The Invisible ‘Closed for Business’ Sign

I once worked with a business owner who, on the surface at least,
appeared to be doing ‘all the right things’. Yet he was
frustrated that his marketing efforts weren’t producing the
results that he wanted.

What was even more puzzling for my client was that the marketing
he was doing had worked previously, and generated great results.

Yet, practically overnight, it seemed, business had dried up.

Clients cancelled. His marketing didn’t make the telephone ring
that way it used to, and my friend was running round in circles
trying to figure out what to do about it.

This is a phenomenon I’ve witnessed in many of my clients over
the years. I call it the invisible ‘closed for business’ sign.

You can’t see it, but your prospective clients and customers can,
and it keeps them away. Perfecting and honing your marketing
still won’t produce the results that you want if you’ve got an
invisible ‘closed for business’ sign hanging somewhere.

So if your marketing efforts haven’t been paying off the way
that you’d like, there’s a very good chance that you, like my
client, have hung up an invisible ‘closed for business’ sign at
your front door.

It’s unlikely that you have done this consciously or
deliberately. In fact you may insist that of course you want
more clients and point out all the things you are doing to
attract them.

But if, in spite of your efforts, you aren’t getting the clients
that you want, I can guarantee that there is an invisible
‘closed for business’ sign which is keeping prospective new
clients at bay.

Now some of my clients are reluctant to hear this diagnosis and
can get quite annoyed with me when I have the nerve to suggest
that at some level they don’t want new clients and are even
actively repelling them.

They insist that they just need SOMETHING to solve all their
marketing problems once and for all. It might be a better
brochure, a google adwords campaign, a new website or some other
‘magic cure’ and everything will fall into place.

And yes, any or all of those things might help, but before
rushing into action, it’s worthwhile exploring whether a ‘closed
for business’ sign is hanging somewhere.

So why do people work so hard to attract clients on the surface,
yet secretly hang out an invisible ‘closed for business’ sign
that sabotages their efforts?

Well obviously, very few people do it consciously, and usually
we have to delve deep to explore what prompted an individual to
hang out a sign like this.

Get curious. Is it possible that YOU have a ‘closed for
business’ sign hanging that is deterring new clients and customers?

Ask yourself:

*When did I decide to hang a ‘closed for business’ sign at my
door?
*What prompted me to hang out that sign?
*What payoff am I getting from being ‘closed for business’?

Everyone’s answers are unique, but here are some of the answers
I’ve heard:

‘I was so attached to my clients results, that each new client
was like an emotional burden to me. I couldn’t take on any more.’

‘Every new client increased my paperwork, admin, and other
things I hated to do, and so I started to get a ’sinking feeling’
with each new client’

‘A previous client I worked with got disappointing results and
it caused me to doubt my abilities. It was easier to not have
clients than to have disappointed clients.’

‘I knew I was about to achieve a whole new level of success and
I didn’t think I could sustain it’

‘Actually I needed a rest, but I was driving myself too hard to
admit it’

You will see that there is often a deeper wisdom in operation
which points to changes we need to make in our businesses before
we can invite the next level of success.

Having explored the reasons behind your ‘closed for business’
sign, what changes do you need to make BEFORE you take down that
sign?

‘I need to be less attached to my clients’ results’.
‘I need to raise my fees’.
‘I need an assistant to support me with admin and invoicing’.
‘I need to get my accounts up to date’.
‘I need the confidence to say NO to clients I don’t want to work
with’.

Sometimes, just making these changes will be enough to start the
new flow of business coming again but remember to take that sign
down too!

Bernadette Doyle publishes her weekly Client Magnets newsletter
for trainers, speakers, coaches, consultants, complementary
therapists and solo professionals. If you want to get clients
calling you instead of you calling them, then sign up for her
free weekly e-zine at http://www.clientmagnets.com

December 1st, 2008