#181: Talkin' Shop—The Power of Being Your Authentic Self in Coaching (And Why Buzzwords Just Get in the Way)

Summary

Marketing Made Simple: Episode #181 Summary

Title: Talkin' Shop—The Power of Being Your Authentic Self in Coaching (And Why Buzzwords Just Get in the Way)

Host/Author: Powered by StoryBrand
Release Date: November 6, 2024

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Introduction

In Episode #181 of Marketing Made Simple, hosts Dr. J.J. Peterson and April Sunset Shine Hawkins delve into the burgeoning coaching industry, exploring strategies for coaches and consultants to distinguish themselves in an increasingly crowded marketplace. Featuring insights from Eric Williams, a StoryBrand Certified Guide since 2017, the discussion centers on authentic branding, clear messaging, and the effective use of the StoryBrand framework to attract and retain ideal clients.

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The Expanding Coaching Landscape

Dr. J.J. Peterson opens the conversation by highlighting the explosive growth within the coaching sector. He notes that while opportunities abound, the challenge lies in standing out amidst the saturation:

"It's growing like crazy and there's so many opportunities. But how do you make yourself stand out so often?" (02:46)

April Sunset Shine Hawkins echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the necessity for coaches to shift from being generalists to defining their unique value propositions. She introduces Eric Williams, whose expertise lies in helping coaches attract their ideal clients by refining their messaging and marketing strategies.

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Mastering Clear Messaging with StoryBrand

Eric Williams underscores the importance of clarity in messaging, particularly for coaches who often default to showcasing their credentials and achievements. He advises against positioning oneself as the hero of the story, a common pitfall where coaches inadvertently overshadow their clients:

"We have to really look ourselves in the mirror and go like, okay, am I putting myself in the hero seat?" (08:35)

Instead, Eric advocates for adopting the role of a guide—someone who understands the client's struggles and offers actionable solutions without taking center stage. This approach not only fosters trust but also aligns with the core principles of the StoryBrand framework.

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Differentiation Through Authenticity and Specificity

A recurring theme in the discussion is the power of authenticity. Eric shares his personal experience of securing a major contract by staying true to his unique voice and avoiding corporate jargon:

"I was running one of my biggest contracts... mostly because I was me and I wasn't afraid to be me." (16:03)

He advises coaches to infuse their personality into their messaging, making their content relatable and distinctive. This authenticity helps attract clients who resonate with their genuine approach, setting them apart from competitors who rely on generic, buzzword-laden language.

Furthermore, Eric emphasizes the necessity of specificity in defining one's niche. He draws an analogy to medical specialties, explaining that just as patients seek specialists for specific ailments, businesses seek consultants with expertise in particular areas:

"If you have a brain tumor, are you going to your general practitioner... you want somebody that says I only work on brain tumors." (26:22)

By honing in on a specific vertical or horizontal niche, coaches can become the go-to experts for that particular segment, thereby enhancing their marketability and client acquisition efforts.

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Practical Strategies for Coaches and Consultants

1. Refining the One-Liner:
Dr. Peterson and April highlight the importance of the one-liner as an elevator pitch that succinctly communicates the coach's value proposition. Eric advises ensuring that the one-liner is conversational, specific, and free from corporate jargon:

"Check your one liner... rewrite it in your voice so it tracks the customers you truly want to work with." (29:03)

2. Utilizing AI for Voice Development:
Eric introduces a creative technique where coaches envision which celebrity would portray them in a biopic. This exercise helps in identifying and refining their authentic voice, which can then be integrated into their marketing materials using AI tools:

"Picture if there was a celebrity that would play me in a biopic... it was like, oh, the Rock or Ryan Reynolds... nope, not me." (20:05)

3. Identifying Client Needs:
Understanding the diverse spectrum of client needs is crucial. Eric categorizes client expectations into various roles a coach might play, such as a cheerleader, accountability partner, tactician, or executor. Recognizing these roles allows coaches to tailor their services and messaging to attract the right clientele.

4. Avoiding the 'Everything Person' Trap:
Coaches are cautioned against positioning themselves as generalists. Instead, they should focus on niche markets where they can offer specialized solutions, thereby avoiding being overshadowed by specialists in the field:

"Don't be the everything person because the everything person is going to get missed for somebody that is specializing in that particular problem." (28:29)

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Actionable Steps

To conclude the episode, Dr. Peterson outlines actionable steps for listeners to implement immediately:

1. Evaluate Your One-Liner:
   Assess whether your elevator pitch clearly outlines your customer's problem, the solution you provide, and the results they can expect. Ensure it's written in a conversational style that reflects your unique voice.

2. Refine Your Messaging:
   Remove corporate buzzwords and emphasize authenticity. Highlight how your expertise directly addresses specific, tangible problems your clients face.

3. Define Your Niche:
   Identify and articulate a clear, specific niche where you can excel as a specialist, whether it's a vertical (e.g., marketing for health coaches) or a horizontal (e.g., fractional CMO services for startups).

4. Incorporate Personality:
   Infuse your personality into all marketing content to create a relatable and distinctive brand image that attracts your ideal clients.

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Conclusion

Episode #181 of Marketing Made Simple offers invaluable insights for coaches and consultants aiming to elevate their marketing strategies. By leveraging the StoryBrand framework, embracing authenticity, and honing in on specific niches, professionals can effectively differentiate themselves in a saturated market. Eric Williams' expertise provides a roadmap for creating clear, compelling messages that position coaches as trusted guides, ultimately attracting clients who are eager to embark on their own success stories.

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Notable Quotes:

• "We have to really look ourselves in the mirror and go like, okay, am I putting myself in the hero seat?" — Eric Williams (08:35)

• "I was running one of my biggest contracts... mostly because I was me and I wasn't afraid to be me." — Eric Williams (16:03)

• "Don't be the everything person because the everything person is going to get missed for somebody that is specializing in that particular problem." — Eric Williams (28:29)

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Resources Mentioned:

• Become a StoryBrand Certified Guide:
  For marketers looking to enhance their expertise, apply for StoryBrand certification by visiting storybrand.com/guide.

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This summary captures the essence of Episode #181, providing listeners with comprehensive insights and practical strategies to refine their marketing approaches in the coaching and consulting arenas.

Transcript

[Host]

Chances are, if you're listening to this podcast right now, you're a freelance marketer, an agency owner or a consultant who's passionate about helping businesses grow. Well, if that's you, I've got some exciting news. Right now is your chance to take things to the next level by becoming a storybrand Certified guy. Imagine having the tools, the training, and the title that sets you apart in the marketing world. As a storybrain certified Guide, you'll be fully equipped to help businesses clarify their message, connect with their customers and skyrocket their sales. Plus, you'll be part of an exclusive community of top tier marketing professionals, sharing insider tips, opportunities and even referrals. But do not wait to apply because the deadline for the December training is just around the corner. So go to storybrand.com guide to apply now and take that first step toward becoming the go to Marketer expert in your field.

[Dr. J.J. Peterson]

There's a lot of people now who are learning that they can take their expertise, they can take their experience, and they can actually build a coaching business. But it is becoming a more crowded space. It's growing like crazy and there's so many opportunities. But how do you make yourself stand out so often? We look at everybody else's one liners and everybody else's websites and go, how do I compete with them that. Well, the way you compete with that is by being clear with your message. Hello hero Maker. Welcome to the Marketing Made simple podcast, powered by Story Brand and brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network where we believe your marketing should be easy and it should work. I AM your host, Dr. J.J. peterson and I am joined by my co host, April Sunset Shine Hawkins. Hello April.

[April Sunset Shine Hawkins]

Well, hello JJ and hello Hero Maker.

[Dr. J.J. Peterson]

April. You and I both started out in business many, many moons ago.

[April Sunset Shine Hawkins]

It was a, it was a while ago.

[Dr. J.J. Peterson]

We've been in business in the business field, but before that we were in education and we were in nonprofit work, which was also business. But we were kind of in that space and then transitioned into business, you know, more than a decade ago and built our own businesses and helped other people obviously who've been building their business for a while. But just have a question for you. When you were starting out in business, what's something you wish somebody would have come alongside you and told you that you didn't even know you needed to know?

[April Sunset Shine Hawkins]

Does that make sense that I should pay myself?

[Dr. J.J. Peterson]

Yes. Yes.

[April Sunset Shine Hawkins]

I didn't know how to do those kinds of things. I was quite green as you know, many people are whenever they're Exiting one profession and moving into another. And I had only ever been paid, you know, in, like, W2 style. And I just had no clue. It's important to pay yourself. So isn't that crazy?

[Dr. J.J. Peterson]

Because, like, you obviously had, like, high level of skill. You had been doing a lot of different stuff on the side, kind of moved into the space of building your own business. You had a lot of connections, but there were things that you needed, somebody who had gone ahead of you a little bit and had more experience than you to speak back into those areas of your life. Yeah, for me, it was. There was definitely a learning curve because I had been in, you know, the marketing space when I did nonprofit stuff, and I kind of worked in that for a while, and then I went into education. By the time I came back out of education, we had the Internet. Like, really. The Internet didn't really exist when. I mean, it did kind of, but people were not using it. And so I went from kind of business and marketing, and then, you know, a decade went by and everything changed. And then I was hopping back into business and marketing, and I would go in to help companies, and somebody would say something like, so, can you help us with our SEO? And at the time, I'd be like, yeah, yep, I can. Absolutely. And at the moment, the first time I heard it, I did not know what SEO was.

[Eric Williams]

Sure.

[Dr. J.J. Peterson]

I did not know what those words stood for.

[April Sunset Shine Hawkins]

Yeah.

[Dr. J.J. Peterson]

Or somebody would say, like, okay, you know, I'm very excited. I see that you have a lot of experience with B2C businesses. Have you worked with B2B? And I had not heard those acronyms when I first started consulting. And I was like, I don't know what that means. I needed somebody else to come alongside me and help me grow in areas that I needed growth in. I had some. I had a lot of expertise. I had a lot of willpower and brain power that I could bring to the table. But there were certain areas, especially when I was starting to start my own business, that I didn't know what I didn't know. And I had to have other people help me. And that world of that of people coming alongside people who are building something new or trying something new, that coaching world is really exploding right now. I mean, the growth that is happening in the coaching space is phenomenal, and people are coaching all sorts of things. So, like, you and I needed business coaching to somebody come alongside and go, hey, here's how you actually pay yourself. Or these are the new trends you need to be paying attention to as you move into this new space. But it's also for people who are coaching other people when it comes to their health. I know nobody's going to be shocked by this, but I had a fashion coach for a little bit because I did not know how to dress myself as an adult. And so, you know, I needed help. I needed help. And so there's so many different people who are coaching in so many different areas. And there's a lot of people now who are learning that they can take their expertise, they can take their experience, and they can actually build a coaching business. And there's so many people out there who are doing this right now. And so we wanted to have a conversation on the podcast with somebody who could talk shop about how to market yourself as a coach because it is becoming a more crowded space. It's growing like crazy and there's so many opportunities. But how do you make yourself stand out? How do you make yourself actually reach the audience that needs your help? And so we wanted to have a conversation. We wanted to talk shop about marketing in the coaching space, specifically for people who want to be coaches or are coaches. How do you market yourself?

[April Sunset Shine Hawkins]

That's right. So I got to talk with story Brand Certified guide Eric Williams about just this. This is really one of his main, main focuses in his marketing practice is just working with coaches and figuring out how do you attract the kind of people that you actually want to work with. How can you go from being more of a generalist to being more specific about who you are as a coach and how you can help people really win in this marketplace and help people like JJ and help people like myself who needed somebody to come alongside them. I'm just so excited to talk shop with Eric Williams and Hero Maker. Listening. You are going to love this conversation. Eric, you have been with us as a story brand Certified guide since 2017, since the beginning, and you have helped so many different types of businesses and different industries. And so I'm excited to talk to you today and I want to glean your specific specific expertise in the coaching and consulting arena in this industry. We want to hear specifically, like, how do coaches and consultants utilize the story brand framework in different ways in the creation of their messaging and then in their sales funnel. So, yeah, I want to hear how do you even start working with a coach or a consultant?

[Eric Williams]

Yeah, well, I think most of the coaches and consultants I work with are somewhat story brand aware. They're, they at least, you know, either they're within the coach builder framework or Business Made simple or some you know, other product like this that they've dabbled in marketing made simple, or they've dabbled in, in story, brand and the framework. And then typically they come to me and they've already tried something or they've thought about it. And so I kind of approach it more as, like, what are the pitfalls? Or what are the things to watch out for as a coach? So if you're out there and you're coach or consultant, one of the main things, obviously, if you know the story, brand framework, you know, we talk about the character, and we talk about what the character wants. First of all, the key is if you are a coach or consultant, sometimes you might come from, like, a thought leader background, which leads you to kind of maybe unintentionally put your own self in that hero mindset. Because you're the thought leader, you're the expert, you're the guru, you're the one with the answers. And if we're not careful, we're presenting ourselves as the hero with the answers, as opposed to that wise, sage guide, that helpful person that says, oh, I know that you have a problem, if you're interested, I know what that problem's like, and I've actually been there, and I know what it takes to solve it. So let me help you. Here's a tool I can give to you so that you can solve your problem. Right? So first step as a coach and a consultant is right off the bat is we have to really look ourselves in the mirror and go like, okay, am I putting myself in the hero seat? Right, because you might be an author, you might be a speaker, you might have developed some system or framework or formula for the thing that you're coaching and consulting on, which is great, but it also makes it really, really easy for you to be in that hero seat.

[April Sunset Shine Hawkins]

First off, makes total sense, right? So, Eric, where do you suggest that people talk about their origin story if they are a coach or a consultant?

[Eric Williams]

That's a great question. So obviously, if we're not in the hero seat, which is like step one of the framework, we have to put ourselves in the guide seat. We're in that spot. So when you talk about the things that you know, that's really bringing out the authority. But we have to measure that out to know whether or not as a guide, as a consultant, as a thought leader, as a whatever, an expert, a subject matter expert. I'm talking about myself and my background as a coach to the level that it helps me establish authority or it helps me empathize with my customer. So as long as it's building trust with that customer, that's where we're at. Where we go wrong is we just, we flip those where we lead off. And the first thing I would say is, hi, my name is Eric. Eric. And I've got, you know, X amount of years of background in sales or leadership and I was the, you know, VP of this and I had three startups and five successful sales and blah, blah, blah. It's like, okay, hero, hero, hero, hero, hero. Instead of hey, my name is Eric and I work with small business owners all the time. And I understand that as a small business owner you didn't get into business to run a business. And I know how much that can really be a bummer when you have all these other things going on that you just like, I just want to make the thing or I want to do this stuff, I want to whatever. So, you know, I use my frameworks and my experience and my background and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, to help small business owners just like you with their sales, marketing and leadership development so they can go back to doing the things that they love, right? So I can still talk about myself, I can talk about my framework, I could talk about the books I've written or anything else like that, but I would put that after all of the other things in the story brand framework. So that seems like that should be applicable to a number of different industries. But specifically for coaches and consultants, we have a tendency to want to jump in right away and say, well, I have to establish my authority because, you know, you've got this imposter syndrome going on. Or you know, I've worked a lot and I've got all these things that I've done and I need everybody to know about it, but they don't care as much as they care about whether or not you understand their problem. And you can articulate that well. So that would be one main thing. I would say one other piece that I see coaches and consultants tend to get tripped up in is in the way that we're writing our copy is we write our copy around, I would say non specific problems or what I would call non googleable problems. Okay. So if you're a coach or a consultant, and again, I am a business coach, so in a marketing consultant, so I'm, you know, guilty. I've done this before when somebody says, what is the problem that you solve? Or you know, what is what, what is it? And I was, well, I'm a consultant, I'm a coach, what what does somebody want when they're trying to hire you? Well, they want a marketing consultant. News flash, nobody woke up this morning and said, oh boy, you know what? I can't wait. I cannot wait to hire a marketing consultant.

[Dr. J.J. Peterson]

You know what?

[Eric Williams]

Oh, I need to go out today. I need to go out to Target, I need to go to Starbucks. Then I need to find the business coach store and I need to find myself a business coach. Nobody says that. So that's not the service you provide and that's not the problem that you solve because people don't have that problem. People have the problem of, like I said before, I own a business and now I find myself in a situation where the business actually runs me. I don't run the business. Right. Or I find myself in a spot where I don't have enough revenue to cover all my expenses or my product line is a mess and I need somebody to help me with that. Or my mindset's all screwed up. And, you know, I'm stressed, I'm this, I'm that, the other. So think about what is it that you do and go a step or two deeper to say what are the actual tangible problems that you solve for that customer in your coaching and consulting? Right. So you don't provide one on one consulting. You don't provide masterminds or workshops. You provide stress relief. You provide tools and systems that a small business owner can use to increase their revenue. You provide, you know, whatever those things are, that's what you provide. Sure. Your one on one coaching, your masterminds, your workshops, your keynotes, those are, those are a vehicle to get you to that spot. But nobody is waking up going, man, I can't wait to join a mastermind. It's like I can't wait to find other people that understand me and can help me solve the problems that I have in business. I can't wait to find to tribe so I don't feel so alone with what I'm doing as a leader, those sorts of things. And so as a coach or consultant, we need to take it off that top shelf and put it right into their living room and get it right in the bread basket so they know, like, okay, this is actually what I solve.

[April Sunset Shine Hawkins]

Love it. And then obviously your expertise is going to be called out in the plan. What is it that you're bringing to the table that is different than other coaches or consultants? How is your system or your framework something that is not able to be found in every single coaching consultant out there? That's how people are going to know your differentiator. Are there any other places or things or ways that you tease out a coach or a consultant's differentiator?

[Eric Williams]

Yeah, I would say in your copy, you know, you need to figure out how, especially like whether we're talking about a one liner or just websites, emails, you need to figure out what your voice is like, how you interact. Because if you are a coach or consultant, this is a very personality driven role. So like in my one liner I will say, owning a business or leading a team can suck sometimes. That's the first part of my one liner. And when I told that to a couple of my relatives, you know, back, way back when, around the Thanksgiving table, there was somebody from a different generation that goes, now Eric, you shouldn't use the word suck. That's not professional.

[April Sunset Shine Hawkins]

Yeah.

[Eric Williams]

And I said, oh, well actually that's perfect because if you've already interacted with me like I'm this, I'm big, I'm like, I'm not buttoned down, I'm not wearing a suit, I'm not going to walk in, do those sorts of things. So right off the bat you understand that if you go, if you're my people, if you go, yeah, leading that team all by myself does kind of suck sometimes. And if you would use the word sucks to describe it and you don't have a problem with it. In fact, most of my clients would use a much more colorful word or set of words. Right. But that's part of the personality differentiator to know what you're getting. And this didn't become real for me until probably four years ago ago when I had a. It was the vice president of leadership development of a Fortune 10 company. I mean, this is one of the big ones that makes some pretty important things. She reached out to me and she actually saw my content online and said, I knew that we had to hire you for this thing that we were doing because I knew that you would provide the type of practical, actionable content we were looking for and you wouldn't be some sort of stuffy, off the shelf leadership development guy. So I ended up running one of my biggest contracts for the biggest client I've ever worked for in my entire life. And mostly because I was me and I wasn't afraid to be me. And too many times with coaches and consultants, they get into this like business buzzword box and they want to be very safe and they want to be very corporate and they want to be very. But that's the thing is like there's dozens and dozens and hundreds and hundreds of coaches and consultants that look and sound just like like that. So the way that you stand out as a coach or consultant is in your content, in your video, in whatever is. Talk about things from your perspective. Talk about things from the unique personality that you bring. You don't have to copy me, but what you need to do is you need to find what is that voice, what is that unique area for you that makes you awesome, that authority part. And then sprinkle that personality throughout all of your content.

[April Sunset Shine Hawkins]

Yes. Permission to be you. Permission to be you. And then people who are like you are going to be attracted to your products and services and know that you are their guide because people want to do business with people that are like them. Right?

[Eric Williams]

Right. And you're going to have a much better time.

[April Sunset Shine Hawkins]

Create like the Greats, hosted by Rob Ross Simmons, is brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals. If you're a creator, entrepreneur, or just someone fascinated by the creative process, this podcast is for you. Each episode dives into some of the greatest creations and creators of all time, breaking down the strategies and mindsets that really built their empires. In a recent episode titled Content Marketing Strategy for Boring Industries, don't you just love that? Ross Simmons talks with John Bertino, host of the Niche Marketing Podcast, about turning even the most boring industries into engaging content. They dive into strategies like working with influencers, creating engaging newsletters, and using smart distribution tactics. Just so many amazing ways to effectively tell your brand story and stay relevant. Listen to Create the Greats Wherever you get your podcasts.

[Dr. J.J. Peterson]

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[April Sunset Shine Hawkins]

Whenever you're on a call with a coach or a consultant and you're working through the messaging, are there any fun questions that you ask to help pull the personality out of them so that you can really hear it and know how to translate that into the copy?

[Eric Williams]

Yes, some of them are like, what was helpful for me was trying to picture if there was a celebrity that would play me in a biopic about my coaching consulting, who would that be? And it's like off the bat, right away I was like, oh, the Rock or Ryan Reynolds or something like that. I was like, no, that's not me. Right. So then I had to like, shift over and go like, who's my actual personality? You know? And I'm like, honestly, for me, I came up. I was like, well, probably like Paul Rudd, you know, I was like, that would probably be around where I'm at. And then I was like, oh, authors. John Green, Hank Green. You know, I kind of went into that mode. And what's great was then we could then put that into either AI or you could do other tools and things like that. And it's like, take this concept, write it in the voice of so and so, whoever that is for you. You get a list of different things. And now I can go through and I can go, no, that doesn't sound like me. Yes, that sounds like me. No, that doesn't sound like me. And you could process through some of those things to go like, okay, this is my voice. This is my type of person.

[April Sunset Shine Hawkins]

I love this trick of being able to kind of get outside of yourself and utilize AI as a tool for that. What are some of the other things that you've picked up along the way that a coach or a consultant could really lean into to help them craft their mess using the story brand framework or their sales funnel, specifically?

[Eric Williams]

Yeah, so this was one thing that Don said in the story brand workshops and whatnot. But, like, one of the nuggets of wisdom that that was dropped very early on was he was like, yeah, I mean, when we're clear about what we do, we start to think, well, doesn't everybody say, doesn't everybody do that? Right. So every coach and consultant, if I were to tell you that, you know, I help, like for small business owners, if I help small business owners get back to doing what they love, it's like, well, yeah, but doesn't every coach that works with small business owners do that? Oh, kind of. But I'm the one saying it and you're not. So that's part of getting over the imposter syndrome where I start to feel like, doesn't everybody know this? Doesn't everybody do this? Well, maybe, but not everybody can say it the way that I'm saying it, you know, and so there's somebody out there, there's a hero out there, that their problem is, I want help, but I don't want help from this type of person. Person, meaning like, Like, I don't want a stuffy, off the shelf framework that isn't customized for me or you know, I don't want a business coach that's going to come in and is going to upend my, my whole process and not care about, you know, the history that it took to build this business. So those are two specifically different versions of a problem that your potential clients could be facing if you're, if you're a business coach or if you're a consultant.

[April Sunset Shine Hawkins]

This guide hero relationship is a co creation. It's not just one person dragging the other along the way.

[Eric Williams]

And your clients, as a coach or consultant, your clients are on a very vast spectrum of what they want from you. So co creating, like I said, there are some that are like, I don't want people coming in and just completely upending everything that we do. And so they want somebody that's a little bit more maybe in the ICF side of coaching, of asking the questions. And, you know, you're going to figure it out, but I'm going to ask the questions and I'm going to be, you know, the mirror for you. And then there's others that are like, I really just need, like, I've had clients that tell me this. I need somebody to tell me that I'm not crazy. Okay, all right. So that's a different side of the spectrum. And then there's other clients that are like, I have no idea what I'm doing. I need you to come in and you need to tell me exactly what I need to do to accomplish this goal. So as a coach, as a consultant, you know it, you know that your clients or possible clients are on a huge spectrum of what they're going to need when it, it comes to this co creation, when it comes to this guide hero relationship. And unless you are talking about those things and unless you are actually bringing that out in your copy and trying to attract that certain type of person, you may not even know who you're trying to attract. So that would be another question is like, what are the types of clients when we're talking about the hero? What is it that they actually want? What is it that they actually need in that realm when it comes to a coach that's going to help them co create, are they looking for more of a cheerleader that's going to say, you've got this, you, you can do this. I believe in you and affirm their good decisions and keep them going? Are they looking for accountability partner? Are they looking for a tactician? Are they looking for an executor? Are they looking for a creative outlet? Right. There's a number of different things that you could do. And for a coach or consultant, you might have just on those five, three of them might have given you the ick because you're like, ugh, I'm not a cheerleader. Right. Or I'm not going to do execution. That's their job. Great. Then make sure that you use that in your brand script, put that in your messaging so that you are intentionally trying to get the hero that is looking for the type of guidance that you provide. If you're going, man, it gives me the ick to think about telling my client what to do, because all of the power that they have is within them and I need to bring it out of them and I need to help guide them and in that direction and cheer for them. Then that needs to come out in your brand script. That needs to come out in that problem. That needs to come out in the plan. That needs to come out in the way that you're empathizing with them. Like, you want a partner that's going to be on your side, that's going to believe in you, and that's going to let you know that everything that you have is going to get you to where you want to go. So explore in your messaging to make sure that in your brand script, you are attracting the right types of clients. Because the other thing I'll say to coaches and consultants is that when you get on these discovery calls, like, I'll have people say this, they're like, man, it's like, man, half the time I get on a discovery call with the type of person that I don't even want to coach or work with, then there's a problem with your messaging because something in the messaging, something in that bait that you're using attracted that type of fish, attracted that type of client. So go back. If you're getting the wrong. The wrong types or the types of clients that you don't want to work with in your discovery calls, it's time to reevaluate your messaging to make sure it's actually attracting the types of clients that you want.

[April Sunset Shine Hawkins]

So great. And as you're chatting, I'm just. Just thinking about a lot of coaches and consultants. I can hear them going, well, I'm using a lot of different kinds of bait because either my business is new or I don't want to say no to people. I want to say yes to many people.

[Eric Williams]

Are you ready? Okay, here we go. If you have a brain tumor, are you going to your general practitioner that took maybe one semester of surgery to Solve your problem. No, you're not. You want to go to a specialist. If I have a specific problem in my body, I want to know that that individual that I'm going to has a specific training. If I've got a brain tumor, I want somebody that says I only work on brain tumors. In fact, I only work on brain tumors on this hemisphere of the brain in 41 year old white males that with blonde hair, that wear glasses. That's me. Right, that's me. Perfect. That's exactly who I want to go to. So that's going to be the same thing for you if you can specialize. Now again, you don't have to necessarily specialize in, in a vertical, you can also specialize across in a horizontal plane. To say that I only work with teams where the main point of contact is wearing multiple hats and they specifically don't have money to add additional headcount, but they need the competencies that a fractional CMO or a fractional COO or a coach or a consultant can bring. Great. Now at least you know there's a very specific horizontal group and niche that you can deal with with. And so those are the types of things that you have to figure out. Who are you best working with? What are your non negotiables? What are those specifics of that specific problem you solve? Because as a coach or consultant, if you say, well, I work with any business or I work with any leader or I work with any person, like, well, you don't work with any person. Really, really well. When that business owner, when that leader, when that department head is thinking, I need somebody that is just going to kill it with my operations or kill it with my team's productivity or kill it with my customer service. Anything else like that, like you want to be able to step right in and go, yep, that's me. So don't be the everything person because the everything person is going to get missed for somebody that is specializing in that particular problem. So make sure wherever they put you in their mental Rolodex, one that has to line up with the type of business that you want to do and you need to be the only name they think of.

[April Sunset Shine Hawkins]

So hero maker, it's a challenge. We know it's a challenge. But you're going to be so much better off in the long run if you go fishing with specific bait and you are in the Rolodex in people's minds for solving a specific problem. When you do that and you position yourself as the guide and your customer as the hero, you're going to win the day. And Eric, I am just so grateful that you came on. Your energy is infectious. Like, I am just like, I'm pumped. I need to go clarify somebody's message right now.

[Eric Williams]

Do it today.

[April Sunset Shine Hawkins]

That's right. That's right. Today. So, hero Maker, we hope that you are feeling energized and excited and that you are able to put down any kind of fear over getting really specific because it's just going to help your personality come out and attract the kind of people that you want to do business with. So, Eric, Eric, thanks for being a storybrand certified guide and thanks for sharing with our hero makers today.

[Eric Williams]

Thank you.

[Dr. J.J. Peterson]

We adore Eric. He is so good and we love always having him on the podcast. And Hero Maker, I really hope that now you are able to figure out how to really speak to your specific audience and get the people to work with you who really need your services. And if you're still feeling stuck trying to figure out how to apply the story brand framework into your marketing, you can hire a story brand certified guide like Eric Williams. Just go to marketingmadesimple.com to hire a guide that will show you how to clarify your message and create marketing that works. All right, Hero Maker, it's time to apply everything you learned with this week's actionable step, a practical step from today's conversation you can immediately use to shape your marketing and clarify your message. So much of this conversation was really focused on people who are being coaches, and this is such an amazing space to be in right now. I am so excited for anybody who is working to build their business as a coach, because like we talked about at the beginning, there are so many people who need your expertise and help to really take that next step in their careers. But even for people who are not in the coaching space, figuring out how to attract the right customer for you is so important. So often we look at everybody else's one line and everybody else's websites and go, how do I compete with that? Well, the way you compete with that is by being clear with your message. You want to be able to speak to your audience. Whether you're a coach or you are selling shoes or you are out there selling different services, you want to speak to your audience. So here is today's actionable step. Check your one liner. And if you've been listening for a while, you know your one liner really is your elevator pitch. And the way we talk about creating an elevator pitch in a one liner and story brand is you start by identifying your customer's problem. Then you talk about the solution that you offer. Then you talk about the results that they experience once they've bought your product or service. It is a three part formula that allows you to quickly and clearly explain what you do and speak directly to your customers. So what we want you to do is check your one liner and what you're looking for is to see if it's written in your conversation style. Make it specific to you. Is it written in the business buzzword box? Then change it. Don't get caught in that trope. Rewrite it in your voice so it tracks the customers you truly want to work with and the customers who clearly identify with you as their guide who can solve their problem. This is what this is all about. When you're clear with your message, when you're clear with your elevator pitch, your one liner, you attract the right people. You get the right customers who need your to solve their problem. When you can solve their problem, that ultimately makes them the hero of their own story. And that's what makes you a great guide, which makes you a great hero maker. Well, that's all for this week's episode of Marketing Made Simple. Thank you so much for listening and believing like us, that your marketing should be easy and it should work. Follow Marketing Made simple wherever you listen to podcasts and if you found this episode validation valuable, please rate and review the show letting us know how these tips are clarifying your message and growing your business. We'll see you next week. You cannot stop me. You cannot stop me.

[Eric Williams]

Go.