5 Key Strategies to Know When Growing a More Sustainable Business
Creating a sustainable business without burning out
We want our customers to look for more than a great bargain. We strive to build a business that is above the competition and attracts empowered clients that are willing to pay a premium. To achieve this, we are told to provide value, build relationships, and consider the impact on others and the world. We strive to have a successful, sustainable business that can grow while we stay focused on making a positive impact on the individual and society. However, in the process of growing, the foundation of a client-centric and sustainable business may get pushed aside in a zealous quest for increased revenue.
Before we take a closer look at the key strategies of growing a conscious, sustainable business, let’s examine what it encompasses. A conscious, sustainable business goes beyond growth and the bottom line. It considers the impact on society, the people it employs, the customers it serves, and the impact on the planet itself. As we change the way we look at life and reevaluate our values, we tend to favor businesses that are of like mind. A recent survey showed that people are more willing than ever to buy from companies they trust and support issues that matter to them. I, for example, tend to buy from local small businesses that offer artisanal foods made with produce grown in a sustainable and organic way and who give job opportunities to the local community.
I started my coaching business with a strong passion for making a difference in a conscious, sustainable, and client-centric way. I focused on each unique client in an individualized way that benefited them and their families.
When it came time to uplevel, scale, and reach more people, I was bombarded with variations of a growth formula that felt rigid and limiting. The client became secondary and the focus shifted to profits, systems, ease of operation, and pre-defined programs which was not in line with my mission. In the quest to grow and avoid entrepreneurial burnout, it is easy to get sidetracked and forget why we started the business in the first place. My fundamental values and mission to be of service were being threatened.
I found that to stay successful, it was paramount to integrate proven growth strategies with the value that our customers are seeking and the broader mission we set for ourselves when we started our business in the first place. This is called Conscious or Sustainable Capitalism.
When you master the skill of strategically scaling through proven systems while still staying connected to the customers you serve, you will not only grow and expand but avoid the ever-increasing hustle and burnout brought on by the loss of former clients and the sense of emptiness that is derived from straying away from your mission and purpose.
Here are 5 strategies that have helped me sustainably grow my client-centric business while avoiding burnout (mostly - still a work in progress) or losing sight of my mission.
1. Listen carefully to what your clients are saying
This may be obvious and common sense but not always common practice when you are enthralled with scaling your business to the next level. When starting a business, we are super focused on understanding the clients we want to serve. We conduct market research and potential client interviews. We want to know them inside out and understand their wants and needs.
As we grow, we start to make assumptions about our potential client’s needs based on our past experiences. We try to fit them into a white-washed growth system to streamline our operations and as a result, we may lose sight of changes in the client’s needs and expectations. We want to force them into a rigid system and may miss the actual support they are looking for. Your client may be looking for support during a product launch while you think of squeezing them into your system for supporting the operations of an established business. As a result, you may miss what type of support the client is actually asking for. They feel misunderstood and not valued. The authentic connection to the customer is jeopardized, and we risk losing the client before they can give us a whole-hearted YES.
When was the last time you felt truly heard by someone you were buying from? It can be the barista who took your coffee order this morning or the person who helped you in you the fitting room of your favorite clothing shop or the copywriter you contracted with for a special project. How did it feel? Now, how can you provide that same feeling of being seen and validated to your customers and clients?
2. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes
When you have been in your field for many years, each aspect of your service and process is familiar to you. For a first-time client, your service and processes may be unfamiliar and new. For example, if you’ve never hired a health coach you may not be familiar with the process of achieving a breakthrough or transformation to improve your health or shift your mindset. You might be looking for a weekly checklist of what to eat and what to avoid.
Instead, health coaching guides you on a journey to learn about your body, mind, and habits that sabotage or support your health. You will experiment with foods that are appropriate for your body and current situation and learn how to heal yourself. You will discover the hidden messages and blocks that keep you from being successful in the long run and how to look at situations with an open and inquisitive mind.
As you guide your prospects and clients through your programs, periodically check in with them to see how they are navigating the journey. Put yourself in their situation and reflect on how this transformational path was for yourself. It will give you a better position to be of support and understand their feelings and point of view.
Where in your business can you integrate checkpoints to make sure you are fully understanding your clients?
3. Lead with your heart, not your head
Whether we are doing business with corporations or individuals, in the end, we are dealing with people. They want to be seen, heard, and understood. With this in mind, we need to look beyond our systems and procedures to see the person on the other side of the table. No one wants to be seen as a financial transaction. It’s important to consider a collaborative approach to support them in reaching their goals.
Give yourself and your business the flexibility to meet the clients and prospects where they are. Take into consideration their life beyond business and show them trust and understanding. When people are valued and trusted they, in turn, bestow this trust onto you.
Have you been in a situation where you felt you were only a means to make the monthly sales projection? How did that make you feel? Not so great, right? When we do business with someone who sees us and makes it their mission to help us succeed, we want to return the favor by supporting them through referrals, good reviews, or repeat business.
How can you understand your client or prospect better and lead with your heart?
4. Balance masculine growth strategies with feminine fluidity and creativity
When you are new to business or in an active mode of scaling it’s tempting to follow outside guidance without questioning how this can best fit with your business and mission (masculine growth strategies). After all, we are asking experts for advice, and they must know better, right? We have all done it! I call it the “10 Steps to Nirvana” approach and I have fallen for it a few times. It’s a “proven” way that allowed others to achieve the results we are after. We try to implement these steps and may see short-term results, but something is off. Either we don’t feel as connected to our business or the expected client stream has slowed. We try to wear a one-size-fits-all dress and expect a custom-tailored gown. It doesn’t feel the same!
While many of these methods of doing business have merit, we need to mold them to who we are and how we want our business to operate. See if the newly proposed method aligns with your mission, passion, and your personality. While I see the benefits of a well-planned out approach, I tend to get easily overwhelmed with too much structure. I need fluidity and a creative space to function well (feminine growth strategies). I have now learned to trust myself and how I best operate. In return, I no longer see the 10 steps to nirvana as the holy grail and run it through my own filter. I pick what works for me and my business and leave the rest. With this in mind, I encourage you to take from this blog post what works for you and leave the rest.
The key is to find a balance between the masculine and feminine strategies that work for you and most importantly your clients and customers. By eliminating guilt, shame, and nit-picking myself about why I can’t follow a program, I gained the freedom to use creative ways of solving my challenges.
Take a moment and think about times when you bought a course or service that offered a structure or systematic approach. How well did this integrate with your goals? Did you achieve the desired outcome? Could it be more beneficial if you allowed the process to be more flexible? To come from the inside out, rather than the outside in?
5. Bring service back to customer service
There is no business without customers. The old saying that the customer is king still holds true, with modifications. While not every person is right for your business, love the ones that are. And love them deeply!
To give superior customer service, know who your ideal customer is. Know the strength of your business and how it can make a great difference for your ideal customer. Offer them the best support you can give. This builds deep trust and lasting relationships that bring repeat clients and referrals. It’s a great way to leverage your efforts and allows you to scale without the hustle, overwhelm, and ultimately burnout of spinning your wheels to get traction.
Spend your most valuable resource, your time, with clients and customers that are most aligned with your mission and way of doing business. The more aligned they are with you and the unique qualities and offerings of your business, the more positive their experience will be. In return, you will increase your chances of repeat business from them or someone they know.
How can you improve your service in your interaction with your clients? How can you make your clients or prospects feel extra special?
There are many ways to effectively grow a client-centric, sustainable business in a profitable way. Take a close look at what is working well for you. Where can you make changes to stay in alignment with how you want to serve your clients? Adopt what works and have the courage to modify what doesn’t quite fit. The world needs you, your work, and your unique gifts in YOUR full glory. The world does not need a watered-down version of you, looking like everyone else, feeling burnt out and exhausted! The clients are worthy of a full expression of you and so are you! Then watch your bottom line grow!
You will find more information about establishing sustainable daily and weekly habits to achieve more without stress and burnout in my new ebook at http://bit.ly/3a0KwXO
Waltraud Unger - Health and Transformation Coach
Waltraud has years of experience in helping others achieve their life, business, and health goals. She hosts a variety of online workshops and events throughout the year addressing health challenges, sabotaging beliefs and habits, and ways to break free from stress and burnout.
Click here to learn more about her offerings or to schedule a chat with Waltraud.