Are you wondering whether it’s the right time for you to develop a marketing strategy and plan for your service business?

Maybe you’re tired of working with the wrong clients who don’t see value in your services?

Perhaps you’ve had a lot of ups and downs and have been struggling lately to attract consistent clients?

Or maybe you’re just ready and looking for that next level of business growth?

Whatever the reason why you’re thinking about it now, I want you to know that an effective marketing strategy and plan will significantly enhance your marketing and business performance.

It will give you so much more clarity and direction for your business, so you’ll save time, be more productive, and know exactly what to focus on next.

It will ensure your business is set up for success, resulting in improved marketing performance and sales results to grow your business faster.

And it will enable you to enjoy more of that freedom and flexibility that you’ve been searching for (which, let’s face it, was probably the reason why you started your business in the first place!)

So, if you’re wondering if now’s the right time, here are seven signs that you need to develop a marketing strategy and plan for your service business:

1. Your audience and email list aren’t growing

If you want to grow your service business, it starts by creating awareness and building up an audience you can promote your services to.

However, if you’re not seeing your social media followers increasing or your email list subscribers growing, then you have a problem with your visibility.

Maybe you’re not creating the type of content that your potential clients would find valuable.

Or perhaps, the strategies you’re using to attract and capture leads aren’t working quite as well as they should be.

RELATED: 3 Types of lead magnets that are perfect for service-based businesses

2. No one is engaging or interacting with your social media posts

When you post on social media, do you get likes, comments and more followers?

Or is it more like a ghost town over there with very little activity?

If you’re not getting much (or any) engagement with your audience, then it’s time to review your approach.

You’ll want to ensure your messaging connects and resonates with your target market, so you’re getting a return on the time and effort you’re spending on this type of activity.

3. The clients you’re attracting don’t see value in your services

Have you ever been on a sales call where someone says they can’t afford your services?

Or have you had someone ask you to discount your services or give you a cheaper alternative?

When this happens, your pricing and service offers aren’t aligned to the type of client you want to work with.

You’re likely undercharging what you’re worth, or you aren’t offering higher-end services that will attract the type of clients who will see value in what you can provide.

Alternatively, you aren’t articulating the value in your service offerings well enough for people to want to buy.

RELATED: 15 Things you need to create an irresistible service offering

4. Your leads and discovery calls aren’t converting to sales

If you’re getting people to book in for a discovery call but then struggling to make sales, then there’s a gap in your sales process somewhere.

When setting up for a sales conversation, you must have:

• A service offering that resonates and attracts your ideal clients
• A qualification process that ensures your potential client is a good fit
• A structured approach for your discovery call where you ask the right questions

When you follow a structured sales process and meet with qualified leads, you’ll start closing more sales with ease.

5. You’re attracting and working with the wrong clients

At some stage, I think we’ve all experienced that moment when you realise, you’re working with the wrong type of client.

Perhaps you said yes to working with a client because you needed the money.

Or maybe you feel stuck working with the wrong clients because you don’t know how to say no to the people you’re attracting politely.

However, when you develop a marketing strategy and plan that attracts the right type of clients for your business, then you won’t need to say yes to everyone!

And with your revised strategy, you’ll start attracting more of those dream clients that you love.

Not sure where to start when it comes to marketing your service-based small business? That’s where I can help. Get started by downloading my free Ultimate Marketing Checklist by clicking the button below: 

6. You aren’t making enough money to cover your expenses

It can be pretty stressful when you’re under financial pressure in your business.

You worry about where the next sale will come from and where you’re going to find the money to pay your bills.

Now, the reason for the shortfall in sales revenue can vary from business to business.

However, most commonly, it’s because you aren’t attracting enough clients and have an issue with sales volume.

Or you’re focused too much on selling lower-end services which aren’t very profitable.

It’s much easier to generate revenue and grow your business when you only need to attract a few higher-end clients instead of many clients who will only spend a small amount with your business.

7. You know you need one, but you don’t know where to start

Marketing a small business can be challenging and time-consuming.  

Especially when you’ve never had to do it before, and you’re not sure where to start.

However, you don’t need to develop a marketing strategy and plan on your own.

There are so many places where you can research, learn, and get support to grow your marketing knowledge and skills.

Plus, once you know what you’re doing and have clarity around your marketing strategy and plan, it won’t take you so long to market your business anymore.

And you’ll find that your marketing performance improves, meaning you’ll get to where you want to be sooner. Now, how amazing would that be?

RELATED: How to write a marketing plan for a service-based business

So, there you have seven signs that it’s time for you to develop a marketing strategy and plan for your service business.

If you’ve noticed any of these, consider how much more productive and effective you could be if you invested time developing your marketing strategy and plan?

Also, how much faster could you grow your business, and how fabulous would it be to be working with more of those dream clients that you love?

Tired of trying to figure out what you’re missing when it comes to finding clients and making sales in your service business?

Break through the barriers that are holding you back with the support of an MBA-qualified Marketing Coach and Business Mentor who will tailor a 1:1 program specifically for you.

BUSINESS BREAKTHROUGH is a 3 or 6-month 1:1 Coaching Program for service-based business owners who want to develop the strategy, systems, and structure they need to find clients and make sales, so they can stop feeling stuck and start gaining massive momentum in their business.

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