What is Mindful Client Acquisition?

When a professional goes freelance, starts up a consultant firm, or otherwise goes into business for himself, many succumb to hunger. They hunger for clients–any clients–to generate income that will sustain this adventurous and exciting new career. That mindless hunger often results in mindless marketing that leads to undercutting the competition, devaluing the service or product, and otherwise acquiring a reputation for taking on low-bidding clients with demanding and unreasonable expectations.

You really don’t want that, do you?

Mindful client acquisition boils down to developing a robust process and sticking to it, no matter how empty your workload and how hungry your ambition. Some points in the process are step-by-step practical, others need adjusting periodically. Let’s begin with the more subjective items.

1. Uphold the value of what you do. You know the value you bring to your customers. If you don’t, then ask yourself why customers should choose you over your competitors. What benefits do you provide that they don’t? Don’t train customers to expect the value you offer at prices that invite bankruptcy.
2. Know your customers’ buying cycle. This means first knowing your ideal customer and knowing when in the cycle of that customer’s business your services will be needed. Then finesse the timing.
3. Build your brand. Your brand is the combination of your image and reputation as a professional. Think of it as a stereotype. Your brand informs potential customers with a preliminary understanding. This exercise often proves difficult and may benefit from the helpful guidance of a marketing expert.

The expectation that your business must be everywhere and present on every social media channel not only overwhelms most businesspersons, but simply rings false. Mindfulness means awareness and confers the concept of intentionality. This is targeted marketing with a purpose, not scattershot marketing. Thorin McGee discusses the juxtaposition of mindfulness with marketing in his article, “Can Mindfulness Save Marketing?”

A rule of mindful marketing, don’t spend effort attracting business where your clients don’t congregate. Sure, you might hook the occasional client from a platform where a tiny percentage of your ideal customers participate, but the principle of diminishing returns makes that a losing proposition overall.

Finding the best clients requires intention and going beyond the impersonal barrier of social media, as attested in Annette Bau’s article “7 Lead Generation and Client Acquisition Strategies.” This involves the personal touch, building rapport. You can do this by establishing yourself as an authority in your field, hosting workshops and networking with attendees, and interpersonal interaction through conversation. Business doesn’t necessarily come quickly, but the rewards will validate the deliberate approach.

Let Jayne Heggen apply the experience of a 20-year career in helping clients reinvigorate their companies through sustainable, feasible, process-based innovation to improving your business. Contact her at jheggen@heggengroup.com to discuss how to organize your business for best performance without sacrificing efficiency, staff morale, or customer service.