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Stay tuned, because by the end of this episode, you're going to figure out how to get clients, even when the economy is bad, the difference between a want and a need, and how to use that in your business, and also why you need to have the right mindset when the economy isn't looking great.
Hello, everyone, welcome back to the show. This is such a hot topic, and I'm excited to talk about this. So this, kind of generated from a conversation on LinkedIn about the economy and how it's bad, and We talked about, how do you get clients when the economy is bad? And before I even jump into my three thoughts on this, I do want to point out that I think a lot comes from mindset. If you're gonna tell yourself that the economy is bad, and that you can't get any clients, there's no money out there, then that is going to be your reality. This kind of comes back to manifestation as well, and I don't want that to be your reality, because there's always money. And that's really actually my first thought, so I'm kind of just gonna jump into it.
There's always money out there, right? Even despite what everyone is saying, there is money, and how do you get to it, right? You just have to make sure you're going after clients that have it. I remember the last time the economy wasn't doing so well, one of my clients actually excelled in the food and beverage industry. Like, did really well, was nailing it. In the food and beverage industry, because people were starting to order more, like, you know, through DoorDash, Grubhub, all those kind of apps, and just killed it. So it's like, the money is there, and people have it. So this requires you actually doing some research. This requires you thinking to yourself, okay, do I need to subcontract maybe my services with an agency or something like that, who are more confident in what they're doing, right? Does this mean that do some research and say, like, look at the stock market. Who's actually doing well? And not just the big ones, because then you're saying, okay, if the big companies are doing well, what about the smaller companies where I could pitch my services? What does that look like? And I want you to be going out there, use AI to go through, like, okay. this kind of client seems like they have money right now. What are other kinds of, you know, pros… potential clients or businesses that are similar in size and revenue and what they're making that might actually need freelance help in this area? AI is really, really good for that. Of course, I can't guarantee that they're gonna be like, here are the ones that you're gonna get… you're gonna get a job, because a lot comes down to, like, your pitching and whatnot. But there is money out there, so I want you to be pitching, I want you to be going out there, researching and taking it into your own hands, alright? So I just had a student recently who, amazingly. did what I just suggested, which was, hey, go and look for other companies that are similar to this company that's not getting back to you, because he had a big big deal on the line. He had… he was gonna get a lot of money, it was gonna allow him to quit his full-time job, and he was so excited, but the woman was not getting back to him. I said, use AI, find similar businesses, right? He went out there, and he found a similar business. he pitched them, but what he did was he got really smart about it, and he pitched them a potential article that they could use in their business in the future that would help generate SEO, and help, like, eyes get on their business. And that was so key. And then they responded, and they said they were interested, and then it went from there, okay? And it was a success story. So that's, like, really, really exciting. And that's an example of, like, there is money out there. You have to do the research, and you have to find it. But I promise you, money just flows from one pocket to another. So get out of that mindset that it doesn't exist, okay? Because it is there.
My second hack and secret I want you to think about is it's harder to sell a want than a need in a bad economy. So when people want something, they're going to tighten their purse strings, because they're gonna say, but I don't actually need that right now, right? Like, that's something I can get later on, that's something I can get when I have more money, or I have a job, or whatever it is. You know, you've probably been through this as well, when you're not making as much, you're like, oh, I would love to have that, but I just, realistically, that's not smart for me to spend money on. So if you're targeting something that's more of a want. you need to transfer it and transition it into a need. Like, why does this client need it? If you need to completely pivot your business, that would also be smart, right? Because you need to show them that this is something that it… they need to have it right now. If they don't have it, their life will be miserable. They might lose money, they might lose time, because they're not getting what they need. You need to shift your marketing away from, like, this is a nice-to-have to have this freelancer, or it would be nice to have this freelancer, but I can just use AI. No. It has to be a need. Like, you need to show them what's happening if they don't work with you, okay?
Finally, and this kind of comes back to point number two, is it's better to be known for one thing. And that one thing that you're selling, or your services. that you have that are super specific, and you're focusing on that, that will become a need for someone, even in a bad economy, right? And when you focus on that one service, that will make it easier to sell, even when the economy is hard. I hope you understand the difference, right, between being known for one thing, being known for many things. And, like, okay, so example from my past, when I first started out, I was known for many things, because I was like, I will take any and every client, right? So I had, like, social media marketing, copywriting, newsletter management, general VA service, customer service, executive assistant, whatever. as I niched down and I got known for one thing, which was people who needed a corporate-level executive assistant to help them with their meetings and their travel and be proactive and stay on top. They needed that person with that background in corporate, because they needed someone who's fast-paced as well, who knew how to deal with multiple teams and multiple priorities. That became a lot easier to sell, and I became known for that one thing. Now, my website never got updated. So I would have these prospects reach out to me, looking for something that was just completely not what I offered. And they would lowball me pricing, right? They'd be like, well, I can only spend, like, $200 a month. I'm like, wait, what? No, honey, that's not me. I am not $200 a month. Excuse me, no. And I found out and figured out, like, oh god, these people that are coming from my webpages, because I had, through enough clicks, these lists of services that were not my main services, but they were still there and still available from when I had my agency, when I was starting out. And I was like, oh god. No, no, no, no, no. And because of that. I kept getting these horrible offers and potential clients that weren't good for me. But when I removed all that, and I became known for that one thing, it was a lot easier to sell and a lot easier to get clients who knew exactly what they wanted, and they were willing to pay the money because of me, right?
To recap: There's always money out there, so please don't get in the mindset that there's nothing out there, and you're not going to be able to do anything about it, and you're not going to get clients, because if you keep repeating that to yourself, it will become real. Use AI, do your research. If you have to subcontract, that's fine. Get out there, there is money for you. Two, stop selling a want. Stop selling a nice-to-have. You need to be selling a need, something that the clients feel like, oh my gosh, this will help me expand my business in ways I never thought possible, right? And number three. Be known for that one thing. Be known for that one thing, so then the clients are coming to you for that one thing, and you're able to charge a lot of money for it.
Stay tuned for the tip of the Week coming up on this Thursday. It's bite-sized lessons, as you know, and you're going to be… we're going to be talking about building relationships, and how that helps you get clients faster than not building relationships. It's a really important one to listen to, okay? Next week, the lesson is going to be super tactical. You know, and I like getting into these tactical how-to lessons, this is going to be how to turn one idea into multiple Pieces of content. And that's gonna help you drastically within marketing and putting yourself out there. I'm Kiri Mohan, I'm the founder of Flourishing Freelancer, and I want to talk to you about your freelance business, truly, and honestly, I do. You can find a link in the show notes for a free call for us to chat. Until next time, keep flourishing.
