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— Ann Gynn
The Hotline
Why Can’t I Get Clients to Buy My New Offers?
🟩 attract → 🟧 CONVERT → ⬜ retain → ⬛ amplify
Q: I keep launching new services — new packages, new niches, new positioning. But a month later, when that doesn’t gain traction, I move on to the next idea. I’m great at the work itself, but I can’t seem to get enough people to actually hire me. Is there a way to break the cycle?
A: Your situation reminds me of a Gilmore Girls episode (season seven, episode 17). After losing millions in a business deal gone bad, Rory’s boyfriend Logan tells Lorelei he’s working on his next thing: “I have a notebook. I’ve been writing down ideas ... everything from business models to just thoughts I’ve had. It’s a start."
Logan has the luxury of living on ideas. Most of us don’t. We have to make money. So, think about it this way: Every new service you launch is just an idea until someone pays for it.
The first question every entrepreneur must ask: What service or package can I offer that people are likely to buy?
The answer can’t come from you. It comes from research:
Talk to your ideal customer profile. Ask three to five people if they face the problem that your service idea addresses. Then ask what they’d expect to pay for help — offer low, medium, and high numbers to assess the potential pricing range. The second step is important because if they need the service but won’t pay a sufficient price, you probably don’t want to add the service.
Look to your competitors. Are they offering this service? How do they position it? Is it part of a package, a retainer, or an independent product? What value or angle could you add to distinguish your service?
Then, turn to your existing clients. It’s generally easier to get a client to add a service than to acquire a new client. You already know their challenges, so use that. Test a new offering with an incentive, like a discounted trial, and see if they bite.
Logan’s notebook was fine for someone with a trust fund. But it’s only the starting point for solo entrepreneurs. It takes research to turn an idea into an offer that people will actually pay for.
Got a question you’d like me to answer in a future edition of The Hotline? Call or text Marketing By One Hotline: +1.440.661.3984.
The Challenge
This week: Pick one new service idea. Don't build it yet. Talk to three potential clients first. See what you learn.
What I Did With AI This Week
I asked Claude to help me with a prospective client proposal. I shared a link to the project description and prompted it to draft a response based on my LinkedIn profile, website, and resume.
It returned a helpful first draft. I challenged it on some points to learn why it included one thing but not another. I won some of the arguments and learned why I shouldn’t change other points. The process cut my time in half. Now, we’ll see if it works :-)
Have any AI tricks of your own? Hit reply, call, or text the Marketing By One Hotline: +1.440.661.3984.
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The Marketing Minute
Borrow Brilliance
Share someone else's content with a one-line note about why it matters to your audience.
The Shortlist
🖥️ Free workshop: Join me this Tuesday (May 5) for AI in Marketing, a webinar from the Women’s Business Centers of Ohio. I’ll be talking about and showing how AI tools can help write your social posts, emails, and ad copy. No tech background required. It’s free and open to all genders and locations. Register here.
🚫 Unoriginal rejects: Instagram says no recommendations for content aggregators — handles that primarily re-upload others’ works in photos and carousel posts.
💰 Big contribution: The State of Solopreneurship report finds that one-on-one consulting services contribute to total revenue more than any other service or product. Digital products, such as ebooks and templates, rank second.
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Got a question you’d like me to answer in The Hotline? Email me or DM me on LinkedIn. Even better: Text or leave a message on the Marketing By One Hotline: +1.440.661.3984.