77. Why 'Where Do I Find Clients?' Is the Wrong Question for VAs and OBMs

Ever find yourself constantly searching for the next best platform to find clients? You're not alone.

In this episode of Soulpreneur Scaling Stories, I dive deep into why "Where do I find clients?" is actually the wrong question to ask—and what you should be focusing on instead to consistently attract premium clients who are ready to say yes without hesitation.

I share my own journey transitioning from VA to OBM, including how I went from effortlessly attracting clients to struggling for an entire year to book just 3-4 new clients. This experience taught me that the issue isn't about platform-hopping or trying new marketing strategies—it's about becoming the obvious solution when potential clients do find you.

Whether you're constantly getting ghosted after discovery calls, hearing "your rates are too high," or simply not getting inquiries at all, this episode will transform how you position yourself and attract clients.

Key Points Covered:

✨ Why asking "Where do I find clients?" assumes the problem is external to you (and why that's incorrect)

✨ The three key positioning elements that make some service providers magnetic to premium clients while others struggle

✨ The difference between selling tasks versus selling transformation, and why the latter attracts clients who don't question your rates

✨ A practical 3-question exercise to help you shift your positioning right now, starting with identifying the specific problem you solve better than anyone else

✨ The simple positioning statement formula that makes you the only logical choice for your ideal clients

If you're tired of spinning your wheels with marketing tactics that aren't working, this episode provides the foundational shift you need to stand out from thousands of other service providers and become truly magnetic to your dream clients.

⚡️ Expansion 1:1 Coaching Program: My 3-month coaching experience designed to help you uncover your unique magic, craft an irresistible premium offer, and build a complete client attraction system.

💫 DM me "EXPANSION" on Instagram @soulfulbizcoachandrea for details on the limited beta pricing spots available.

Thank you for being a part of the Soulpreneur Scaling Stories community!

FREE RESOURCES
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(⬆️ Live Business Growth Trainings for VAs & OBMs, The Premium Offer Starter Kit, Peaceful Profit Vault)

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🎧 Podcast produced and edited with love by @FerAssists 🩵

Transcript

[00:00:00] Andrea Elibero: Andrea here, your host and passionate business coach and scaling strategist for soulful service providers and coaches. Welcome to another episode of Soulpreneur Scaling Stories. Have you ever wanted to look behind the curtain of your fellow entrepreneur's business to see what actually went into scaling it?

[00:00:22] Well, you are in for a treat 'cause that's exactly what we are doing here. In each episode, we will be uncovering the truth of the lessons and the stories behind what it truly takes for sold entrepreneurs to scale their businesses intentionally. I'm hoping that their stories will help you to unlock the true potential of your business so you can create your own soulful, abundant, and aligned laptop lifestyle through intentional scaling.

[00:00:46] So whether you're just starting out on your scaling journey or you're a seasoned entrepreneur seeking inspiration, this episode has something incredible in store for you. Are you ready to rise, grow, and create a business that fully supports your dream life? Well, let's [00:01:00] dive in. Before we begin, make sure to hit that subscribe buttons.

[00:01:03] You never miss an empowering episode filled with real stories and soulful insights.

[00:01:10] Welcome to Soulpreneur Scaling Stories, and I'm really excited for this topic today because it has something that I have experienced myself. So today we are diving into a question that I get all of the time from online service providers, whether they are brand new. Or they've been in business for years.

[00:01:32] And that question is, where do I find more clients? It is so common, and I've experienced this myself. So today I'm going to show you why it's actually the wrong question and what you should be asking instead, if you want to consistently attract premium clients who say yes without hesitation. So today you are going to learn.

[00:01:54] Why? Where do I find clients is the wrong question. You are going to learn the real reason that [00:02:00] these premium clients are not finding you. You'll learn the powerful question that's actually going to fill your calendar and a simple shift that attracts aligned clients

[00:02:10] instead of you having to chase them.

[00:02:12] So if that sounds good, let's dive in.

[00:02:16] So the inspiration for this episode actually came recently because I got a DM.

[00:02:21] From this newer OBM who asked me that exact question,

[00:02:25] where do I find clients?

[00:02:27] And it reminded me of my VA to OBM transition. When I was a va, I could find clients like it was nobody's business.

[00:02:35] I didn't really have to put that much effort into it.

[00:02:38] I was just attracting all of these clients. At one point, I literally had 14 clients

[00:02:42] with a small team. Don't worry, it wasn't just me, but it was a lot.

[00:02:46] But when I transitioned to, when I became a certified OBM. It felt like all of a sudden this client rug was pulled out from under me.

[00:02:55] I had to actually try to get clients.

[00:02:57] Clients were not knocking down my door like they [00:03:00] were when I was a va,

[00:03:01] and it was difficult

[00:03:03] and I thought that I.

[00:03:05] I must be doing this wrong. Like what's going on,

[00:03:07] right? So like I see this a lot in the online space with my VAs OMS online service providers.

[00:03:14] I see people scrolling through the Facebook posts, you know, these groups of, oh, how to find clients, posts,

[00:03:21] trying all of these things.

[00:03:23] Switching from one thing to another, thinking that the strategy is wrong. Going from networking in Facebook groups to sending cold pitches, posting on Instagram,

[00:03:32] reaching out, connecting to your own network, tweaking your website, like LinkedIn, like all of the things. Yet

[00:03:40] the potential clients just kind of trickle in.

[00:03:43] You have gaps in your calendar. You're not attracting the kind of clients that make you excited to open up your laptop in the morning.

[00:03:49] It took me

[00:03:50] an actual year, a full calendar year, to become a fully booked out OBM.

[00:03:55] And you know how many clients when you're working in the retainer model, which I don't, well, [00:04:00] whatever, that's a different topic for a different day, but how many clients?

[00:04:02] That was three or four. Three or four clients and took me almost a year

[00:04:07] to transition away from my VA clients and attract three people to work with me. When I first transitioned as an OBM

[00:04:14] years and years ago,

[00:04:16] and I was even,

[00:04:17] you know, for the first time, and maybe you've had this too,

[00:04:21] that.

[00:04:22] That was wrong.

[00:04:23] Back up. So I was even for the first time, and maybe you've had this too,

[00:04:28] I had this experience of when I did talk to potential clients,

[00:04:32] the discovery calls did not go how they did before. They were surprising to me because suddenly

[00:04:37] I was hearing things like, oh, well, you know, your rates are kind of high.

[00:04:41] Oh, I need to think about it.

[00:04:42] Oh, well maybe when my budget opens up or I need to talk to my team, let me talk to my partner,

[00:04:47] like. There was zero urgency for them to work with me right now.

[00:04:54] So I'm curious if this sounds familiar to you? As I'm sure that we have all gone through this

[00:04:58] and it was interesting 'cause at [00:05:00] that time I just thought, well,

[00:05:02] I am not finding the right people.

[00:05:04] I just need to find where they hang out. 'cause that was the advice that I was told. Right? It was like.

[00:05:08] Where are your clients hanging out? Go there.

[00:05:11] Even though I had tried all of the places, right, I'd hung out in all these different places. So maybe you have had similar thoughts

[00:05:17] like, oh, I just haven't found the right platform yet.

[00:05:20] Or maybe Instagram is not really the place where my clients are. Maybe they're on LinkedIn

[00:05:25] or maybe I should switch to on per in-person networking.

[00:05:28] And maybe we've even started wondering if you should just pivot your services completely or rebrand.

[00:05:34] I know at that time when I first started as an OBM, I wondered if I should just go back to being a va, even though

[00:05:40] that wasn't my calling anymore.

[00:05:42] I had kind of grown from there.

[00:05:43] So it had me questioning a lot of things,

[00:05:46] but here is the truth.

[00:05:48] The problem, the actual problem is not where you're looking for clients.

[00:05:53] The problem is deeper than that. That's a surface level thing,

[00:05:57] and the good news is that it's actually much easier to [00:06:00] fix than you might be thinking.

[00:06:03] So I. Why is this question of where do I find clients the wrong question?

[00:06:09] And it's because it assumes that the problem is external to you.

[00:06:13] You haven't found the right platform, you haven't found the right group, you haven't found the right networking event where all these magical, you know, this magical place where all of your dream clients are hanging out.

[00:06:25] I have been on these internet streets for years, and as you, you know, as I've just told you, I have had this experience firsthand

[00:06:35] and I've also worked with dozens of online service providers,

[00:06:39] and I can tell you with absolute certainty, I. That your dream clients are everywhere. Your dream clients are on Instagram.

[00:06:47] Your dream clients are on LinkedIn. Your dream clients are in Facebook groups. Your dream clients are at networking events, and I could go on and on and on.

[00:06:55] The real issue is not where to find [00:07:00] them. The real issue is that

[00:07:02] when they do see you, when they come across you,

[00:07:06] they don't immediately recognize you as the solution to their problems.

[00:07:12] I'm going to illustrate this with an example.

[00:07:14] So let's say we have two OBMs,

[00:07:17] right? They are both marketing themselves on Instagram, same platform. They have similar experience level that even their content strategy is similar.

[00:07:25] You have Jessica, she posts consistently. She engages daily. But yet, crickets.

[00:07:31] Crickets, maybe, maybe one or two inquiries a month, and they really, really convert into clients. But then you have Maria, on the other hand,

[00:07:41] she

[00:07:42] is fully booked raising her rates, and she is posting less. She's doing less

[00:07:47] than Jessica.

[00:07:49] And remember that they're similar, right? They started from a similar place.

[00:07:52] So what is the difference between them? It's not the platform, it's not their skills. They're both equally skilled. It has nothing to do with [00:08:00] how good you are,

[00:08:01] which is good news, right? And it wasn't even their content strategy.

[00:08:04] Here's the difference.

[00:08:05] The difference was how they positioned themselves.

[00:08:09] So their positioning is what made the difference.

[00:08:11] Maria has crystal clear answers to three things that Jessica. And me, when I first started, my OBM journey was missing.

[00:08:21] She knew these three things.

[00:08:24] One is her unique magic,

[00:08:27] the specific combination of strengths, experience, and approach that makes her exceptional.

[00:08:33] This is not skillset. You do not have to be doing what you're doing for 10,000 years.

[00:08:38] This is your magic. This is what this is innate to you.

[00:08:44] Number two is she knew the transformation that she provided and the word transformation is very specific here.

[00:08:51] Not just her services,

[00:08:53] not just her skills,

[00:08:54] but she knew the outcome that her clients got. And number [00:09:00] three, she knew specifically who needed that transformation, the exact type of client who valued her work the most.

[00:09:07] So I'm going to say those three things again.

[00:09:09] One is her unique magic, the specific combination of strengths, experience, and approach that made her exceptional.

[00:09:16] Two, the transformation that she provided, not the services, not what she did, but the outcome that her clients got. Three. Who specifically needed that transformation?

[00:09:28] The exact type of clients who valued her work the most.

[00:09:32] Maria was not asking, where do I find clients? She wasn't platform hopping,

[00:09:36] she wasn't giving up.

[00:09:37] She was asking better questions. I. Like, how do I position myself so the right clients actually see me as their solution?

[00:09:47] Listen, there's, you know, there's a lot of VAs, there's a lot of ODMs, there's a lot of online service providers, and most of the time they blend in with each other.

[00:09:55] Most are interchangeable in terms of

[00:09:58] how they show up. [00:10:00] Like if I read one more bio that says, I'll save you time so you can focus on the things you love. I'm going to throw my phone out the window.

[00:10:07] Like this is not positioning. I. This is the bare minimum. This is not a transformation. It's what you do.

[00:10:13] And I read this all the time,

[00:10:16] I was guilty of this too, because when you position yourself as someone who can do a bit of everything, who takes care of the backend, who does tasks,

[00:10:26] I do this,

[00:10:27] right? This is what I do. You look like thousands of other people. You carbon copies of each other.

[00:10:33] Potential clients don't see your unique value, so.

[00:10:37] They either just scroll past you 'cause you don't even register for them or they compare you to others

[00:10:43] who are offering similar services. 'cause let's face it, a lot of people have similar services. So they're looking at price, they're looking at availability, they're looking at where you live, like stupid things, right?

[00:10:52] Neither of those things position you as the premium provider that you are because you are, you are a premium [00:11:00] provider.

[00:11:01] Here's the thing, your clients are not buying your services. They're buying a solution to their problems and a path to their desired outcome.

[00:11:13] They're buying you.

[00:11:15] They're attracted to your personality, to your values.

[00:11:20] If you're consistently asking where to find clients, you are skipping over the most important step. This is the thing that's actually going to get you clients, which is becoming the obvious choice when they find you independent of where that is. So what is the real question that you should be asking?

[00:11:40] The question that you should be asking instead of, where do I find clients? Is, how do I become the only logical choice for my specific ideal clients? And when you focus on this, suddenly magic happens. Clients come to you. You don't have to chase them [00:12:00] when you focus on this. They're pre-sold before you even get on a call with them.

[00:12:04] They don't question your rates.

[00:12:06] They are excited to start immediately. They're like, oh, she's going to help me. They feel this huge sense of relief

[00:12:11] and it is so cool. It is so, so cool.

[00:12:14] Imagine like, you know that like when you're on discovery call and somebody's like, oh my God, yes. Like I don't even have like,

[00:12:20] it's not even selling.

[00:12:21] You don't have to sell anymore 'cause they already know they wanna work with you. They're just checking, like doing a vibe check. You know? It's like, it's really awesome.

[00:12:28] So imagine

[00:12:29] if you're walking into a store and you're like, okay, I need some noise canceling headphones.

[00:12:34] One aisle has hundreds of options.

[00:12:36] Every label says headphones, so you're looking at them all. You're like, how do I, like, how do I choose? Right? This is overwhelming.

[00:12:43] You start checking prices. You're like, I don't know, like how do I pick these headphones?

[00:12:48] But then the other aisle has one single display

[00:12:51] that says the number one headphones for remote workers who need silence to focus.

[00:12:55] You're like, oh, well obviously these headphones are for me.

[00:12:59] Boom, [00:13:00] that's it. We don't have to compare prices. You know that those headphones were meant for you. Right. Your clients are the same way. If they don't see someone that's positioned for them and their specific problem,

[00:13:10] they're gonna start to look elsewhere.

[00:13:12] They're just, they don't. They're not gonna be drawn to you. They're just like, okay, I'll get the cheapest one, I guess. 'cause they don't know what else to do.

[00:13:18] They're overwhelmed with choices.

[00:13:20] I'm sure you've seen the post where somebody says, oh, I need a ba. Oh, I need A OBM

[00:13:24] and well, one, they need to learn better hiring practices, DM me.

[00:13:27] You know? Or like comment below like, but I'm sure you've seen the like 50 comments and like how do you choose from that? Right.

[00:13:34] So. That's why when you position yourself around transformation instead of tasks, you become magnetic to premium clients who are excited to work with you.

[00:13:46] So before we wrap up, I want to give you a quick exercise.

[00:13:50] I. To help you start shifting your positioning today, right now,

[00:13:54] so you can shift from just another service provider to the only logical choice [00:14:00] for your dream clients.

[00:14:01] So grab a piece of paper, open up your notes, app, whatever,

[00:14:05] and answer these three questions and be as specific as possible. Are you ready?

[00:14:12] All right. Question number one

[00:14:13] is, what specific problem do you solve better than anyone else? This isn't about tasks like email management or project coordination. Think deeper.

[00:14:23] What's the deeper problem that your clients face?

[00:14:26] Is it overwhelm, lack of systems and consistent client experience? Like what's kind of the overall thing

[00:14:32] that is like the, that they're like, oh,

[00:14:36] like this is what I need help with, and what comes easy to you?

[00:14:40] Like, what do you love doing? You're like, oh yeah, I can totally do that.

[00:14:44] What's behind? What's the root cause of like the email management? Like why is that a problem?

[00:14:50] Question number two

[00:14:52] is who specifically struggles with this problem the most?

[00:14:57] So it's not [00:15:00] entrepreneurs, it's not Coaches actually get ultra specific

[00:15:03] and.

[00:15:05] Not just who struggles with it the most, who is it that you love working with the most?

[00:15:09] So what type of, what type of business owner, what stage are they at? What are they specifically frustrated by getting into their psyche?

[00:15:16] Like who is this person, this one specific person that you love working with

[00:15:21] that has this problem that you solve?

[00:15:23] And question number three.

[00:15:26] Is what unique approach or perspective do you bring that makes your solution special?

[00:15:33] This is your secret sauce. This is the thing that makes your solution different from others who offer similar services.

[00:15:39] And this is could be your background, your values. This all gets wrapped up

[00:15:43] in,

[00:15:44] my favorite is in your unique framework.

[00:15:47] Having a framework around how you solve,

[00:15:50] how you have your solution, how you solve these problems is key

[00:15:53] to.

[00:15:55] Having people understand what you do and be like, oh, yes, I need that.[00:16:00] 

[00:16:00] So I'm going to say them one more time. One is, what specific problem do you solve better than anyone else?

[00:16:06] Two is what's, who specifically struggles with this problem the most

[00:16:10] and who are you like really attracted to working with?

[00:16:13] And number three is, what unique approach or perspective do you bring that makes your solution special?

[00:16:19] And then when you have those three things, we get to put them together and do a statement.

[00:16:25] I help a specific person who your ideal client is solve

[00:16:29] whatever problem through my unique approach of your magic, so they can

[00:16:35] have their transformation without whatever pain point

[00:16:38] I.

[00:16:39] So I help person solve problem through my unique approach of your magic, your framework, whatever,

[00:16:45] so they can transformation without pain point.

[00:16:50] So it's not just I save you time. Do you see how it gets so specific and people can actually envision themselves

[00:16:56] here? They can envision themselves working with you.[00:17:00] 

[00:17:00] And this is also not just a basic elevator pitch. It is the foundation of your positioning

[00:17:05] that makes premium clients stop scrolling and say, oh, this is the person from me.

[00:17:10] This person stands out from everybody else.

[00:17:13] So take some time and you can always refine it, make sure that it feels authentic to you and specific,

[00:17:19] so that way it would immediately resonate with your dream clients.

[00:17:23] And then once you do that, you get to say, okay, like how does that feel? Like,

[00:17:26] can

[00:17:26] So So can you see how this simple shift in how you position yourself can completely transform who reaches out to you and how they value your services?

[00:17:37] And if you found this exercise valuable, but you're thinking like, Ooh,

[00:17:40] I need more help figuring out like my unique magic, how to position it. Like I have questions.

[00:17:45] Don't worry. I got you. I have something

[00:17:48] really awesome to share it with you.

[00:17:50] And I can't, I can't wait. So

[00:17:54] This is my question to you.

[00:17:55] In three months, where will you be? Are you still going to be trapped in this [00:18:00] endless, where do I find clients Hamster wheel

[00:18:03] like I was for a year when I was an OBM?

[00:18:05] Or in three months we'll be waking up to your phone buzzing with dms

[00:18:10] from Dream clients who are already sold and working with you,

[00:18:14] and inside of my one-on-one coaching expansion.

[00:18:18] This is what we do. We solve this problem. We get you this phone buzzing. Like having clients really excited to work with you.

[00:18:24] We uncover your unique magic that makes you impossible to ignore.

[00:18:28] We craft an irresistible premium offer

[00:18:31] that has clients thinking, I need this person. It is crafted in a framework

[00:18:36] and presented in such a way that it is obvious that you are the choi, the person to provide.

[00:18:43] The transformation that they need. And we build a complete client attraction system all the way from starting from magnetic messaging

[00:18:50] to a simple but aligned marketing strategy that brings clients to you without all the questions and the overwhelm and all of that.

[00:18:57] And what makes this program extra special and [00:19:00] different is that there is deep a mindset support woven throughout.

[00:19:04] Because the best strategy fails without the inner alignment to execute it confidently.

[00:19:09] Because you don't need more hustling or more generic advice. You need to become the only choice for your perfect clients.

[00:19:17] And at the time of this recording,

[00:19:21] I have just two beta spots left at a like literally half price, and it is the cheapest that.

[00:19:27] I have ever done coaching and ever will. So you will want to hop in on that before the prize doubles.

[00:19:34] Um, so make sure to reach out to me.

[00:19:36] And by the way, if you're not ready for one-on-one support.

[00:19:40] I also have more targeted lower investment options to really fit in where you are in your journey. Just ask me.

[00:19:47] So please email me, dm me on

[00:19:50] Instagram, on LinkedIn, wherever, expansion, and I will get you the full details before these final spots disappear.

[00:19:58] And

[00:19:58] thank you so much for being [00:20:00] here today with me

[00:20:01] and listening, watching, et cetera.

[00:20:04] I'm so excited to see you on the next one. 

[00:20:07] Thank you so much for joining us today. I really hope you found inspiration and insights from today's episode. You know, scaling your business intentionally and from the inside out is a transformational process, but I'm here to support you every step of the way. Head on over to dancing leaf solutions.com/resources for free tools to help you do just that.

[00:20:32] And thank you again for being a part of the Soulpreneur Scaling Stories community. Your presence and dedication to growth inspiring me every day.