation for clean website design. You might have a great product, but pairing it with an ugly website can deter most people. People draw an association between website and product quality.
You do not need to hire designers and build a perfect site. Instead, you just need to have a site that looks clean. Plus, there are plenty of website management platforms that exist to aid you in your efforts so that you do not need to learn how to code.
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Your competition is stiff.
You might be doing things well, but, if your competition is stiff, then it can be extremely challenging to win clients. Therefore, it is important to understand the competitive landscape around your services. If there is someone (or a company) that is able to offer the same thing as you at half of the price, then it is hard to sell your product.
Look for ways that you can differentiate yourself, and do not be afraid to look at some of your competitors for motivation. You do not need to copy what they are doing to pick up some tricks that can help you stick out.
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You have a poor sales process.
When selling to businesses or working with larger contracts, the sales process is absolutely critical. You could have a great product and do a solid job getting someone in the door, but a poor sales process can kill the entire operation. You should have a well-defined, step-by-step process from someone hitting your website/inbox to them becoming a client.
Creating this process will allow you to find the areas along the way where you are lacking, and you can work to improve them. Plus, it will keep you more organized, which is especially important as you begin to grow.
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Your sales reps are not following through.
Everything could be perfect up until the point of sale. If your rep or reps are not able to close deals, then that is a real issue. Despite how charismatic someone might seem, it does not mean that they are a good salesperson.
Instead, you should be keeping diligent data on all of your reps to see how they are performing. That way, you can find the ones that need help and either better train or fire them. They are the ones actually interfacing with the clients, so, no matter how good all else is, this last step is critical.
