Do you have questions like these:
How do I explain what I offer?
I want to stop working one-to-one and move more to groups, memberships and workshops.
I find I start talking to clients about their marketing tactics…but I really end up talking to them about mindset. How can I reposition myself?
When these questions arise, it’s easy to get caught up in revising your website, changing your business name, or finding a new way to describe your services.
But those steps probably won’t help. They often lead to that “going in circles” feeling.
What can you do instead?
Rather than start with the message *you* send your clients, start with the message *they’* send to you.
Here’s the way it works.
Harold helps entrepreneurs whose businesses have grown to the point where they need to hire more resources. A former HR manager, he helps them decide whether to hire full-time W-2 people or freelance W-9s. He coaches them to deal with hiring people and re-evaluating the company’s needs over time.
Harold’s clients say, “I have more work to do than I can handle. But I’m scared of getting locked into a payroll. And I have no idea what’s legally required: if I hire a freelancer, what paperwork do I need? What does a sample contract look like?”
Now Harold wants to offer more workshops instead of one-to-one. He begins by looking at the backstories of clients who’d be attracted to this offer.
Most likely clients would bring almost the same backstory as those who sought one-to-one coaching.. But they might also say, “I don’t know what questions I need to ask.”
That’s a great opportunity for Harold to introduce more benefits to his marketing copy.
When you participate in a workshop – even virtually – you get inspired by questions from other participants. You learn from other people’s mistakes.
But Harold also finds his clients need a mindset shift when they begin to hire more outside staff. They’re really seeking ways to deal with uncertainty and manage relationships.
Harold needs to find a way to enter the conversation in the client’s mind…but he’s wondering how he can change the subject.
He could try the classic, “Sell the cake and serve the spinach.” Often that strategy works…but sometimes you get a protest: “I wanted cake! Get the spinach out of here!”
So let’s turn back to the client’s backstory. What is the deeper challenge they’re facing?
Digging deeper, perhaps Harold’s clients want to get more done with less hassle, find simpler processes, and, above all, achieve peace of mind. That’s most likely the point where you can enter the conversation. You communicate that your offer will ultimately lead to this end goal.
You may have to try a few variations to get to the point where your story meets their story.
But you won’t get there by focusing on your product and processes. Once you understand the client’s backstory – and their baggage – you can come up with a story to accomplish what seemed impossible at first: explaining your offer and possibly expanding your program in new directions to meet the client’s genuine needs.
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to backstories.
Click here to download this free report: 
Who are your ideal clients & why do they buy from you?
If you’d like to learn more about finding your client’s backstory to create your client advantage, click here to learn more. Use the code CLIENTADV10 to take $10 off the published price.
Or let’s set up a Marketing Action Advantage consultation – and you’ll get the course included.
