Messaging and sales go hand in hand. Messaging is the written part of branding…it could make or break your offers—how they sell and the people who come into them. And if your messaging is off…well, all the other wheels of the bus are gonna fall off, too.
In this post, I’m breaking down where my client’s messaging went wrong and three simple messaging shifts to fix it so you don’t have to make the same mistakes and you can fill your offers with dreamy clients the first time!
Where the wheels fell off the (messaging) bus
First, let me tell you more about this fantastic client of mine. She’s an energy worker, an EFT expert, and an amazing counselor who works with women to usher them through grief so they can feel the wholeness of self-assuredness and self-confidence once more.
She has a signature group program that helps women identify, process, and overcome toxic cycles so they can re-discover their purpose, find their voice, and commit to lasting change.
To fill this latest round of her group program, she busted her ass selling it. She did the work on herself to get into the right mindset. She sought out experts to fill in gaps in her knowledge. And she did the marketing—sent the emails, gave presentations in other coaches’ communities, posted on Facebook.
And she filled this last round…with people who exhaust her. Now, she’s in a spot where she’s realizing that these people aren’t ready for her program…yet.
Of course, she’s a brilliant practitioner, so she has the skills to update how she fulfills this program to help them. There’s no question they’re in well-trained hands having an amazing experience.
The problem is…they aren’t going to have the fullest, most-life-changing experience. Because they’re not fully aligned and calibrated to who the right person for this offer is.
(And they also take a bigger chunk of my client’s energy so she has to take longer to recharge after a call.)
Now, before we get into it…she didn’t do anything wrong. In fact, everything around this offer seemed solid. Listen…we all have been there.
- We’ve taken the client because we needed the cash.
- We’ve said yes to on a sales call and immediately pulled a Homer Simpson when we disconnected.
- We’ve updated our contracts the second a project wrapped based on the experience we’re determined never to have again.
On the flip side, we’ve also all worked with people who are a perfect match.
- They experience big shifts.
- They tell you that you underpromised and overdelivered.
- They sing your praises to everyone…and even get a little pushy when they tell their business friends “NO, I’M TELLING YOU…WORK WITH HER.”
We love those people. So how do you get from one to the other?
The best way to sell your offer without giving in, people pleasing, or selling your soul just to make enough to put some gas in your car
The difference I spotted between what sells an offer and what sells an offer with the dreamiest, most aligned clients possible (aka: where’s the disconnect between what my client was selling and what her audience picked up)?
She was questioning every step. That questioning wastes so much time. That also naturally calls in clients who felt that questioning. They weren’t committed…because she wasn’t committed.
When you try to people-please and be everything for everyone… your message (and, by extension, the work you do, programs you offer, space you hold) becomes diluted.
It’s like a watered down drink that you paid $15 for that, just to add insult to injury, comes in the wrong glass. The whole experience is meh at best and a total disaster at worst.
But when you approach things with directness and clearly spell out who your program is for, the reason someone needs to join, and how they’re going to feel on the other side, you naturally weave in stories that repel people who aren’t meant to be around you and draw closer the ones who are.
It’s a perfectly balanced red-orange Negroni served in the chicest cut-crystal rocks glass (with one large cube of the clearest ice you ever did see, obviously).
How we’re shifting my client’s messaging to move from booking out an offer to booking out an offer with dreamy clients
Along with questioning every step, my client had to double- and triple-down on her message…knowing it was amazing and having the confidence to say that, clearly articulating her unique selling proposition, and understanding her audience. And that’s where her work is now.
So here’s what we’re updating:
Messaging Shift #1: Word choice
She’s getting super-specific. No more “are you ready to feel excited and free!” because…respectfully…what even does that mean? So, we’re diving deep into understanding her audience.
To understand where her audience is before working with her so we can describe the struggle potential clients are feeling, we’re looking at her intake forms. What are people actually looking to gain as a result of working with her? Why are they seeking that help now?
Messaging Shift #2: Articulating the outcome (or transformation)
This means clearly detailing what’s in it for them. Because here’s the thing, when people can’t tell why they should move…they’re not gonna. Having a moment of “here’s exactly what’s in it for you to do this RIGHT NOW” is a powerful motivator.
The first place we’re looking is in her testimonials. What have people said about why they came to her? What have they received as a result of working with her?
Messaging Shift #3: Adding urgency to a “luxury” offer
Right now, she’s writing a sound healing workshop sales page, which, depending on the person reading, can be a bit of a luxury. And sometimes, it takes a while for someone to “get it” because they’re not seeing the connection between this “would be nice to do some day” activity and how it directly helps them (hello, messaging shift #2!), especially when there are more urgent things to spend money on.
The way to add a feeling of urgency to something that’s a “treat yo’self when you have the funds” kind of offer (instead of a necessity, like a mortgage payment) is to clearly articulate what sucks now and show someone how they’re gonna continue sitting in this feeling.
All three of these messaging shifts mean clearly knowing her audience and what they fear, but most importantly what they deeply desire their life to look like.
That’s going to nail down the messaging and how she presents her offers. And like…not in a gross way that’s trying to manipulate people by saying what they want to hear. By using actual examples of past clients, she can stand in her integrity and share exactly how she’s helped someone.
My client is an ongoing copywriting coaching client and she’s crushing it. I’ve seen so much improvement in the quality of her copy and also the speed at which she moves on ideas. She’s confident in what she’s saying and to whom and with the clarity she has around her messaging and audience, it makes writing her marketing copy move much faster. No more second-guessing herself!
Clarity and a-has around messaging shifts start with a Magnetic Messaging VIP Day.
In just 4 hours together, you’ll have clarity on these three shifts for your business, too.
We’ll dive into where your magic lies and how you share that with the world so you can confidently step up to the stage and say what you’re REALLY here to say and draw in the most-aligned clients that give you full body tingles and you’re so excited to work with.
It gives you practical messaging tools, yes. You’ll nail down your tagline, mission statement, audience avatar, positioning strategy, marketing suite, and tools to replicate this for every offer you create.
But most importantly, it gives you an unshakable belief in the power of what you do. So you can build a brand that’s grounded, rooted in the assuredness that you’re the best at what you do.
This is your invitation to dig into what makes you different and find the determination to say it, over and over, with your full chest so the people who are meant to be impacted by your work can find you.
Learn more about a Magnetic Messaging VIP Day right here!
