How to Find More High-Paying Clients

As a business owner, you’re in control of your income. Of course, this is based on what kind of marketing you do, how you show up for your clients and how you’re handling expenses. But the great thing is that you don’t have to go to a boss for a raise or ask permission to shift gears because you’re seeing your industry trending elsewhere.

In small business, you can make quick shifts and you can usually execute them successfully because you are the decision-maker and the CEO.

The key is successful shifts. One of the challenges I hear from a lot of service-based business owners who want to increase their income is that they want to bring on more high-paying clients. Either they’re ready to scale or they want to work with a different group of clients in an effort to make more money.

It’s not about the perfect proposal or the winning sales call. Instead, it’s about the little things you do every day that will help you score those high-paying clients. But it takes work and consistency.

I have a downloadable guide that you can keep at your desk to remind you of what actions you can take to secure higher-paying clients. Or, read on!

Show Off Your Knowledge

High-paying clients won’t know what you have to offer unless you talk about it and make it visible. If they’re going to pay big bucks, they want to know that you’re an expert in your field and that you can give them the results they want. Talking about your offers on social media, in collaborative groups and when networking isn’t boastful; it’s good practice, if done in a way that’s supportive of other business owners.

There are other ways to share your knowledge that allow you to be of service to others. That’s the key to getting others’ attention.

• Speak at events--whether it’s a big stage, an intimate gathering or a virtual event. Any time you get up in front of an audience, you elevate your status as a thought leader and expert in your industry.
• Talk yourself up on your website, social media and anywhere you’re visible to your audience.

“Speak” to the Right People

I’m not talking about having real-time conversations here, but rather the content you put out. If yours is like most businesses, you have more than one ideal client you work with. Instead of trying to talk to them all, talk to the highest common denominator--the highest-level audience members. You’ll attract more of the right people and you’ll give your other audience members something to aspire to.

The thing is though, you’re going to have to do some work to make sure you’re talking to the right people. Don’t publish content just for the sake of publishing it; do your homework ahead of time.

• Know what your ideal clients are listening to, reading and watching--and where. This is key to identifying what content you need to put out there. Not sure? Ask them!
• Create high-quality content consistently in your business and share it right where your audience is every day. The focus should be on consistency and quality.

Network...Network...Network

You are a product of the people you surround yourself with. When you’re the highest-level business owner in the room, you’re not going to attract the right clients to you. But when you put yourself in front of people who are a step (or two or three) ahead of you in business, not only do you learn from them, they can learn from you too. And that’s going to get you noticed.

It’s hard to put yourself out there, especially if you’re perfectly happy being behind the scenes. But it’s a necessary part of business growth. Some easy ways to get started include:

• Join groups (both paid and unpaid) where your ideal client is hanging out. To find out what these groups are, follow people online that you want to work with and pay attention. Ask them. And do some group stalking to see if you can find out the caliber of people in a variety of groups.
• Have virtual coffee dates with people who hang out with your ideal client and get to know others in your industry who are further along in business than you. You’ll be surprised how many people will jump at the chance for a little virtual networking.

Offer the Right Services

Do you know what pain point you’re solving for your clients? Every service you offer needs to deliver a solution. Take something off their plate, give them a sigh of relief, finish something they need. It needs to be the right solution at the right time.

Take your skills and package them into a unique offer that solves a problem, then market that solution to your audience. Here’s how to get your message out there:

• Make sure your offer makes sense for who you’re talking to. Top-tier clients are looking for all-in-one solutions, rather than piece mealed projects done by multiple people. The more you can simplify their business life, the better.
• Don’t price your offers based on what you think someone will pay; price offers based on what you need to take home. Then make sure you include the value needed for that price point.

Have Tools in Your Toolbox

The tools you have in your business are one of your biggest assets. I’m not talking about your scheduler or your project management system; I’m talking about the tools in your noggin. No one else has the same skillset, the same processes, or the same personality as you. Use all of these to your advantage!

And a quick note about this: You aren’t less-than. You are uniquely you, and that’s what makes you so awesome. Do your best to let go of the mindset that you’re not ready or good enough for this. Sister, you are!

• If managing projects and balancing spinning plates is in your blood, you have special skills that CEOs don’t have. That positions you to help them take care of the back-end of their business like no one else. Make sure that everyone knows this--in your story, your marketing, your website and in conversations.
• If you have a process you take clients through or a system that you’ve developed to ensure your clients’ success, give it a name and start talking about it. This is a tool that no one else has and it makes you more marketable to those high-tier clients.

Get Feedback and Showcase It

Potential clients want to know what it’s like to work with you, and you can demonstrate that with social proof: testimonials. Testimonials are in your clients’ own words and they’ll likely find value in and include information about benefits of your services that you may not even think of yourself. Once you’ve gathered the testimonials, share them widely across your social media platforms and on your sales pages.

First, you need a way to collect them. Keep notes on each client--what services they’ve taken advantage of and what feedback they give you verbally. You’ll want to have this information handy when you make your ask.

• Create a workflow that asks clients for testimonials after you work with them for a few months. One of the best ways to ensure they respond is to give them some of the language they’ve used during your calls so they can simply cut and paste.
• Make sure you have testimonials in a variety of places--Google, if you’re a local business; LinkedIn, if that’s where your audience hangs out or searches for you; your website.

Grow as a Thought Leader

No matter what industry you’re in, I guarantee it’s shifting rapidly. It’s so important to stay up on the latest trends and tools so you can offer high-end services to your clients. Thankfully, we live and work in a time where there are so many options out there so you can do just that--right from your couch (or not, if in-person is more your style).

The trick here is to find the right resources for where you are in business now and where you want to go.

• Identify your goals and what you need to know and be able to do to get there. Then seek out the people who offer the training that will teach that to you. Be aware of your own learning style so you can find programs and resources that work for you.
• Remember that no one expects you to be an expert in all areas of your industry. Sometimes, being a thought leader means that you defer to another expert for help. Then you can do your own best work.

What else can you do to attract the highest-tier clients possible and grow your business? I’m so glad you asked. Grab my downloadable guide for 10 key things you can do!