Your own network, even your friends, often forget what it is you do. 

Or if they remember, it's too rarely, and not when they're talking to someone who would be an ideal client of yours, which is when you want them to be thinking about you!

So if you aren't keeping in touch with your network, how will they remember to refer you new clients?

Out of the hundreds of entrepreneurs and service providers I have personally coached, I can count on one hand (i.e. very few!) the number of people who, before they started working with me, were consistently and personally keeping in touch with their network about what they do. 

Personal outreach is a much higher quality of contact than just seeing your posts on social media, and it's what can get you clients asap. Briefly, here is the fastest way to gain new clients:

​A lesson I've been learning throughout my life -- especially in business -- is to let go of the need to make a "good first impression."

For example, this may be the first blog post you see from me. Maybe you don't like it. It might be making a poor first impression on you.

Should I be afraid to lose you as a potential reader?

If I gave into the fear, I might never write blog posts... there's too many people I could disappoint and readers I could "lose", if I don't make a good first impression.

Here's the fallacy of thinking:

The world is starving for genuine, win-win collaborations.

Every single business can have enough clients, if we each became more mindful, active, and caring about creating win-win relationships.

The labels we use influence how we think about others. I suggest that we refrain from using the term "competitor" (which creates fear) and instead, let us replace it with the term "niche mate".  

A niche mate is another business, like you, that provides a service similar to the one that you provide and/or serves the same type of audience.

A niche mate, like you, has needs, insecurities, genius zones (that might complement yours), and they have themselves and maybe a family to support. A niche mate is worth helping, just as you are.

In fact, your niche mates are either your best mirrors, or your best partners...