If you've ever met someone new, you've been asked this question. How did you answer?
“Coach”
“Therapist”
“Consultant”
HERE'S THE ROUNDUP
I'm going to talk about:
Why you don't do what you do
Clarifying what you actually do
How to implement that clarity
Clearly a Cliche
Why you don't do what you do
There's a cliche saying:
“No one cares what you do, they care what you can do for them.”
That's only partly true. People will care about what you do if you give them a reason to care - and, yes, that usually means communicating the benefit to them…
Check this great example:
Image from Harry's amazing marketing newsletter
You don't have to be so literal about what you do. Literal rarely translates well.
For example, the Germans have a saying, “Du hast eine Katze im Sack gekauft.” Literally translated it means, “you bought a cat in a sack" - which would be a pretty weird thing to do.
Thankfully it has nothing to do with sacks or cats: it means you bought something without inspecting it/doing your homework first.
I digress. The point is, being too literal will suffocate interest faster than putting a cat in a sack…
So Why Should Anyone Care?
Clarifying what you actually do
People care about what they care about 😶
The first step to helping people care about what you do is by understanding what they care about - or, more specifically, what they actually want.
In his book This Is Marketing, Seth Godin gives a breakdown of how this works using the example of selling a quarter-inch drill bit.
“People don’t want to buy
a quarter-inch drill bit. They want a quarter-inch hole.”
Get the longer version here
So first, understand what they want.
Second, figure out how your work provides that.
Third, determine what language they respond to.
Bada Boom, Bada Bing
How to implement that clarity
Once you've got those three things:
1. Start Conversations
Test your hypothesis by speaking to your ideal clients. Engage with their content on socials, find them on Reddit or other blogs, do face-to-face if you're in proximity.
2. Tweak Your Branding
Make sure your branding is aligned with these three things: what they want, how you provide it, how to tell them.
3. Create Content
Start building authority, trust, and interest by creating content targeting these wants.
4. Build an Offer
Create an offer specific to these people in this situation.
You're not a coach - you hold me accountable to create change
You're not a therapist - you empower action
Your' ‘re not a consultant - you create peace of mind
I'm not a brand strategist - I bring purpose, clarity, and focus to your business
Remember: What you do isn't what you do, it's what matters to your audience.
So frame it that way.