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One of the great feelings you’ll have when you’re in business for yourself is when business is humming along and you have a full dance card: Clients are calling and emailing you, your calendar is crammed with jobs and appointments, and your mailbox and bank accounts show a healthy influx of checks and money.

All that hard work is paying off!

But you know what? There’s actually a downside to being really busy and in-demand. And you know what that is? Complacency!

When things are going great you can find yourself starting to, well, take it for granted! As if you’re ALWAYS going to be this busy so you don’t really need to do anything else. Just sit back and let the jobs roll in. Right?

Wrong!

One of the most dangerous mindsets you can adopt if you’re an entrepreneur or a voice-over artist like me is to think you can stop marketing and actively applying your efforts to your business, just because you’re so busy. You might even kid yourself that you simply don’t have TIME to do any marketing, BECAUSE you’re so busy.

Here’s what happens:

You’re super-enthusiastic and you spend time marketing and learning and applying yourself aggressively to getting new business.

Business starts to flow in and you’re busy and in-demand. So you decide (consciously or unconsciously) that you can stop marketing and learning because you’re so busy.

Suddenly business drops off or dries up because all those clients are done hiring you for now. But because

heal marriage prayers stopped marketing, you don’t have any new clients or work flowing into your funnel.

The result?

The dreaded "Dry Spell." And panic!

No phone calls or emails are coming in. Projects are slow. Your bank accounts and mail box are seeing a lot less action.

So, long story short, the lesson here is: Even when business is BOOMING, you simply must be marketing.

If you stay consistent with your marketing and continue to keep learning, even when you’re busy, you’ll continue to increase your business success and security as the years go by.

And this applies to you, even if you’re one of the lucky ones who has a SUPER client who’s been using your services for years and who pays you really, really well.

Have you given thought to what would happen if that client decided to go with a different branding image? If that client had a "changing-of-the-guard" which resulted in their bringing in a whole new team of talent? (i.e., replacing you.) An unpleasant thought for sure and we hope that never happens. But are you prepared if it does?

I mention this because it actually happened to me. Years ago, my biggest modeling client, whose work comprised the bulk of my annual income, changed executive-level staff and they "cleaned house." All the people associated with the "previous" executive-level staff went bye-bye. Overnight. The models. The photographers. The makeup and hair artists. The ad agency. Everyone. Bye-bye. I was left floundering around like a fish out of water because I’d totally taken their business (10 years!) for granted.

Don’t do what I did. Make sure you keep feeding your funnel to guarantee a continuous stream of business.

Okay, so whether you’re in a dreaded "dry spell" right now (don’t worry, we’re going to turn that around!), or whether you’re in a euphoric "busy spell," here are some things you can do (and continue to do) to get, and keep, business coming in on a consistent basis.

Just say "No!" to dry spells. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1.) Reach out to new clients on a regular basis, no matter how busy you are.

Every day, or every week, or every month, make sure you contact brand new clients and introduce yourself to them and offer your services. Whether by telephone, email, in person, or by referral, continually reach out to NEW clients.

2.) Keep in touch with your existing clients on a regular basis.

Send them thank-you cards (not emails) after jobs you do for them. Stay abreast of what’s going on in their business – projects, awards, anniversaries, website updates. Be involved! Remember their birthdays. Send gourmet wine baskets for holiday presents. Promote their products and programs in your social media posts. CARE about them and treat them like good friends.

3.) Grow and change and let your client base KNOW you’re growing and changing.

For example, if you’re a voice actor, update your voice-over demos and make sure to let ALL your clients and prospective clients know you’ve done it. If you learn a new skill or acquire an accreditation, let everyone know. Any positive change in your skill set or marketing materials is a great reason to reach out to EVERYONE you know. Give them a reason to notice you and want to work with you.