Ask any business owner if they’d like to have more high paying clients on their roster and all of them will respond with a resounding YES.
But how do we do that exactly? How can we attract high paying clients to our business?
Attracting clients with the mula all comes down to one thing: how we position ourselves.
The following 5-step formula will show you how to get all the pieces in place so you can ask for what you want to ask for in your business and also attract those clients who will be happy to pay it.
(And by the way, if because of your overarching purpose/mission, specific offering, or moral values, you aren’t interested in attracting high-paying clients, that’s ok too! It’s all about what you want. This is your business. Create it the way you want.)
Step 1: Make your process positively seamless from start to finish.
When we pay a high premium for a service, we expect things to be smooth – and I mean smooooooooth. From your first email, first phone call, and proposal delivery to your delivery, payment method, and final send-off, your client should know beyond a doubt that they’re in excellent hands and that they never have to worry about a single thing when it comes to working with you. Conversely, when any part of your process is a bit clunky or your clients are emailing you because they’re not sure what comes next in the process, they’ll be far less likely to recommend you to their friends (did you know that high paying clients hang out with other high paying clients?).
A few tips:
- Keep your first emails on the formal side and 100% professional.
- Use a call scheduler like Calendly for them to book a call with you.
- Use a proposal delivery web app like Better Proposals instead of a simple word doc. My proposal acceptance rates have gone up since I made the switch!
- Make sure your payment portal is easy and seamless. I like FreshBooks.
Step 2: Have an expensive looking website.
I’ve had multiple clients tell me they raised their rates after we worked together on their website, and it’s no surprise why. When you have a website that delivers your services and message on a silver platter, you appear to be worth a whole lot more – and you are! If you’re been DIY-ing your website and want to attract more high paying clients, investing in a professional website is a perfect place to start.
A few tips:
- Tell your web designer that you want to attract a high-end demographic (any web designer worth their mettle will ask about your audience, so if they don’t you might want to go somewhere else).
- Luxury in web design is accomplished in many ways: fonts, colors, use of negative space (clutter = bad!), elegance, and messaging.
- Don’t stop with your website: your business card and any other print materials should be designed by a professional with a high-end audience in mind.
Step 3: Believe (really believe) that you’re worth every penny.
Whether you believe whole-heartedly in manifestation or think it’s a load of hoopla, the following is definitely true: when you believe you are worth the money you’re asking for, you will come across as more sure of yourself, speak with greater confidence, and close more sales than if you’re quietly suffering from raging imposter syndrome. (For more on that, check out my post How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome). What we believe can happen often does, and what we don’t believe can happen usually doesn’t.
A few tips:
- Put up affirmations around your house like “I am amazing at what I do, and worth every penny that I’m asking for” or “I love working with clients who value my brilliance and are happy to pay me generously for it.”
- Do some soul searching about why you might not believe you’re worth what you want to be paid. Is it warranted – or all in your head?
- Make a list of reasons why you deserve to be paid well i.e. your education, years of experience, creativity, unique approach, etc. Look at it every day.
Step 4: Deliver a truly rockstar level of service.
Make no mistake: if you’re going to charge a lot for your services, you’d better be delivering a truly awesome thing. All too often new business owners decide they’re going to be a “boutique” with high prices before they’ve actually done the work of becoming a true expert in their field.
A few tips:
- Continue to learn about trends and changes in your industry so you are always on top of your game.
- Make a habit of looking for new ways that you can deliver an even higher level of service to your clients.
- Add that little extra touch in whatever ways you can think of: write happy birthday notes, send a handwritten thank you note and/or gift when you complete a project, or send holiday cards.
- Surprise your clients with little “add-on” services that they weren’t expecting to be included. Go above and beyond.
Step 5: Go where the high paying clients go.
If you wanted to find clients who are dog owners, would you go to a jewelry store? Of course not. The last piece of the puzzle is to make sure you’re gaining visibility with the markets you want.
A few tips:
- Brainstorm the Facebook groups, social groups, networking groups, conferences, or other places where your desired clients might hang out. Go there. Be there.
- Consider investing in social media or Google ads to gain visibility with high paying prospective clients.
In Closing
Attracting high paying clients is all about your mindset and how you present yourself.
Don’t wonder if you’re worth it – decide that you’re worth it. And then make sure all of your actions and decisions are in alignment with that intention. Good luck!
