Worried How to Find Clients? Business System #4: Marketing

By: Kathleen Ries-Jubenville   |    Read time: 4 minutes

Introduction

Many business owners know they need more clients but feel stuck on how to find them. Some are not sure what to say. Others know what to do but dread showing up on social media, so they put it off. If that sounds familiar, it does not mean you are bad at marketing. It usually means no one has shown you how to build a Marketing system that fits you.

Marketing is the fourth of the 6 Key Business Systems™. It is how the right people find out about you, understand what you offer, and decide to take the next step. When it is working, you have a steady flow of new leads without chasing people or wearing yourself out.

You do not need to be loud or be everywhere. You need a clear message, a simple plan you can keep following, and an online path that turns attention into email subscribers and clients. Here are the three parts of the Marketing system and what each one does for your business.

HERE ARE THE 3 PARTS OF THE MARKETING SYSTEM:

1. Marketing Message: Say the Right Thing to the Right People

A marketing message is a short, clear statement that shows the right person you understand their problem and can solve it.

• It names who you serve, the problem you solve, and what changes for them when they work with you.
• It speaks to what your ideal client feels, including their fears and frustrations, not only the practical problem they want solved.
• It points to one clear next step, such as booking a meeting or downloading a free resource, so people know exactly what to do.

The most common mistake is leading with your credentials. People respond first to feeling understood. When your message does that, the right people lean in and the wrong ones move on, which saves you both time.

2. Tactical Marketing Plan: Do a Few Things Consistently

A tactical marketing plan is a written list of the specific marketing activities you will do, with a goal for each one.

• It starts small, with two or three activities you can repeat every week, placed on your calendar.
• It sets a monthly goal for each source of leads, such as followers added, emails captured, or leads generated.
• It favors activities that fit how you want to show up, such as on camera, in writing, or face to face, so you can keep doing them.

Marketing works through repetition. People trust what they see again and again. If an activity still fills you with dread after the awkward early stage, choose a different one. A plan you can keep following will always beat a bigger plan you drop in three weeks.

3. Online Marketing: Turn Attention into Clients

Online marketing is a funnel, which is a system that attracts the right people, captures their email addresses, and turns them into clients.

• It attracts people by showing up regularly in one place online where your ideal clients already spend time.
• It captures contact information by offering something useful, such as a guide, checklist, or assessment, in exchange for an email address.
• It converts subscribers into clients with a short series of automatic emails that introduces your services and invites people to work with you.

A follower belongs to the platform, but a subscriber belongs to you. Software and AI tools can take over routine tasks, such as scheduling posts or turning one piece of content into several, so your time goes to the work only you can do. Build the simplest version of each piece first, then add the next.

Conclusion

Marketing is the system that brings the right people to your door. Your message makes them feel understood, your plan keeps you visible, and your online funnel turns attention into relationships you own. Each part gets stronger as you build it, and you do not have to build all three at once.

To see where your Marketing system stands today, take the free 6 Key Business Systems™ Assessment. You will get clear next steps for your marketing message, your tactical marketing plan, and your online marketing, along with the other five systems.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Marketing system in a business?
The Marketing system is how you attract the right people and move them toward working with you. It has three parts: a marketing message that makes your ideal client feel understood, a tactical marketing plan that keeps your activities consistent, and an online funnel that captures email addresses and turns subscribers into clients.

How do I find clients if I am nervous about social media?
You do not need to be on every platform. Choose one place where your ideal clients already spend time, and one way of showing up that feels natural to you, such as writing, short videos, or audio. Then give people a reason to join your email list, so your reach does not depend on any one platform. Doing one thing consistently works better than doing five things once.

How do I know if my marketing is working?
Set a monthly goal for each source of leads, such as followers added, emails captured, or leads generated, and record the results in a simple spreadsheet. Once a month, compare the results to your goals. Then look at the quality of your leads, not just the number. Keep the activities that bring clients who are a good fit, adjust the ones that are close, and stop the ones that are not producing.

Which part of the Marketing system should I work on first?
Begin with your marketing message, because everything else carries it. If you cannot say who you serve and what problem you solve in one or two sentences, start there. If your message is clear but your activities are random, write your two or three weekly activities on your calendar. If people already find you but do not join your list, create one free resource and offer it in exchange for an email address.

If you are not sure where to begin, take the free 6 Key Business Systems™ Assessment. It shows you where your Marketing system is strongest and where it needs attention first, with clear next steps for each part.

The 6 Key Business Systems Series

This post is part of a series on The 6 Key Business Systems™.

Back to the start of the series: Building a Service Business? Know the 6 Business Systems You Need

Next in the series: Dreading the Sales Call? Business System #5: Sales