In today's marketing landscape, your ability to craft a message that resonates with your ideal client is paramount. Picture this: you have approximately five seconds to grab someone's attention and keep them engaged, and you can't afford to squander this precious time on a message that fails to connect.
A compelling message is one that clearly addresses the one thing your ideal client desires above all else – what is that, you ask? They want their problems solved.
In many ways, your clients won't really care about your brilliant plans to do X, Y, and Z if you don't, first and foremost, convey your understanding of what they genuinely crave.
Hint: Here's the truth – nobody truly craves what you're selling; they just want their problems resolved, period.
So, for today, here's your mission:
Create a list of the problems you solve for the clients you assist the most. If you're having trouble pinpointing your client's problems, think about the things they often complain about – although, of course, we'd never use the term "complain."
For instance, let's consider marketing consultants. Many of our potential clients might express statements like, "I just want the phone to ring more."
In light of this, I don't sell marketing services, SEO, or consulting. In essence, everything you need to know about what I do is simple: I make the phone ring, end of story.
Here's another example: a tree service. They might possess top-notch equipment and highly skilled crews, but all their customers seem to care about is that they show up on time and leave the place clean.
Hence, that's the promise they need to promote. The rest is an expectation – after all, shouldn't every tree service company have highly skilled technicians?
That's how you recalibrate your message so it's no longer about you, your incredible products, or services; it's all about your remarkable clients and the problems they yearn to have solved.
Creating Trigger Phrases
I've often referred to these types of statements as "trigger phrases" in the past.
Your customers might not know how to solve their problems precisely, but they usually have a good grasp of what their problems entail. If you can become adept at demonstrating that what you offer is the solution to their problems, they won't really care about what you label it – they'll buy it to alleviate their pain.
Take some time to dissect every solution you offer, every benefit you attribute to your services, and map it back to a select few "trigger phrases."
These phrases can be questions, statements, or even anecdotes, but they must stem from the perspective of the customer.
Crafting Attention-Grabbing Headlines
Think about writing headlines for your website. In essence, compose a bold statement that might be the first thing anyone visiting your website encounters. (We'll delve deeper into this on day 2.)
Now, pose this question to yourself: Would this statement captivate your ideal client more effectively than something generic like "welcome to our website"?
For illustrative purposes, I'll outline a few common phrases that encapsulate the issues we hear. If you're a marketing consultant, these will likely resonate with you, and you might consider exploring membership in the Duct Tape Marketing Consultant Network.
Local Presence Problems (Examples of prospect needs expressed as problems):
- I feel like I'm getting left behind in the ever-changing online world.
- My website just isn't performing as I had hoped.
- All my competitors appear in local searches except my business.
- I'm bombarded by pitches from SEO companies.
- Managing content production and participation in every social network is exhausting.
As a result, some of the best headline ideas might originate from combining these common frustrations.
Seek assistance from your ideal clients in crafting your new message. Select a handful of them and inquire: "What problem did we solve for you?" Put your headlines to the test with them and request their insight into how you outperform others.
Pro tip: If your business receives online reviews, scrutinize them closely. While 5-star reviews are wonderful, pay special attention to the words and common phrases employed by your happiest clients – they may articulate your promise.
For instance, consider a remodeling contractor:
Review 1: They fulfill their commitments, arrive on schedule, and deliver high-quality work.
Review 2: They are easy to work with and consistently prioritize the client's best interests.
Review 3: Their attention to detail, effective team communication, and proactive issue resolution have been outstanding.
Review 4: All projects were completed on time or even ahead of the scheduled end date.
Can you identify any recurring themes in these review snippets? Often, when we receive praise, it's because we've done something that exceeded their prior experiences.
Defining Your Ideal Client
This encompasses a variety of aspects – who can you provide the most value to, who do you genuinely enjoy working with, who needs your services the most. Develop a comprehensive description of your ideal client and include as many details as possible, encompassing the problems they seek to solve. Reflect on how you can reach them and appeal to their preferences. Utilize your current top clients to gain insights into what makes them ideal for you. (Hint: they are profitable and potentially refer others to you already.)
Here's how to precisely define your ideal client:
- Step 1: Establish the must-haves to qualify as a client – these criteria inherently narrow down your list, such as being over 18 or homeownership.
- Step 2: Outline attributes that are generally preferred but not mandatory – this could encompass age ranges, geographic locations, or special interests.
- Step 3: Determine the qualities that make them the ideal fit for your services. These may include a particular business model, unique problems, or being at a specific stage in their life or business.
- Step 4: Identify the behavioral traits that help you recognize them. Do they belong to industry associations, sponsor charitable events, or read specific publications?
To sum up today's task, you have two objectives:
- Precisely define and document how you would spot your ideal client.
- Create a compelling promise statement that addresses a common problem your ideal clients encounter. Answer this question: What problem do you solve for your ideal clients?
