Get excited for double episodes this week as we’ve got a part one and part two here! If you want some simple, not too obvious ways to make money more in your business — this is your episode. I’m sharing 8 ways that you can make more money in your business as a service provider — whether you’re a designer, copywriter, podcast producer, event planner, photographer, coach, whatever you do for your service… These tips will help! A few of these ways *might* seem obvious, but I’ve tried to focus on the ones you likely aren’t thinking of. So, we aren’t talking about things like adding a new service or starting a digital shop. I’m focusing on ways you can make more money without abruptly changing your biz model, without adding products, and without reinventing the wheel.
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:
Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio
Search for episode 273 + 274!
This is a 2-part series so I highly recommend listening to both episodes! You will find the first 4 tips in episode #273 and the second 4 tips in episode #274!
Let’s dive in!
1. Reach back out to cold leads that had potential.
Maybe you had a discovery call with someone, but then they said they couldn't book because they weren't ready yet. Maybe a potential customer sent you the most excited email ever about working together, but then they ghosted. Or, maybe they inquired about something you didn't offer at the time, but you do now.
Whatever the reason, just because a lead went cold once doesn’t mean they gone are forever! I’ve always had the habit of doing this in my business, both for service work as a designer and for my template shop.
I don’t reach back out to every lead. Sometimes it’s clear that it isn’t going to work out or they aren’t interested, so you can let those go.
On the other hand, sometimes a potential client who felt really promising but didn't book with you might just need to hear from you again! People have things come up all the time that distract them from taking action! Reach back out and make it personal.
The easiest way to book more clients is to look at the pool of potential right there in front of you with people who have already shown interest.
2. Network to get referrals from both other people who do what you do and other industry peers.
Networking and friendships inside and outside of your industry are some of the most overlooked ways to book clients. The word “networking” often makes people and think of the old school exchange of business cards at some sort of corporate meeting, but in reality, networking can happen every day from your house through the internet. Effective networking can lead you to book more clients AND make more friends. It's a win on so many levels!
I have a whole module on this in my course Booked Out Designer that teaches you how to do this really well! If you want to deep dive into this, join Booked Out Designer!
Listen to the full episode to hear some great examples of how this can play out for different industries. Don’t miss this one because referrals can be a huge way to transform your business.
3. Respond faster and with a more personable approach - always!
This applies to anywhere someone reaches out to you. Systems can help with this! The main point is not to let messages hit your inbox and sit there for days with the person wondering when or if they will hear back
In the “Age of Amazon”, expectations around when things are delivered also translate over to our expectations on response times from businesses of all types. We don’t want to wait for hours to talk to a real person from Comcast and we also don’t want to wait days to hear back from a small biz owner about a brand redesign!
It is all connected.
We also are in the age of the personal brand. People are connecting with more personality-driven, mission-driven, and approachable businesses. Bigger businesses get this and they are often trying to make themselves feel more fun, more approachable, and honestly more approachable. It's smart business.
So when someone reaches out to you, let them know there is a real human behind the email and that you care. Being a small business is an advantage, and we need to USE this advantage.
4. Invest in coaching and training from someone who has already done it.
Sometimes you have to spend money to make more money, right? I’m pretty conservative when it comes to my business spending. I think about what to invest in and I have been from the beginning of my business, which is how I keep great profit margins.
BUT some of the best investments I’ve made have been in education from people who have gone before me. Not every investment I’ve made has been a win. But the ones that have been wins have actually been really big wins where I made back the money I spent and more.
There’s no reason to figure it all out alone if you don’t have to. We are blessed to live in the age of online education. So, consider courses, coaches, events, and investing in yourself and your business.
5. Update the pricing on your website.
This is the most basic and obvious tip of all of the ones shared yet not enough people do this. We often get hung up about whether or not we’re “worth” the extra money and there is a lot of fear that happens with this!
My advice? Just try it! You can always go back if you’re not getting any bites. If you raise your prices and it works then you will make more money in your business. If it doesn’t work, you can always go back!
I have a specific method for revealing pricing information I teach in Booked Out Designer that you can learn when you join! But there are several different ways to show your pricing to potential customers. Whatever your way is, change that number!
This also means that you need to be paying attention to where leads are coming from and how many you typically get to begin with so that you have something to compare to.
Read more: How to Price for Profitability as a Showit Designer
6. Track where leads are coming from - especially leads that book.
Then, do more of that. I told you I'm not teaching ways to reinvent the wheel in these two episodes, and this is a great way to not only not reinvent the wheel, but also to simplify your marketing. Just do more or what's working and stop doing what's not working.
First, you need to know where your leads are finding you. Is it Instagram? Is it a Facebook ad? Is it a referral from a specific person? Is it a Google search query? Is it from a Facebook group post? Ask the question on your contact form, "Where did you find me? Please be specific."
Then, take it one step further and actually look at the people who were really great leads and be like, okay, where did they find me? For example, maybe only two people found you on Pinterest but they were the BEST two leads you had recently.
7. Start doing more education
This could go in so many different directions: blogging on your own site, social media posting, guesting on podcasts, or anything else. Creating content that is educational puts you in the driver's seat as an expert. This will help you book more clients in your service business and ultimately make more money with more opportunities.
Let me give you a few examples:
- Being a guest on a podcast helps new people find you in a way where the host is basically saying, "look at this person and what they're doing, maybe you should work with them."
- Social media posts with the right hashtag found by someone looking to hire someone like you is a great way to get more clients that can open a lot of doors
- Having a blog post show up on Google or found on Pinterest easily can really help you book more clients.
Outside of the lead generation perks, being someone who creates educational content for your ideal client will help with easier bookings, higher price point clients, and more people knocking on your door to get your services!
Read more: 3 Real Ways to *Actually* Make Money from Your Podcast
8. Pursue working with past clients on new projects.
Who is the easiest new client to get? The one who is already your client. This is that principle we often hear shops and larger retailers talk about of “lifetime customer value”. The easiest person to book is someone who already booked previously and had a good experience.
What could you offer past customers to bring them back into the sphere of working with you?
So don’t overlook the people who have already paid you and consider that maybe they would like to pay you again for something else or even the same thing again if it is a recurring need.
If you are not sure what past clients would like from you, ask some of them!
That is it friends! I hope you have enjoyed these two episodes and have snagged some new ideas for making more money in your business without creating new offers.
If you want more help with any of these tips, want to make more money, book more ideal clients, raise your prices, learn how to create great educational content or get on a podcast… Join Booked Out Designer! There is so much amazing content inside of this course along with a supportive community that you can learn from and access to coaching! So come join us now! Have questions? Email us - hello@elizabethmccravy.com.
