How to Find New Clients – in a Non-Salesy Way!
Growing your client list can be tricky and can take a lot of time – after two years in business, I have a thriving roster of clients who I love, but it wasn’t always this way.
One thing I do know, is that pitching your business in a salesy way can easily turn potential clients away. As someone who has been pitched in uncomfortable ways in the past, I knew that I never wanted to carry those values into my own work when Lindsay Scholz Studio launched in 2017.
People can tell when you’re being genuine with the way you present yourself and your business, which is why your approach should be authentic and strategic.
Over the last month I’ve received several Instagram messages from fellow creative business owners asking how I initially connected with the clients I work this, so today I’m sharing three helpful tips for finding new clients for your business in a non-salesy, non-uncomfortable way.
Connect on Instagram first
I know I’ve said it before, but I think it’s worth reiterating – 90% of my client leads come from social media. That’s huge! Social media is where I authentically share my work and life, and I’m fortunate in that I’ve been able to cultivate a community that I love connecting with day in and day out.
Make a point to regularly share your work on Instagram (or your social platform of choice) – because no one will know what you offer unless you talk about it! It’s also important to make a point to connect with industry peers and potential clients by engaging through thoughtful comments, likes and follows on a daily or weekly basis.
Join local networking groups that make sense for your niche
As a business owner who works from home, it’s easy for me to stay hyper-focused and work from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. without any breaks (yikes!), so for me, it’s super important to get involved. Even if your intent isn't to serve local clients where you live – the majority of my clients aren’t based in St. Louis – attending in-person coffee chats and networking groups will expand your circle of potential clients. Take it from me: word-of-mouth works!
Serve others well with education and resources
This is the biggest one for me, and if there’s one point that you take away from this blog post let it be this:
I believe in adding value back into the lives of anyone who chooses to keep up with my business, whether or not we will ever work together.
Serve others well through education and resources, and they'll be that much more likely to work with you when they do need your help in the future. I pour hours into creating educational blog content, emails and Instagram freebies with the intent to help others because it’s what I love to do – and it’s also paid off in terms of attracting the right clients at the right time.
Was this blog post on finding new clients in non-salesy way helpful to you? I’d love to hear about your own experience finding clients and any challenges that you’re facing in the comments – I can’t wait to chat!