Need More Clients for your Service Based Business? Here's What I'd Actually Tell You to Do
Nov 12, 2026
If you came to me and said, "Laura, I need more clients," the first thing I'd ask you probably isn't what you'd expect.
I wouldn't ask how often you're posting on Instagram, whether you've tried running ads, or if you've thought about starting a podcast.
I'd ask you something much simpler.
How many people have you actually invited to work with you recently?
Because here's what I've learned from mentoring business owners: when someone says they need more clients, that can mean a dozen different things.
And until we figure out what's actually happening in your business, throwing more marketing at the problem isn't necessarily going to fix it.
In this week's episode of This Mother Means Business, we're continuing my If You Were My Client series, and I'm walking you through exactly how I'd approach helping you bring more clients into your business.
First, Let's Get Specific About What You Actually Need
"I need more clients" isn't really a strategy. It's barely even a goal.
How many more clients? And why?
Are you trying to replace lost revenue? Fill a program? Reach a new monthly income goal?
Let's say you want to generate $10,000 a month, and your average client pays $2,500.
You need four clients.
If you're already signing two clients a month, we're actually looking for two additional sales.
Suddenly, that feels a lot more manageable than the vague idea that nobody knows about your business and you need to be everywhere.
Now we can work backwards and figure out how many conversations and opportunities you need to make those sales happen.
That's something we can actually build a plan around.
Look at Where Your Last Five Clients Came From
This is one of my favourite questions to ask business owners.
Where did your last five clients actually come from?
Not where you think they came from. Where did they find you?
Was it Instagram? A referral? Google? A networking event? Someone who'd been on your email list for months?
Because if three of your last five clients came from referrals, why would I immediately tell you to spend the next month making more Instagram Reels?
I'd probably want to look at how we could create more referral opportunities.
We get so caught up in whatever marketing strategy everyone else is talking about that we forget to look at what's already working in our own businesses.
Just because someone else built their business on TikTok doesn't mean you need a TikTok strategy.
Your business needs a strategy based on your customers and how they actually find and choose you.
Marketing and Sales Are Not the Same Thing
This is a big one.
I see so many entrepreneurs doing an enormous amount of marketing and calling it sales.
They're posting content, sending emails, attending events, and showing up consistently.
And those things absolutely have value.
But marketing helps people discover and understand your business.
Sales is where you help someone make a buying decision.
Let's say you're getting 20 inquiries a month but only signing two clients.
That's a very different problem from someone who converts almost every inquiry but only gets two inquiries a month.
One person might need to improve their sales process.
The other probably needs more qualified people finding their business.
Both say they need more clients. But they don't need the same solution.
This is why I don't believe in handing every business owner the same marketing checklist.
You Have to Give People an Opportunity to Say Yes
Here's where things get uncomfortable for a lot of service-based business owners.
Actually asking for the sale.
I get it. Nobody wants to be pushy or turn every conversation into a sales pitch.
And I'm certainly not suggesting you start sending unsolicited messages to everyone you've ever met.
But if someone has a problem you can genuinely help solve, there's nothing wrong with telling them that.
You can say something as simple as:
"Based on what you've shared, I think this is something I could help you with. Would you like me to walk you through what working together could look like?"
That's it.
You're opening a door, not forcing someone through it.
And don't forget about following up with people who've already expressed interest.
Following up isn't being pushy. It's continuing a conversation someone already started.
Make It Easy for People to Work With You
Another thing I'd look at is your actual buying process.
If someone landed on your website or Instagram profile today and wanted to hire you, would they know how?
Is it clear what you offer? Who you help? What the next step is?
Or are they filling out a complicated form, waiting days for a response, and trying to figure out what you actually sell?
Sometimes getting more clients isn't about reaching another thousand people.
It's about making it easier for the people who are already interested to take the next step.
Stop Leaving Sales to Chance
If you were my client, I'd also want us to build a consistent sales rhythm.
Not a complicated system that takes hours every day.
Maybe it's reconnecting with two people in your network each week, following up on outstanding inquiries, or intentionally building relationships with people who serve a similar audience.
The exact activities would depend on your business.
But the point is that sales can't be something you only think about when your calendar starts looking empty.
And especially if you're a mom running a business with a very real end to your workday, I want you spending your time on activities that actually create results.
I'd much rather see you spend 30 minutes creating meaningful sales opportunities than three hours making content just because you feel like you're supposed to.
Here's Your Homework
Before you decide you need to post more, lower your prices, or launch something new, I want you to look at the last 30 days in your business.
Ask yourself:
- How many inquiries did I receive?
- How many sales conversations did I have?
- How many people did I actually invite to work with me?
- How many times did I follow up?
- How many new clients did I sign?
Those answers will tell you a lot about where things might be breaking down.
Because there's a big difference between something not working and something you haven't meaningfully tried.
And that's really the point of this entire series.
Growing your business isn't always about doing more. It's about figuring out what actually needs to change.
If you're struggling to figure out why you're not bringing in the clients you want, this week's episode will help you start asking better questions.
