Fishing for Clients
I grew up fishing with my dad. He loves it. I do not.
He can stand in a lake for hours, casting line after line, completely content. Meanwhile, after fifteen minutes, I'm checking my watch and wondering if anyone would notice if I quietly headed back to the cabin.
This week, I was coaching a business owner who wasn't getting the response she hoped for from a new Offer. She assumed the Offer itself might be the problem. Sometimes that's true. Sometimes you do need to go back to the drawing board.
But I knew her Offer and didn’t think it was time for her to scrap it yet. And what came to mind was a fishing metaphor. So, reluctantly, I used the metaphor of fishing with my dad to help her evaluate her Offer and her Marketing.
Here’s 4 things about Marketing that fishing with my dad taught me:
Quantity matters: You can't cast your line three times and conclude the fish aren’t biting. Sometimes Offers fail not because they're bad, but because they're abandoned too early. Don't confuse a lack of immediate results with a lack of potential.
Potency matters: Some approaches are passive - a social media post, an email blast. Other approaches put you directly in the current - having one-on-one conversations, speaking to a small group, making personal invitations. Better bait tends to produce better results.
Location matters: If fish/people aren't responding in one place, it doesn't automatically mean no one wants what you Offer. It may simply mean you haven't found where they're gathering.
But the biggest lesson is this: learn to love the fishing.
My dad always catches more fish than I do because he enjoys the process. He stays longer. He pays attention. He experiments. He can't wait to get back out there the next morning.
Sales and marketing are often half of running a business. If you resent half of your business, your business will struggle and feel exhausting.
The entrepreneurs who thrive are the ones who learn to love this part of the business. Find your way to fall in love with “fishing.” With finding your people and connecting meaningfully with them.
When you find your way to love this part, your business (and your enjoyment of it) will transform.
*In this metaphor, we’re assuming that the fish want to be caught. We don’t want to bait & switch on clients :)
