The Top 16 Ways to Attract Clients

Most people know that moths are attracted to light. So it follows that if you want to attract moths, stick a big lamppost in your backyard, turn it on, and wait. Right?

Yes. Sometimes. But not if it’s winter, not if there’s a bigger lamp twenty feet away, and not if what you’re actually trying to attract is a butterfly.

Attracting clients is a similarly finicky business. There are dozens of ways to reach out to potential clients—social media, referrals, mail campaigns, speaking engagements, internet marketing, press, blogs, trade shows, strategic alliances—the list goes on. If you want clients to come, you have to know where to put your light, how bright to make it, and when to turn it on. Make sure you download our handout “The Top 16 Ways to Attract Clients” below.

The single most important thing you need to know is who you are trying to attract. Before you know that, it is impossible to know what to do to attract them.

The next question to ask is, where are they? Where will they be able to see your light? If your ideal client is a ninety-year-old, you probably don’t want to go posting advertisements all over twitter. If your ideal client is an endurance runner, it would be fantastic to get a piece in Runner’s World magazine.

And even if your ideal client sees you, you want to make sure the circumstances are ideal for them to notice you. You want them to be in a good mood; you want them to have enough time to absorb your message; and you want to outshine whatever other lights are glowing around your own.

But seeing and noticing you is still not enough for someone to work with you. In order to work with you, they have to trust you. If you are trying to attract a younger demographic, you might post an advertisement all over Facebook. They probably will see it. But will they pursue it? In a world full of advertisement, competition, and, scams, probably not.

That is why the fastest way to attract clients is always through people and relationships—word of mouth, referrals, and speaking. In these contexts, people feel that they know and can trust you.  These methods may not be the only way to attract clients, but if you are still trying to establish a dependable pipeline full of interested prospects, we seriously recommend you do NOT overlook them!

But an important thing to remember is that you can’t do everything. You only have so much light you can shine. If you spread it into twenty different bulbs, it’s going to be too weak to attract anything. You would do better to invest all your energy in two or three carefully chosen avenues of client attraction. And make sure you choose methods in which you can excel. If you are a brilliant public speaker, seek out speaking engagements. If you are a brilliant writer, consider publishing a book or pamphlet.

And finally, keep trying. If you walk outside and notice that there isn’t a single moth hovering around your bulb, ask yourself why. Make sure you are choosing the correct method of client attraction to suit your ideal clients. Don’t choose advanced client attraction methods when you are just starting out. Make sure you understand and master the method you have chosen.  And also seek out the reasons behind your successes. Client attraction is a journey, and just because there aren’t moths hovering around your latest lamppost doesn’t mean that they aren’t there.