Service-based businesses inherently have a limited capacity for new clients. Instead of viewing this as a weakness, small businesses should leverage it as a powerful and authentic form of scarcity in their marketing. Stating you only have capacity for a few more clients creates genuine urgency without fabricated deadlines.
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For a service business with more demand than capacity, flip the sales model. Instead of you doing the work to secure funding or partners to onboard a new client, make it a requirement for the client to secure those resources for you. This leverages their desperation and turns your prospects into your sales team.
Don't market ten different services. Instead, identify one urgent, high-pain problem your customers face—your "pinhole." Attract them with that single solution. Once they trust you, it becomes easy to reveal and sell your full range of services.
When competing against a large incumbent, reframe the comparison away from company vs. company. Instead, frame it as you—the dedicated founder—versus their salaried, indifferent employee. This shifts the focus from resources to personal commitment, turning your small size into an advantage.
Instead of viewing your limited one-on-one time as an unscalable weakness, frame it as an extremely scarce resource. This fixed, low supply naturally drives up price. The goal isn't asking if a task is 'worth your time,' but setting a price that makes it worth your time.
Contrary to the 'value first, pitch last' model, present the full offer before your launch event even begins. Then, create urgency by offering a new, valuable bonus each day that expires within 24 hours. This strategy leverages peak attendance on day one and frames the purchase as an opportunity to gain extra value rather than a hard sell.
Contrary to the common advice to 'just raise your prices,' you should first increase client volume until your delivery system is strained. This process proves your product's value and operational scalability, giving you the confidence and justification to command higher prices.
Faced with a $25k event sponsorship, GoProposal's founder realized he could hire a full-time videographer for the same price. This decision, driven by scarcity, led to a more durable content engine that proved invaluable when the pandemic hit. A lack of resources forces creative, high-leverage thinking.
Instead of just giving away value, the best lead magnets solve a narrow problem in a way that exposes a bigger, more pressing need. This creates a "point of greatest deprivation," making the prospect eager for your core offer, much like an entree creates a desire for dessert.
To make a sale irresistible, your offer must contain five key elements: a clear transformation (outcome), rapid delivery (speed), fear removal (risk reversal), a reason to buy now (scarcity), and a proprietary method for achieving the result (unique mechanism).
