Finding clients is the hardest part, even after 26 years

Why is finding clients still the hardest part of the job, even after 26 years in business?Sharon Schanzer has run her own company in New York since 2000. She is the founder of What's Your Boulder?, The Implementation Studio, and of RLDGROUP, The Design Studio. A client once asked for "just a Shopify site"; what they needed was a whole business. Another asked if they would end up on the first page of Google; her answer was no. In this episode of Le Marketing & Co she explains why she still sells every single day, why she makes no guarantees and why her clients stay anyway.We talk about the "boulder": the one project that blocks everything else and how it gave her company its name; about going to events three or four times a week and following up afterwards, because the second the event is over, everyone forgets you; about pricing by deliverable instead of by the hour; about SEO, Google and AI without promises; and about her "friction free" way of working, which is why one client said: "I wish everybody had a Sharon."The episode is in English.Also on video, with subtitles in English, French, Russian and Ukrainian: https://youtu.be/UMoekngElsUCHAPTERS00:00 Finding clients is the hardest part00:18 Welcome and introductions01:44 26 years in business, two companies08:46 Why "What's Your Boulder?"10:17 The Shopify developer request12:32 "Can you do a website?"13:23 A generalist in no box15:24 A 10-person business run by one person16:32 Her own boulder: 20 pounds lighter18:40 Creating a company in one afternoon19:19 Finding clients: the hardest part20:42 Selling all the time, even today21:24 Events three or four days a week23:07 Selling is hard: follow up24:52 Clients in the US and Europe27:19 No guarantee on return on investment27:56 A price per deliverable, not per hour28:45 Starting a company is not easy30:51 "I don't make any guarantees"32:03 Friction free: easy to work with33:27 "I wish everybody had a Sharon"34:13 SEO, the first page of Google and AI35:23 She never says "no"35:58 GoodbyeABOUT SHARON SCHANZERFounder, What's Your Boulder?, The Implementation Studio, and Founder, RLDGROUP, The Design Studio. New York.Schedule a complimentary 30-minute call with Sharon to discuss your Boulder: https://whatsyourboulder.com/contactWebsite: https://whatsyourboulder.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonschanzerBE OUR NEXT GUESTLe Marketing & Co talks with founders and independents about how they find clients. Want to tell your story? https://maricleostudio.com/en/be-a-podcast-guest?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast_descriptionPRODUCED BY MARICLEO STUDIOEditing, subtitles in four languages, website: https://maricleostudio.com/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast_descriptionPREVIOUS EPISODECharlély Portier (Lexarys): first clients with zero reviews, why Lexarys skips ads (in French): https://youtu.be/TbpfyKBORdIWANT A CLEAR PLAN FOR YOUR VISIBILITY?Book a 30-minute discovery call: https://calendly.com/maricleostudio/30minABOUT MARICLEO STUDIOMariCleo Studio helps entrepreneurs and small businesses clarify their positioning, strengthen their visibility and build a coherent marketing system.Website: https://maricleostudio.com/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast_descriptionLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/maricleo-studio/