How do I get more clients?

Organized and Energized! The Podcast: a lightbox reading Podcast, white headphones and the show logo on a desk

Podcast topic

Getting more clients starts with a clear message about the one problem you solve for one kind of customer, not with more marketing channels.

Which episodes answer “How do I get more clients?”?

TL;DR

Getting more clients starts with a clear message about the one problem you solve for one kind of customer, not with more marketing channels.

The guests in this collection are brand strategists and business coaches who have rebuilt their own businesses, and they agree on the order: focus first, message second, visibility third.

Sue Kirchner explains why your brand lives in your customers' minds rather than in your tagline, and Yvonne McCoy shows how to fix a business that has become a junk drawer of old offers.

Kathi Burns hosts Organized and Energized! The Podcast and runs the Business Logjam Session for owners who are stuck. These episodes are the conversations about clients: how to stand out, how to stop chasing every trend, and how to turn what you already do well into the thing people hire you for. Every episode page has a TL;DR, question-led show notes, a full transcript and a checklist.

Why am I not getting more clients even though I work hard?

Usually because the message is about you rather than about the customer. Sue Kirchner learned this when an investor turned down her first pitch: she had talked about what she wanted, not what he or her clients needed. She rewrote the plan around them and he said yes. The same shift works for a website, a talk or a sales call.

How do I pick what to focus on when I offer too many things?

Pick the thing clients already come to you for and that comes easiest to you, then build the business around it. Yvonne McCoy calls the alternative a junk drawer business, a pile of old systems and products with no through-line. She also warns that you cannot see your own strengths from inside the business, which is why both she and Kathi recommend an outside eye.

Is branding worth it for a small business?

Yes, if you treat it as a decision-making tool rather than a logo. Sue Kirchner says branding keeps a small business focused and tells it how to talk to each audience that matters. Her free ten-question workbook is a way to start without a budget, and Kathi's customer follow-up article covers what happens after the client says yes.

Which articles go deeper on this?

Frequently asked questions

How do brands differentiate themselves from their competitors?

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By finding out what customers actually value and saying that, consistently. Sue Kirchner interviews a company's top customers about why they stay loyal; nine times out of ten the answer is not what the founder expected, and that answer becomes the message.

What is the difference between a personal brand and a business brand?

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A personal brand is built on the founder; a business brand can run and be sold without the founder. Sue Kirchner says that if you ever want to sell, the brand has to move from you to the organization, or you will get a lower price and have to stay on for years.

How do I focus on my business when everything feels urgent?

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Yvonne McCoy suggests coaching yourself the way you would coach a client: name your north star, pick the offer that comes easiest to you and that clients want, and show up in the same place on a schedule you can keep, whether that is once a month or twice a week.

How can I find my niche for my business?

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Look at the work clients already come to you for and the results they talk about. Yvonne McCoy says what comes easiest to you is often what clients want most, and that you usually need someone outside the business to point it out.

Is branding only for big companies?

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No. Sue Kirchner works with businesses between one and fifteen million dollars in revenue and calls branding a strategic decision-making tool that keeps a small company focused. Her free workbook is built for owners with no marketing department.

Who are the guests in this collection?

  • Sue Kirchner, brand strategist, founder of BrandStrong Marketing and host of the Turbo Branding Show
  • Yvonne McCoy, business strategist, MBA, and creator of the Be Found framework
  • Louise McDonnell, marketing strategist and founder of the AI-powered marketing platform Sell on Social
  • Janelle Anderson, coach for coaches, virtual events specialist and creator of the CLIENTS Framework for workshops
  • Allan Ngo, founder of Digital Solopreneur, helping coaches and educators run one-person businesses
  • Shonna Jordan, marketer, owner of Jordan & Jordan Marketing and owner of the Good Ol' Gals women's networking group
  • Ellen Finkelstein, messaging and email marketing coach, PowerPoint trainer and author of technical books on AutoCAD and PowerPoint
  • Christine Campbell Rapin, business advisor and mentor, founder and CEO of CLEAR Acceleration Inc.
  • Cat Griffin, social media and sales strategy teacher and organizer of collaboration bundles and summits
  • Borja Cuan, co-founder of the performance advertising agency Four15 Digital
  • CJ Gilbert, website designer, founder of Jungle Studios and host of Ask a Web Geek
  • David Riklan, founder of SelfGrowth.com and co-founder of the Joint Venture Directory
  • Nicki Chang-Powless, client attraction specialist and founder of NCP Consulting Services
  • Michael Neeley, podcast coach, business strategist and creator of the Infinite List community
  • Orsi Veres, founder of Design You Need, helping women business owners with branding, websites and course launches
  • Lynn Whitbeck, sales consultant and founder and CEO of Strategic Sales Queen (formerly Petite2Queen)
  • Rob Burns, documentary filmmaker and storyteller at Treehouse Studios
  • Charmaine Hammond, sponsorship expert, co-founder of Raise a Dream and founder of Hammond International
  • Holly Jean Jackson, revenue and performance consultant, author, TEDx speaker and founder of Changemaker Impact Co.
  • Cindy J Holbrook, the Visibility Wiz, online business strategist for coaches, speakers and authors
  • Sarah Noel Block, relationship-led growth strategist and founder of Tiny Marketing
  • Peter Sandeen, marketing messaging consultant, known as the marketers' marketer
  • Dannella Burnett, event producer, owner of Encore Elite Events and Speakers Need to Speak
  • Susan Friesen, brand strategist and founder of eVision Media
  • Theresa Ashby, advisor, speaker and author known as The Business Oracle; co-founder of Kaleidoscope Media Services
  • Kristen Robinson, lead generation specialist of Explode Your Audience
  • Patrick Henseler, co-founder of Connect365, a sales outreach software company
  • Ana Patricia Bourgeois, intuitive business coach for women entrepreneurs and host of The Powerful Female Leaders Podcast
  • John Vuong, owner and founder of Local SEO Search, a boutique SEO agency in Toronto
  • Ina Coveney, business coach for online coaches and host of The Global Phenomenon podcast
  • Jennifer Urezzio, founder of Soul Language, a system of 107 core energies of the soul
  • Michael Whitehouse, networking concierge known as The Guy Who Knows a Guy, author and podcast host
  • Jenn Neal, marketer and founder of Formula Done
  • Britney Gardner, brand strategist, creator of the Be Seen method and host of The Know Like & Trust Show

What other questions does the show answer?

Every episode on the show is on the podcast archive; every guest is in the guest directory. If your business needs more than a podcast, book a Business Logjam Session with Kathi.

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