MorningRoar #17
Here’s a tough pill to swallow: if you’re counting on hope to grow your client base, you’re already behind the competition. Hope might feel good in the short term, but in the world of business, systems always beat hope. Every. Single. Time.
Let’s break it down. Most of us have been there, refreshing our inbox, hoping the next email is a new client, or thinking, “Maybe if I just keep putting myself out there, clients will find me.” Guess what? They probably won’t—unless you have a system in place to make it happen.
Hope, by its very nature, is passive. It’s rooted in the potential for something to happen without any guarantees or clear path. In philosophy, hope is tied to existentialism—full of uncertainty, possibility, and often tied to factors beyond our control. It’s like waiting for a cosmic alignment, a stroke of luck, or the right connection.
Now, let’s talk about systems. From a philosophical perspective, systems are tied to determinism—the idea that every effect has a cause. When you have a system in place, you’re controlling the variables. You’re creating conditions for specific outcomes. Systems don’t leave room for chance; they’re repeatable and predictable.
The “Hope Marketing” Trap
Ever heard someone say, “I hope my Instagram post brings in a few new clients”? That’s the business equivalent of wishing on a star. Posting without a strategy is like shouting into the void and praying someone hears you.
Now, imagine instead having a system where every piece of content is part of a larger plan. You’ve built a content calendar that aligns with client pain points, you’ve optimized your hashtags and SEO, and you’re driving traffic to a lead capture form. Each step feeds into the next, creating a predictable pipeline.
A Forrester Research report found that businesses with documented content strategies see 3.5 times more engagement than those without. Engagement leads to trust, and trust leads to clients. Hope simply can’t keep up with those numbers.
Let’s look at the science. Studies in behavioral psychology show that humans tend to rely on “optimism bias”—we overestimate the likelihood of positive outcomes when we hope for something, but we don’t account for the odds stacked against us. This is why hope feels good, but it’s not a reliable business tool.
Systems, on the other hand, thrive on data and feedback loops. You try something, measure it, and then adjust based on what works. This creates momentum. According to McKinsey & Company, companies that focus on structured processes in marketing and sales increase their revenue by 28% on average.
Systems aren’t just about getting clients; they’re about scaling. Hope can’t scale. Systems can.
Let’s say you’re a consultant. You might think, “I do great work—my clients will refer me to others!” And sure, maybe you’ll get a few leads this way, but it’s unreliable. Referrals are based on hope, not on anything you control.
Now, picture this: instead of waiting for someone to send a referral, you’ve built a sales funnel. You create a landing page offering a free resource that’s valuable to your target audience. That resource collects email addresses.
Then, you nurture those leads through a carefully planned email sequence that builds trust, offers value, and guides them toward booking a consultation.
The difference? The system is automated, repeatable, and trackable. A report from Demand Gen shows that businesses using automated lead nurturing systems see 10% or more increase in revenue within 6-9 months. In contrast, relying solely on word-of-mouth can leave months of empty inboxes and missed opportunities.
Hope is Lazy—Systems are Smart
The reason hope often feels like a viable strategy is because it’s easy. It’s reactive. You’re just waiting for something good to happen. But hope is lazy. It lets you off the hook from taking real action.
On the other hand, systems require effort up front. They force you to build processes, test ideas, track data, and make adjustments. But here’s the upside: once the system is built, it runs like a well-oiled machine.
Harvard Business Review conducted a study that found businesses using clear, systematized goals outperformed their competitors by 30% on average.
Why?
Because systems give you clarity. They take the guesswork out of client acquisition.
I know what you might be thinking: “But I’m in a creative industry! I can’t just box myself into a system.” I hear you. Creativity is important, but even creativity benefits from systems.
Take Picasso, for example. The guy had wild ideas, sure.
But his genius wasn’t just in his spontaneous bursts of creativity. He developed entire methods for how he approached his work—Cubism itself was a system for seeing the world in new ways.
Similarly, in business, systems don’t limit creativity—they unleash it.
Systems remove the clutter, free you from mundane tasks, and give you time to focus on innovation. Research by Stanford University shows that structured environments actually increase creative output by 30%.
By creating reliable systems for client outreach, marketing, and content creation, you can free your mind to innovate in ways hope never could.
So, how do you go from wishful thinking to systematic success? It’s simpler than you might think:
Get crystal clear on your client acquisition goals: “I want more clients” is vague. “I want 10 new clients in the next 3 months through LinkedIn outreach” is a clear, actionable goal.
Map out your process: What are the exact steps you’ll take to reach those 10 clients? Maybe it’s creating content, following up on leads, automating responses, or setting up a referral system. The point is to make each action measurable.
Automate the repeatable stuff: Use CRM tools, email automation, and even social media schedulers to handle the repetitive work. A Salesforce report found that businesses using automation for client acquisition increase productivity by 34%. That’s more time for you to actually serve clients instead of chasing them.
Track your metrics and adjust: Systems aren’t set in stone—they’re meant to be tweaked. Regularly review what’s working and what’s not, then pivot. Whether it’s your landing page conversion rate or your email click-throughs, data will show you where to improve.
Here’s the bottom line: hope will never give you a steady stream of clients. It’s like trying to run a business on good vibes alone. Systems, however, are your roadmap. They take the unpredictability out of the equation and give you a blueprint for success.
So the next time you catch yourself thinking, “I hope this works,” stop right there. Replace hope with strategy. Build a system, track your progress, and take control of your client acquisition.
Let’s be honest: systems win every time.