How to get your ideal client’s attention and have them saying, “That’s me!” vs. “That’s nice.”

The first job of marketing is to get people’s attention.

That’s job #1. If that job isn’t accomplished, nothing else matters.

And it’s not an easy job because you’ve got about three seconds to get someone’s attention when they come across your website. When your ideal clients hit your website, blog or sales page you want them to read your words and say, “That’s me! This was written just for me!” not, “So what.”

Remember this always: the confused mind says “no.”

If people look at your posters and brochures and don’t see how what you’re doing is relevant to them (or those they care about) it’s over. You might be the best person in the world to help them but if they don’t see that? It’s over.

Most marketing that I see, particularly amongst life-coaches, holistic practitioners, and other service providers, fails this relevance test. It’s so unclear and fuzzy.

Why?

There are a lot of reasons, but here’s the primary one: all they do is talk about the boat.

Here’s what I mean.

Your ideal clients are currently on Island A where they’ve got some problems with which they’ve been struggling. They want to be on Island B where there’s a result that they’re craving. Your business is like a boat that can take them from one island to the other.

If you are a service provider, then what your clients care about is the journey, not your boat.

And so, when your marketing is only talking about the boat (i.e. talking only about your modality) you’re going to lose out on anyone who doesn’t already know about your modality.

Are there some people looking to hire someone who’s an expert in a certain modality? Yes.

Are there some people for whom your qualifications in said modality will be the main criteria of whether or not you’re relevant? Most likely.

But that’s maybe only 5% of your ideal clients. The rest, who you could absolutely help, have no idea and get confused when you talk about it. And the confused mind says “no.”

“Okay,” you think. “Simple enough. I just have to articulate the problem I solve and the result I offer. Easy enough.”

You’d think so but this is actually the major sticking point of most of the people who come to my workshops. I have literally spent two days of a weekend workshop helping people through the swampy quagmire of this.

Is it simple? Yes.

Is it easy? No.

There are so many place this can go wrong.

And so, I’ve collected thoughts and notes and examples over the years and have finally, after long last, woven them into an eBook that I hope will be of some use to you in figuring this all out.

What You’ll Learn in This eBook:

• Five reasons to figure out how to articulate your relevance (that many people never consider).

• The critical difference between their symptoms vs. your diagnosis (this is one of the top three stumbling blocks I see most consistently in clients at my workshops).

• Dozens of stories, examples, transcripts, quizzes and case studies to help you get crystal clear about what this all looks like in the real world.

• The four core symptoms that people can have (almost every problem you can think of will fit into one of these four categories – this is an invaluable shorthand to have).

• The difference between niching shallow and wide vs. narrow and deep (hint: if you’re running a business on the internet or in a big city, one of these will bring you a lot of business and the other will starve your business).

• The nine qualities of a well-articulated problem (when I work with people on these in live workshops, I see most practitioners missing many of these).

• Seven ways you can identify and clarify what Island A is for your clients (most people find at least a few new ideas here).

• What do you do if there are no symptoms? What if your clients aren’t even aware they’ve got issues that they need help with but you know they do? I’ve got some practical, tried and tested thoughts on this.

• Island Z. This is another Island that’s neither Island A or Island B that has to do with a client’s worst fears. Understanding this can make a massive difference in your capacity to connect with your ideal clients in your sales copy, You’ll also get fifteen ideas for how to deal with the fear of Island Z.

• 15 core results people might want from your product or service. This list in incredibly useful to help you hone in on exactly what your service is really offering to your ideal clients. This list helps you shift the focus from what you’re giving to what your clients are getting from your services.

• The nine qualities of a well-articulated result. Most of the results people are offering are worded so anaemically that they’re useless in marketing. These nine qualities are an incredibly useful filter through which you can run your marketing messages.

• What if you can’t guarantee a result? You’ll learn seven things to look at when you’re struggling with this issue.

• Island C: The Unimagined Possibility. Sometimes what you’re offering to people isn’t something they’re craving. They don’t even know that it’s possible to achieve a this result like that you know to be possible (e.g. think sustainable polyamory, turning your front lawn into a food forest, etc.)
• Finally, you’ll learn exactly where to use this all in your marketing.
• BONUS! The Art of Relevance Workbook is include for free with this eBook. This workbook guides you through the best, most useful questions I’ve come up with over the years while working with hundreds of entrepreneurs to help them figure these very things out.

Who is This For?

• Service providers who are struggling with their niche and can’t seem to articulate what they do in a way that people get it. If this sounds like you, then clarifying your Island A is almost certainly the heart of your issue.

• Business coaches whose clients are struggling to clarify the problems they solve and results they offer, who wouldn’t mind having a handy resource to share with those clients. Also for those business coaches who want to have a firmer grasp on this issue for themselves.
• Those who sell products that could solve multiple problems and help people accomplish multiple outcomes.

Who is This Not For?

• If you primarily create and sell art this book is likely going to be far less relevant for you and I would encourage you check this out instead.
• If you’re already getting all the kinds of clients you want by simply promoting your modality, then my hat is off to you. And with a deep and courtly bow and my sincere congratulations, I tell you that this is not the program for you.

Bonus: The Art of Relevance Workbook

The Art of Relevance is full of stories and examples but, at the end of the day, this is something you need to figure out for your business if it’s going to be of any use to you at all. On one level, it seems so simple: what’s the problem you solve and what’s the result you offer? But, if it were that easy, you wouldn’t be reading this sales letter. The Art of Relevance Workbook will guide you through the best, most useful questions I’ve come up with over the years while working with hundreds of entrepreneurs to help them figure these very things out.