Have you ever lost a client to a competitor that is less qualified than you?
Or even worse…
Taken on a ‘crazy client’ who you knew would be a pain because it was the only work available?
Well…you’re not alone.
One of the biggest difficulties for most agencies or consultants is setting up a repeatable and predictable pipeline of ideal clients that respect your expertise and pay you what you’re worth.
The good news is there is a solution for that…
We’ve found that after working with hundreds of agencies over the past two decades (and running a few ourselves) the key to attracting, converting and retaining your ideal clients comes down to one simple question…
“Would you like some help with that?”
Now before you go to ‘X’ off this page, hold tight.
I know that sounds over simplistic but the magic is not so much in the question, as it is when you ask it.
Let me explain…
As a marketer, you know positioning is key.
If you ask this question too early, you look like you’re begging.
If you ask this question too late, you probably are already being taken advantage of.
So when is the ideal time to ask the question?
Well there’s a proven framework for that.
There are really only 4 steps to make sure you are setting yourself up for success…
If you follow this 4-step framework, or as we call it the Digital Marketing Agency Growth Formula, then your positioning will be perfect every time and you’ll be converting clients like crazy!
Let’s dive in…
Step 1: Providing Value In Advance Content
Do you want to know how to prove to someone that you can help them?
Here’s the oldest trick in the book…ACTUALLY HELP THEM!
The best way to get prospective clients to know you, like you, and trust you isn’t through slimy sales pitches or over inflated promises.
The best way to do that is through sharing highly valuable content in advance.
This content can come in any form you like: public speaking, blog posts, webinars, online videos, and everything in between.
What’s important is that it’s easily digestible, solves a specific (and relevant) problem, and changes the way your prospect sees their issue (aka an ‘A-ha’ moment.)
(BTW, if you want the One-Sentence Content Pivot Script to tag on to the end of your high value content that almost guarantees clients will raise their hand for Step 2…that is shared in ‘The Digital Marketing Agency Growth Formula‘ training here. Totally free.)
In the end, what matters is that you produce content from which your prospects will truly benefit.
Once you do, you will establish connection, credibility, and authority.
If done right, prospects will be reaching out to you about step 2…
Step 2: The Strategic Consult Session
This is a crucial step because this is where you transition from being a commodity in the marketplace to an essential strategic partner in the eyes of your prospect.
Typically this consultation lasts anywhere from 60 – 90 minutes and it’s important that it isn’t just a sales pitch in disguise.
The goal in this step is to truly align with your prospect’s goals and objectives in a way that leaves you integral to their success.
So how do you do that?
The first goal is to determine if this client is a good fit. Posture is important here.
It’s essential that during this time you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you.
But how do you do that without it feeling forced or awkward?
Simple: Engage them in the strategic planning process.
Ask questions – diagnose issues – create solutions – chart the strategy.
This is how you go from the guy or gal that knows about that “one thing” you shared in your value-in-advanced content to being seen as an overall, essential strategic partner for their business.
There’s also additional benefits…
When you engage your prospect in their own strategic planning you:
- Create buy-in so that they are more likely to include you in the execution of the plan you outlined and,
- Filter out all the ‘lookie loos’ and crazy clients with unrealistic expectations or those who don’t respect you as a professional
If they won’t engage you as a strategic partner here, that is not your ideal client and you can move on quickly knowing that it is not a good fit.
The key thing to remember in this strategic consult is…
Your job is not to wow your clients with everything you know, your job is to help them understand everything that needs to be done.
If you’ve done that properly all that is left is executing on what you’ve strategized together.
At this point, you are positioned properly to ask the one simple question proven to grow your agency…
“Would you like some help with that?”
When you follow this format your ideal clients will practically be begging to hire you.
Which is key to moving to Step 3 & Step 4.
By the way, if you want the specific structure and tools we recommend you use in this consultation, those are all laid out here in ‘The Digital Agency Growth Formula‘ Training..
Following this structure, our Agency Partners close about 25% of their consultation into 90-day paid engagements averaging $3500 in revenue which then lead to 40% of those becoming long term retainer clients.
If you’re interested in how they do that, you can check that out here.
This blog post would be a short novel if we dug deep into the following steps:
Step 3: The 90-Day Implementation Process
Step 4: Lock in the Retainer Relationship
But you can take a deep dive into those in the ‘The Digital Agency Growth Formula‘ Training mentioned above.
The takeaway for today is that creating a repeatable and predictable pipeline of ideal clients is possible and it’s as simple as positioning yourself to deliver that one powerful question…”Would you like some help with that?”
If you want to get the full playbook on the entire Digital Agency Growth Model, I have a totally free 90 minute training that takes you through all 4 steps in detail and shows you the playbook that all our certified partners use to eliminate the learning curve and build 6 & 7 figure scalable agencies relatively quickly.
As a matter of fact, in that same training, I break down the math on a $366,000 a year, part-time marketing practice that is achievable with as little as 5 clients.
So, if you want the blueprint to a proven process to building a highly successful, highly scalable agency or consultancy, jump on the next training here and I’ll see you there!
-Ryan
