TT#021 - Why you want more case studies, not just more clients…
When most solopreneurs (i.e., consultants, coaches, fractional contractors, etc.) think about growing their business, they focus all their energy on "getting more clients."
More clients represent more revenue. And more revenue represents the opportunity to:
Pay yourself properly.
Do better, higher-quality work.
Or hire people and get some of your time back.
More clients are obviously important.
But, if you want to land better work, get paid more to do it, and grow faster, you need to prioritize "more concentrated case studies" and social proof over "more clients."
Think about it.
There are probably thousands of people offering the same services, or claiming to solve the same problem you do. When you can present proof that you’ve done it before, you establish yourself as the expert to go to.
The more proof you have, the more you’re perceived to be the expert. And being the expert means easier sales and higher rates.
Two Consultants
Imagine you're a SaaS founder looking for a consultant to help you build a sales process that'll help get you out of the day-to-day selling.
Consultant 1 sends you some info that frames the basics:
I'm a smart person with a strong education, 10+ years of sales experience, some charts showing that numbers go up, a LinkedIn page that says 'SaaS Sales Consultant,' and a reasonably professional website that says the same thing with a cool logo.
Consultant 2 sends you 10 videos that all essentially say:
When I started working with Consultant 2, I was bogged down doing all the day-to-day sales. In less than 120 days, Consultant 2 helped me build a process that allowed me to hire my first salesperson. Now, I'm able to focus most of my time on CEO work and growing the business. If I would've tried to do this on my own, I'd still be doing sales and my business would be stalled. - Client Name & Website
Which one gives you more confidence?
Concentrated Case Studies & Social Proof Make Life Easier for Everyone
The purpose of concentrated case studies and social proof isn't to merely show that you can do the work.
It's to demonstrate that you've already done the work and helped people get the exact results they are looking for.
It improves your credibility.
Which increases your prospect's confidence.
Which reduces the perceived risk of hiring your services.
And makes sales easier, while allowing you to charge more over time.
The Key Word is "Concentrated"
Case studies and social proof won't pack as much of a punch if they're generic or all over the place.
Your prospect wants to know that you've solved a similar problem, for a similar person and helped them get results similar to what they want before. And that's why prioritizing "more clients" comes at a cost.
Your client-work can be your best marketing... but only if the client work you accept is closely related to the next type of client you want to get.
If it's not, you've lost time, and the opportunity to increase how much you charge to solve a similar problem next time.
Over the long haul, the cost is massive after you consider how big of an impact your brand could've had if you focused on stacking up wins solving a specific problem or helping a specific market.
Get Started Now
If you want to fully leverage your work to help you get more (and better) work, there are four places to get started.
Pick a problem to solve or market to serve. No, it won't allow you to use all your skills or tap every one of your strengths. But it will create the most leverage with your most valuable resource: time.
Look at your work history to capture your wins. Chances are, this is a problem or market you have addressed throughout your career. Use your work experience and the clients you’ve had in that space to get your first few wins documented.
Tell the world about the wins you've put on the board. This isn't the time to let your humility keep you from maximizing your business' potential. Don't be shy about sharing the wins, posting them on your website, or sharing them on social.
Say no to client work that doesn't give you a case study. It's tempting to take projects that represent revenue right now, even if they don't offer up a case study you can leverage in the long run. Just remember, saying "no" to ok projects means not having the time to say "yes" to perfect projects.
