A business owner (I’ll call her Liza) told me her biggest frustration was explaining exactly what she offered.
Her concern was justified. Like so many solopreneurs, she offered services that hadn’t existed as recently as five years ago.
“I have a two-sided problem,” Liza said. “I’ve got to find a way to communicate what I offer to my prospective clients.
“But that’s not all. I’ve been putting off hiring a coach, a copywriter, and even a designer. They don’t get me. They don’t understand that my clients won’t respond to claims like, ‘If you don’t sign up for this offer, you might as well go out of business.
“I’d never recommend that line to anyone,” I said. “The clickbait era has passed. And good riddance.”
“I’ve been advised to tell stories,” said Liza. “But what kind of stories?”
Liza needs 2 kinds of stories: stories about how she helped clients – success stories. She also needs stories of how her clients developed a need for her services – the client’s backstories.
Success Stories
Success stories show exactly how you helped clients — the “after” part of the “before and after” transformation you offer.
“When Mary came to me, she’d tried and failed at 6 diets. I introduced her to my nutrition program…”
“Todd called me when his wife threatened to divorce him if he didn’t start making money from his business or get a job. We got his business turned around in 90 days…and within a year he was making more than he’d earned on. his previous job.”
Your story shows that, despite the client’s intelligence and expertise, you had something to offer that would be otherwise unavailable to the client. After all, your client can’t be expected to have the same skills you’ve developed over the years.
Client Backstories
Your copywriter and marketing coach need to help you create content and messages that reach your clients. They need to understand what’s going on in the client’s mind. The best way to do this is to find the client’s backstory.
These scenarios will be cliffhangers. You’re emphasizing the potential client’s pain points — what they’re feeling when they come to you.
For example:
Ben was just fired from his job. He’s been considering a move for years but couldn’t bring himself to leave his comfortable income and regular hours. Now that his world has been turned upside down, he’s ready for a career change. But after working in the same company for 15+ years, he has no idea where to begin. He’s considering taking aptitude tests, hiring a counselor, and returning to school.
Wendy has been trying to pivot to a new target market. Her prospects keep saying, “But don’t you have a web design business?” Wendy’s wondering how to tell a story that connects her former business with her current one, so she remains credible and shows the value of what she offers.
You need both types of stories.
It’s like 2 pieces of a puzzle. You need to understand what your clients think they need – in their own words. And then you need to understand exactly what you offer and how it fits their needs.
If you’d like to learn more about how to delve into the client’s backstory, get a step-by-step account with the Client Advantage course. Discover exactly what goes into a client’s backstory … and how to conduct research to enter the conversation in the client’s mind.
Learn more here.
You can also listen to my podcast episode #52 on this topic:
When Nobody Understands What You Do, Tell These 2 Stories.
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I’m also happy to work with you one-on-one to clarify your message and make it stronger. It’s perfect for business owners who want to get fast, specific support for a marketing challenge Click here to learn more.