The Ultimate Guide to Client Acquisition: A 6-Step Framework to Sign $10,000+/mo Clients
In today’s competitive business environment, acquiring new clients is a crucial aspect of sustaining and growing your business. This guide will walk you through a proven 6-step framework to sign clients worth $10,000 or more per month.
Step 1: Collect Deep Case Studies or Conduct In-depth Research
The first step in our client acquisition strategy is to gather deep case studies or conduct in-depth research. This involves having detailed conversations with your clients or prospects, preferably face-to-face or via Zoom.
- Ask deep questions: Start by asking your clients or prospects about their journey with you. This could include questions about why they chose to work with you, what their expectations were, and how those expectations have been met.
- Understand their fears and goals: Next, delve into their fears and long-term goals. This could involve asking about their concerns during the sales process, their future aspirations, and how they envision your role in helping them achieve those goals.
- Record the process: Use a recording device or software to document these conversations. This not only provides a reference for future discussions but also serves as a powerful testimonial for potential clients.
- Interview prospects: If you’re just starting out and don’t have any clients yet, set up interviews with potential clients. Position these interviews as a research project or a report, which can help you gain valuable insights into your target market.
- Remember, the more you understand your market, the more likely you are to win. If you don’t have any clients yet, set up interviews with prospects you want to target and position it as a research project or a report.
Step 2: Build an Offer Based on Insights from Case Studies and/or Interviews
The next step is to build an offer based on the insights you’ve gathered from your case studies or interviews.
- Define your customer avatar: Identify the characteristics of your ideal client. This could include their industry, size, location, and specific needs or pain points.
- Identify the problem you are solving: Clearly define the problem that your service or product solves. This should be a significant issue that your ideal client faces, and your solution should offer a clear and compelling benefit.
- Develop a unique mechanism: Create a unique method or model for delivering your solution. This could be a proprietary process, a unique combination of services, or a novel approach to solving the client’s problem.
- Value Stack your offer: Clearly outline all the components of your offer and the value each component provides. This could include the core product or service, any additional services, customer support, and any bonuses or extras.
- Remember, 50% of building an excellent offer is choosing who it’s for. Generalized offers don’t work.
Step 3: Build Your Dream 100 Client Database
The third step in this client acquisition process is to build your Dream 100 Client Database.
- Identify your top clients: Based on your customer avatar and the insights from your case studies or interviews, identify the top 100 clients that you would like to work with.
- Learn about them in detail: Conduct research to learn as much as you can about each of these potential clients. This could include their business model, products or services, target market, and key decision-makers.
Understanding deeply who you want to work with can significantly increase your chances of success.
Step 4: Reach Out to Your Prospects
Now that you have your Dream 100 Client Database, it’s time to reach out to these prospects.
- Use personalized outreach methods: Develop a personalized outreach strategy for each prospect. This could involve creating a custom video message, writing a personalized email, or inviting them to be a guest on your podcast.
- Customize your outreach: Ensure that each outreach message is tailored to the specific prospect. Highlight how your offer can solve their unique problems and help them achieve their specific goals.
Remember, if one client can make you $100,000+, it makes sense to go with this customized!
Step 5: Conduct a Deep Discovery Session
The fifth step is to conduct a deep discovery session with your prospects.
- Find out if they’re a good fit: During the discovery session, your goal is to determine whether the prospect is a good fit for your services. Ask questions to understand their current situation, their desired outcome, and any obstacles they may be facing.
- Explain how you can help: Based on the information gathered during the discovery session, explain how your services can help the prospect achieve their desired outcome.
- Share the next steps: If the prospect seems like a good fit, ask for permission to share the next steps. This could include outlining a proposal, scheduling a follow-up meeting, or providing additional information about your services.
The goal is to move the conversation to the next stage, so don’t leave the call without booking the next meeting!
Step 6: Create & Present a Customized Plan
The final step is to create and present a customized plan to your prospect.
- Create a personalized growth plan: Based on the insights from the discovery session, create a personalized growth plan for the prospect. This plan should outline the steps you will take to help them achieve their goals, and how each step contributes to their overall success.
- Make a realistic projection: Use the information you’ve gathered to make a realistic projection of the results your prospect can expect. Be sure to base this projection on concrete data and explain how you arrived at these figures.
- Present two pricing options: Give your prospect a choice between two pricing options. This could be a higher-priced option with more services or a lower-priced option with fewer services. Be sure to clearly explain what each option includes and why it’s priced as it is.
- Add a realistic guarantee: Finally, add a guarantee to your offer. This shows your confidence in your services and gives your prospect peace of mind. Make sure your guarantee is realistic and achievable, and clearly explain the terms and conditions.
This step is crucial as it shows your prospect that you understand their needs and have a clear plan to help them achieve their goals.
Collecting Deep Case Studies or Conducting In-depth Research
The first step in our client acquisition strategy is to gather deep case studies or conduct in-depth research. This involves having detailed conversations with your clients or prospects, preferably face-to-face or via Zoom.
- Ask deep questions: Ask about their journey with you, from the start to the present. Understand their fears, thoughts during the sales process, and their long-term goals. The more you understand your clients, the better you can serve them.
- Record the process: This can serve as a mini sales letter, providing valuable insights to potential clients. It’s a great way to showcase your expertise and the value you can bring to their business.
- Interview prospects: If you don’t have any clients yet, set up interviews with prospects you want to target. Position it as a research project or a report. This can help you understand their needs and expectations, and how you can meet them.
Building an Offer Based on Insights from Case Studies and/or Interviews
The next step is to build an offer based on the insights you’ve gathered from your case studies or interviews.
- Define your customer avatar: Don’t be afraid to niche down. The more specific you are about who your ideal client is, the easier it will be to tailor your services to their needs.
- Identify the problem you are solving: What is the one big problem your clients have that you can solve? This is the core of your offer.
- Develop a unique mechanism: This could be a new model or method that sets you apart from your competitors. It’s how you deliver your solution to the problem you’ve identified.
- Value Stack your offer: This means clearly outlining everything you’re going to deliver to your clients. This helps your client see the value you’re providing and understand exactly what they’re getting.
Building Your Dream 100 Client Database
The third step in this client acquisition process is to build your Dream 100 Client Database.
- Identify your top clients: These are the clients that are similar to the case studies you’ve gained. They’re the ones you know you can help and who will benefit the most from your services.
- Learn about them in detail: This includes their nuances, key decision-makers, and other relevant information. The more you know about your clients, the better you can tailor your services to their needs.
Reaching Out to Your Prospects
Now that you have your Dream 100 Client Database, it’s time to reach out to these prospects.
- Use personalized outreach methods: This could be through Loom videos, emails, or podcast invitations. The key is to make your outreach as personalized as possible to show your prospects that you’ve done your research and understand their needs.
- Customize your outreach: Make sure your outreach is customized to each prospect. This shows them that you’ve taken the time to understand their business and their needs, which can significantly increase your chances of success.
Conducting a Deep Discovery Session
The fifth step is to conduct a deep discovery session with your prospects.
- Find out if they’re a good fit: The aim of this call is to find out if they’re a good fit for your services. This means understanding their current state, desired state, and potential obstacles.
- Explain how you can help: Once you understand their needs, you can explain how your services can help them achieve their goals.
- Share the next steps: Ask for permission to share the next steps and book the next meeting. This keeps the conversation moving forward and showsyour prospect that you’re serious about helping them.
Creating & Presenting a Customized Plan
The final step is to create and present a customized plan to your prospect.
- Create a personalized growth plan: Use the information from the discovery session to create a personalized growth plan. This plan should outline exactly how you will help your prospect achieve their goals.
- Make a realistic projection: Show your prospect how much money they can make using your methodology. This gives them a clear idea of the return on investment they can expect.
- Present two pricing options: Give your prospect a choice between two pricing options. This allows them to choose the one that best fits their budget and needs.
- Add a realistic guarantee: This shows your prospect that you’re confident in your services and willing to stand behind your work.
By following this 6-step framework, you can transition your business into a profitable Growth Partner business with real enterprise value, inside a specific niche, where you can be a 1 of 1! If you need help, consider booking a call with an experienced team for assistance.
Remember, acquiring new clients is a crucial aspect of sustaining and growing your business. With this guide, you now have a proven framework to sign clients worth $10,000 or more per month. Now, it’s time to take action and start implementing these steps in your business. Good luck!