How can you let potential clients know you can help them if they don’t know what you do, don’t care about you, and are only interested in themselves? (And let’s face it, that’s most, if not all, of your potential clients out there.)
You’ve tried telling them about your great products and services, and they still don’t respond to you. Why the heck not? Somehow you’ve got to get their attention on you in a different way.
One of the most useful alternatives I’ve found is to look at your difference in terms of your true offer rather than on what you’re selling.
So what’s your true offer? It’s the outcome or transformation your client gets as a result of working with you. Something prospective clients can look at and say, “I want that transformation too.”
So how is this different? How do you get to it?
Think back on the last client who was super impressed with your work, who had great success because of working with you. Got it? Think of something specific.
A.) Get that situation very clear in your mind. What outcome did they get? What exact results?
Did they make more money? Did they sell more products? Did they gain confidence? Did they lose stress and get problems off their desk? Did they lose weight and become more healthy? Can you quantify it?
B.) Good. Now keep hold of that, and take it further. What other transformations happened in their life because of the outcomes you just identified? Because they made more money, were they able to spend more time with their family? Because they gained confidence, did they get a new job? Because they got more healthy, did they find their perfect mate, take more vacations, or enter a marathon?
Being able to describe these outcomes and transformations can be very powerful for your business. Potential clients who want the same transformations will be attracted to you, regardless of what product or service you use to get them there.
It works the other way, too. Sometimes the fear of not getting the outcome or transformation you offer can be a more powerful motivator — people tend to move away from what they don’t want just as fast (and often faster) as they move towards what they do want.
C.) Consider asking: What would have been the cost to this client had they not worked with you? Would they still be struggling in their business? Would they be less happy? Stressed? Unhealthy?
Now that you know your true offer, begin working it into your conversations about your business, as part of your business positioning. Basing your positioning on client outcomes and transformations is a terrific way to get clients to pay attention to what you’re doing — because it’s about them.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Good read! I’ve been kinda thinking why my best clients … well, the ones I used to have, were my clients and how I managed to keep them.
Well, I violated many of the rules and then I lost them. If I had thought of what you wrote, I probably wouldn’t have lost hem.
Great info Marcia. It’s all in reframing from the customers’ POV. Wonderful and clear reminder! Thanks!
Bobbye Middendorf
The Write Synergies Guru
Marcia ~
You know what you’ve just provided in this post? –>–>–>–> VALUE!
It can be a tough assignment sometimes, but independent business owners absolutely MUST remove themselves from the marketing equation. You have demonstrated that here.
I love the notion of thinking in terms of “transformation” when developing marketing messages. People really resonate with successful transformations!
Thanks for another great tip and helpful reminder,
Melanie