Hey Reader,
For the first 5 years of my journey as an entrepreneur, rejection was just a fact of life.
I had dozens of prospects who I was sure would close but then wound up pushing me off until a later date, rejecting me, or full-on ghosting me. And even with actual paying clients, I was frequently stressed about them leaving.
What’s worse is that when they did leave or when my pipeline dried up, I had no idea where to go or what to do to find more business.
I always felt like my prospects or clients had the upper hand.
And that I was just an order taker waiting for someone to say they wanted something.
For a long time, I thought that was just the nature of entrepreneurship, but it wasn’t until this last year that I finally learned it didn’t HAVE to be that way.
Most entrepreneurs I know waste months (or even years) chasing clients who see their service as a “nice-to-have.” And let me tell you, that’s a recipe for burnout. Not to mention frustration, anxiety, and inconsistent revenue.
The clients who change the game for your business—the ones who value what you do, pay your rates without flinching, and stick around—are the ones who see your service as essential.
Introducing The High Stakes Client Formula
This is the simple method I developed for myself and now teach my clients that you can build a business that puts you in the driver’s seat by ensuring you have an offer that your ideal client doesn’t just want, but one they truly need.
If you can adjust your marketing and sales strategy to incorporate these 4 critical elements, you’ll start to attract the kinds of clients who will be grateful to pay high rates for the work you do.
Understand Why Their Situation is “High Stakes”
If a prospect doesn’t feel like their problem is urgent, solving it won’t feel urgent either. Your job is to help them see what’s at risk if they don’t take action—and fast. But this isn’t about convincing them your work matters if it really doesn’t.
Instead, you want to narrow down your niche to focus on the prospects for whom your work is a must because it can solve life or business changing problems.
A few questions you can ask to understand why it matters so much:
- What happens if they don’t solve this problem now? What is the cost of inaction?
- How have they tried to solve the problem before? What did those attempts cost them in time, money, and confidence?
- What could happen for them if they solve the problem? If they are in hell now, what does heaven look like?
Keep in mind, that even if you sell to businesses, you’re ultimately selling to a person at that business. So think about what’s at stake for them—personally and professionally.
Shift from Mechanism to Outcome
If you’re like most of the entrepreneurs I work with, you are focusing too much on the mechanism of your work and not enough on the outcome.
What do I mean by mechanism?
- The specific assets you deliver
- The style of coaching you provide
- The volume of deliverables you create
- The number of hours you work with clients
Clients don’t buy services—they buy results. Instead of pitching what you do, focus on the transformation you create.
Speak Their Language
In your copy, content, or conversations with prospects, you might be using the language of an expert, instead of the language of your ideal client.
- Are you using terminology or jargon that your peers use, when your ideal customer actually describes their problems and goals in a different way?
- Or worse, have you come up with your own clever turn of phrase or tagline to describe your work that your ideal client would never come up with on their own?
This approach creates distance between you and your ideal client, making it harder for them to understand what you do and why it matters to them.
Instead, use the exact words and phrases your ideal clients use to describe their struggles and goals. This creates instant trust and credibility.
Position Yourself as the Expert Who Solves THIS Problem.
For a long time, I clung to my commitment to being a generalist and it cost me a fortune. It took a while for me to learn that specialists attract high-stakes clients. Generalists don’t.
Don’t get me wrong. My generalist background and my wide range of skills and experiences are the reason why I’m so damn good at what I do.
But I needed to package, present, and position them as the secret to solving a very specific problem (achieving consistent revenue) to a very specific audience (coaches and consultants with 10+ years of experience in their field).
Instead of presenting yourself as a generalist who can do a lot of things, position yourself as the go-to expert in a highly defined niche solving a specific problem for a specific person.
Specificity is truly the secret to making a LOT more money in your business.
It’s time to stop chasing “meh” clients and start attracting the ones who see you as essential to their success.
Because when you land high-stakes clients, everything changes—your revenue, your confidence, and the impact you can make.
We have less than 6 weeks left of 2024. If you’re ready to finally master the art and science of the high stakes formula and start earning the money you know you deserve in 2025, let’s talk.
I want to close out this year really freaking big, so I’ll be running discounts and getting creative to welcome as many new people into The Solo CEO as possible.
If you’ve been waiting to take the leap, now’s the time. Reply to this email or apply to Solo CEO and book a call.
Let me help you change your life and business in 2025.
In love and growth,
Kasey
Ready to evolve from solopreneur to Solo CEO?
Apply to join The Solo CEO — A results-focused coaching program for coaches and consultants with 10+ years of experience in their field who are ready to achieve consistent, predictable revenue by implementing high-impact strategies and systems that attract ideal clients and deliver quick results.
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