Closing the Deal: 5 Must Do Steps to Book Your Next Client

Closing deals effectively is the difference between a thriving business and one that’s barely scraping by.

It doesn’t matter how great your marketing is… if you’re not able to convert an inquiry to a paying client then your business is just a hobby… There, I said it.

But before we begin, there are a few things to note that you can’t skip over.

1. You can’t expect to book a client unless you know who you’re trying to reach, so identifying & knowing exactly WHO your ideal client avatar is is super duper duuuuuper important. If you don’t know who your ICA is, then you’ll just end up booking crappy clients that don’t actually align with your business.
2. You gotta keep an open mind. Oop and this is where I am gonna lose the quitters because most people hear “keep an open mind” and then throw up the deuces. But for real for real, closed minds only keep the doors of opportunity closed. So I challenge you, as you read this, pretty please with a cherry on top keep your mind open to new strategies & mindsets that will shift your traditional way of thinking.

Step 1: Build Genuine Connections

You might skip over this part because you’re probably thinking, “been there, heard that ” but seriously, no one’s gonna buy jack squat from you unless they feel like they have a connection with you.

Building connections with your potential clients starts in your content, but is something you should continue bringing into your discovery calls and potential client meetings as well! Now when you know your ICA, connecting with your potential clients becomes a cake walk because you will already know a lot about their psychographics which will give you easy ways to make conversation.

Building genuine connections is created through 3 main things: trust, credibility, and likability. When you’re able to gain the trust from your potential clients before you even meet to chat with them, closing the deal becomes 10x easier. Adding credibility to your business also begins in your content. Same goes for likability, but your discovery calls is where you really get to let your amazing personality shine bright to seal the deal.

Step 2: Presenting Your Value Proposition

Okay now that we’ve got some groundwork laid down, let’s talk about how you’re going to showcase your value. Why is this important? Because people won’t buy from you unless they think you’re worth it. Plain and simple.

Everyone and their mom who has a business has the same goal as you. But the one thing that differentiates you from your competitors is your USP. Aka your unique selling points.

You could offer the exact same service as someone else, but the reality is that you’re both going to be booked for completely different reasons. Learning how to highlight what your USP’s are is so helpful for getting your potential clients to see that value in what YOU offer!

Another thing to add real quick is to get very specific on how you present your offer as well. You’re a service provider. You exist to help people overcome problems in their life. They would be lost without you. Now help them realize that by structuring your services & offers around what YOUR dream clients need more of in their life. Don’t overcomplicate it.

Some helpful ways to do that are to share results from your previous clients so your potential clients know what kind of results to expect from you. Another helpful way is to explain the before & after examples and talk about how your services specifically help your previous clients overcome an issue they had.

Step 3: Focus on Conversation, Not Presentation

Gone are the days where finance bro presentations are what makes a sale. GONE I SAY!! Icky and sleazy sales pitches do nothing but scare away people who are interested in working with you so do yourself a favor and forget every single “sales tip” you’ve heard that’s made you uncomfortable.

Look, I know I said to keep an open mind (which you’re doing a great job at that by the way) but if you’ve ever been given a sales tip that has made you question your morality, then it probably falls under the category of “icky finance bro tips” and you’re gonna want to add that to your Burn Book of Sales.

If you got that Mean Girls movie reference then we’re probably destined to be best friends.

The key to closing on a deal is to simply talk to people as they’re ya know… human beings. Too many business owners are out here treating their leads like a piece of meat & crying boo hoo when they don’t get booked. Yet they’re the ones that are scaring their prospects away.

People want to buy from people. Not a salesman. Not a robot. And most definitely not someone they get a bad first impression from. So they key to increasing your conversions & booking more clients is to simply care about them. And you can show this through the art of conversation.

Step 4: Communicate, Communicate, & Communicate

A friend of mine was recently re-doing the design of her house & was interested in hiring an interior designer to renovate her living room. She contacted a designer recommended by a friend but struggled to get clear information about the designer’s process, timeline, and pricing.

She made multiple attempts to clarify these details, but the designer’s responses were vague and inconsistent. My friend only heard back from the designer about every 4-6 days making it hard to get her questions answered… She was so frustrated by the lack of transparency and professionalism, so my friend chose to hire a different designer who communicated clearly from the start, addressing all her questions promptly.

And that is just one example of a list I have about how a business owner lost out on a sale because they didn’t clearly communicate & had sucky response time. 

Personally, I am an over communicator but the last thing I ever want any of my clients (or even potential clients) to feel is that I neglected their feelings, questions, or requests. Customer service & client communication are 2 things that should always be your number one priority no matter what your niche is.

Call me a boomer, but it’s just the way I see it.

Step 5: Make it Easy to Get Yourself Booked

Okay so you’ve been told that someone wants to move forward & work with you! That’s great, you’ve got the booking in the bag right?! Absolutely not. Not so fast… there’s still 2 ways you can lose the booking… and this happens either by, (1) not making it clear what the next steps are, and (2) making the next steps lengthy & time consuming.

Less is more here. And the easier it is for people to say get started, then the easier it will be to get a yes for the booking!

A great way to make it easy for your clients to get booked is by streamlining your onboarding process! I encourage you to make a checklist or to have some sort of project pipeline through a CRM software (such as Honeybook) so you know exactly how to guide your new clients through a simple & seamless experience.

Using helpful tools & softwares will help you automate & simplify the booking process on your end as well. Now that’s a win-win situation if I ever did see one myself!

Okay so if you made it to the end, you get a gold star in my book! But now you’ve gotta get to implementing… so let’s recap! To actually put this resource article to good use & get some momentum going for your business, use the steps below to get started:

1. Build Genuine Connections

• Understand your Ideal Client Avatar (ICA) deeply, focusing on their motivations and pain points.
• Create content that builds trust and engages authentically.

2. Present Your Value Proposition Clearly

• Highlight your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) and the specific benefits clients will receive.
• Share compelling success stories and case studies to illustrate your impact.

3. Focus on Conversation, Not Presentation

• Approach potential clients with empathy and genuine interest.
• Engage in meaningful conversations that address their needs and build rapport.

4. Communicate Clearly and Promptly

• Respond promptly to inquiries and maintain clear, consistent communication.
• Use CRM tools to streamline communication and ensure professionalism.

5. Make Booking Easy and Seamless

• Guide clients smoothly through the booking process with clear instructions.
• Simplify onboarding using project management or online booking platforms.