MorningRoar #15
Ever feel like you’re on a never-ending treadmill of client outreach and follow-ups? You’re hustling, hustling, and still not getting the results you want.
What if I told you that this frantic pursuit is a sign of a deeper, more fundamental mistake?
In business, chasing clients is often seen as a mark of diligence, a sign that you’re “doing what it takes” to succeed.
But let’s take a step back and reconsider this approach.
What if, instead of chasing clients, you focused on building robust systems that naturally attract them?
The Pursuit of happiness vs. the Pursuit of meaning
The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle distinguished between two types of happiness: hedonic (pleasure-based) and eudaimonic (meaning-based).
Chasing clients can be seen as a hedonic pursuit—it’s immediate, intense, but ultimately fleeting and often unsatisfying.
You’re chasing pleasure in the form of immediate wins, which, while gratifying in the short term, can lead to burnout and dissatisfaction.
On the other hand, building systems align more closely with eudaimonic happiness.
It’s about finding deeper meaning in your work, creating something that has lasting value, and contributing to a broader purpose.
Chasing clients may seem like the natural way to drive business, but it’s a short-sighted approach that often leads to burnout and inefficiency.
I would like to invite you to try the art of not chasing clients, a more Zen approach yet profound and durable.
It’s about letting go of the need for immediate results and trusting in the systems you’ve created to attract and retain clients.
By focusing on building robust systems, you’re not only reducing stress but also creating a more resilient and sustainable business model.
Enough philosophical concept, now let me show how to do it:
Start with the basics, and don’t neglect the power of it,
Develop a strong online presence, this means to create and maintain a high-quality website, start a blog, and use social media effectively. (I know you have heard that this take longtime, and some experts told you that there is a quick way to get clients, don’t fall for this, don’t listen to amateurs, avoid the “hedonic trap”)
Your online presence should be designed to showcase your expertise and attract potential clients, and it takes time to do so, but it is valuable. (It’s about being where your clients are searching for information and solutions.)
Set up automated email tools to follow up with leads. Research from Mailchimp shows that automated emails have a 70.5% higher open rate compared to manual emails.
Automation ensures you’re staying in touch without constant manual effort.
And finally set up a referral program that encourages your current clients to refer new clients to you.
Choose how referrals will be submitted. This could be through a referral form on your website, a unique referral link, or directly through email.
Ensure that the referral process is straightforward. A complicated or lengthy process can deter clients from participating.
Determine what incentives will be most appealing to your clients. Options include monetary rewards, discounts, exclusive access to services, or other valuable perks.
3.Offer free value through content
This is where 90% of businesses go wrong. They fail to identify what value mean for their clients, they post load of generic content on social media for months and there is no engagement whatsoever, don’t be like them.
Your client has pains, they have needs, they have desperation, they are living a nightmare.
The wild part is in some cases they may fail to identify the root causes, or put the exact words that define their problem.
Conduct interviews and gather feedback from your clients to pinpoint their pain points, interests, and preferences.
This direct insight allows you to create content that provides high utility—content that adds significant value and relevance to your audience’s lives.
Economists like William Stanley Jevons and Carl Menger developed a concept called “Marginal Utility Theory”, a modern perspective that defines value based on the utility or satisfaction derived from an additional unit of a good or service.
The core idea is that as we consume more of a good, the additional satisfaction (marginal utility) tends to decrease.
Let me illustrate this:
Initial Content (High Marginal Utility): Let’s say you create video tutorials on graphic design software. Your first video, “Introduction to Adobe Photoshop,” is incredibly valuable to beginners. The second video, “Basic Photo Editing Techniques,” builds on this and offers additional practical skills.
Diminishing Returns (Decreasing Marginal Utility): As you continue producing similar tutorials, like “How to Use Layers in Photoshop” or “Advanced Filter Techniques,” the additional satisfaction your viewers gain may start to wane. They might feel that these videos are increasingly repetitive or too niche.
Solution: To counteract diminishing returns, you could introduce varied content formats or topics. For instance, incorporate interviews with industry experts, user-generated content showcasing real-world applications, or comparisons of different graphic design tools. This strategy keeps your content fresh and engaging.
Many businesses that are failing at the content marketing game, fail to understand that value is directly linked to keeping the content’s marginal utility high. Mix in other types of content, such as user testimonials, behind-the-scenes looks, or industry news.
5.Create an efficient onboarding process
The better way to understand how to conduct a successful onboarding would be to shift the focus from a mere procedural step into a deeply engaging and relational experience. By valuing each client as a unique individual and fostering a genuine partnership
Martin Buber, a 20th-century Jewish philosopher, introduced the idea of I-Thou (or I-You) and I-It relationships in his seminal work, I and Thou. He meant treating people like partners, not objects. To onboard sucessfully start listening and caring about others’ feelings, instead of just thinking about what you can get from them.
In a nutshell, develop a streamlined process that makes it easy for new clients to get started with your services, yes. But instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, tailor the experience to address the unique challenges and aspirations of each client.
For example if you’re onboarding a new client for a SaaS product, go beyond generic tutorials.
Conduct an initial consultation to understand their specific use cases, and customize the training sessions and resources to address their particular needs and industry context.
Recognize that the onboarding phase can be a time of uncertainty and stress for clients, and provide support and reassurance.
If a client is struggling with the new system, empathize with their frustration rather than simply providing technical solutions. Offer additional support, such as one-on-one training or extended help sessions, to ease their transition.
Encourage their input and feedback, and make them feel like an integral part of the process.
One cool example I can give here is Expensify, known for simplifying the complex task of managing business expenses, and doesn’t just acquire customers through fancy marketing or aggressive sales tactics.
Instead, they have mastered the art of using onboarding to create a deep connection with new clients, ensuring they stick around for the long haul.
Expensify doesn’t just throw new users into a generic setup wizard. Instead, they assign a real person to each new client, even at the free trial stage.
This isn’t just a sales tactic—it’s part of their belief in making every interaction personal and meaningful.
The onboarding specialist isn’t there just to upsell but to understand your business and its specific needs.
Instead of immediately pushing users to upgrade to paid plans during onboarding, Expensify focuses on helping them get comfortable with the platform.
Putting It All Together
Instead of running around chasing clients, put your energy into creating and refining systems that work for you.
When you have a solid online presence, automated follow-ups, a referral program, valuable content, and an efficient onboarding process, clients will naturally be drawn to you.
By shifting your focus from chasing to building, you’ll not only reduce your stress but also create a more sustainable and effective client acquisition strategy.
So next time you find yourself overwhelmed with client outreach, remember: build systems that work, and let the clients come to you.