“Hi, it’s nice to meet you. What do you do?”
“Uhhhhhh..” ((Long pause))
Be honest. How do you respond when someone asks you this question?
Do you:
a. Freeze
b. Ramble
c. Mumble
d. Answer confidently
If the answer is a,b, or c, wouldn’t you like to have a better outcome?
It’s common to struggle here, so know that you are not alone. But is this stopping you from your business success?
Maybe you struggle to put what you do into words.
Perhaps you do so much that you don’t have one focus or don’t have clarity around your business.
Or maybe you don’t want to appear pushy or salesy and don’t feel comfortable “selling yourself.”
Whatever the reason, life and business become complicated without clear messaging.
Because if your ideal clients don’t understand what type of business you are in and what you offer, it will be challenging to get paid what you are worth.
So, wouldn’t you like to enroll clients by developing a language that helps your niche understand your value?
Whether you call this a HUB Statement (Hottest Undeniable Benefit), elevator pitch, “I help statement,” or other…
It’s time to develop messaging that works for you.
So let’s dive in.
First, what is the goal here?
Your pitch should be a simple, straightforward description, leaving the listener interested and eager to learn more. Paint a vivid emotional picture explaining what you do, who you work with, the problem you help solve, and the benefits of working together.
And always keep in mind your statement is not about you. Speak directly to your ideal client, so they understand that you can help them solve their challenges.
Here are some examples:
Business Coach: I help women start successful businesses online so that they can quit their 9-5.
Money Coach: I help moms achieve financial freedom by transforming their relationship with money.
Virtual Assistant: I help real estate agents book calls to save time and create impact.
Financial Planner: I help women reach financial independence on their current salaries.
Publishing Consultant: I help people get their book out of their head and onto the bookshelf.
Marriage Counselor: I help couples find a safe place to love.
Elements of a Powerful Statement:
- It is simple, direct, and specific.
- It is ideally 10 words or less. It should not be more than 15 words.
- Clearly and quickly conveys your expertise, value, and marketing message. (Pitches for you)
- It provides a straightforward solution to your market’s most urgent challenges or goals.
- It uses non-formal, conversational language.
- It does not contain technical babble, industry jargon, or legalese. (phrases or words people don’t understand that are industry specific) Example: Coaching terms like limiting belief or technical terms like SEO.
Top Mistakes:
- Too wordy.
- Too confusing. Do they understand what you are saying? Write your message and results as if you are explaining it to a 4-year-old. Can a child understand your message?
- Too vague, fluffy, or intangible. It should be tangible and specific. (ex. Live their best lives: What does that look like? What does this really mean?)
- Struggles to convey the value of what you do.
- Misses the mark on what your ideal client wants help around.
- It is not a differentiator showing how you stand out in the market.
- Less is more.
So, let’s get to it. How do you write this anyway?
The basic formatting is as follows
Step 1: Who: Who do you help? I help _____
First, who are you helping?
Knowing your ideal client is essential so you can deeply understand their needs, desires, and pain points. In turn, you will be able to solve their most profound challenges with your unique offer.
It will also enable you to create an impactful brand strategy that deeply resonates by utilizing clear messaging and targeted marketing, establishing you as an industry leader.
And the more specific you are, the better you turn prospects into paying clients while saving time, money, and energy.
So you will drill down until you land on a specific niche.
Example: I help people
Ask: Do you help all people or a specific population segment?
Result: I help women.
Ask: Do you support all women or a particular group of women?
Result: I help female entrepreneurs.
Ask: Do you support all female entrepreneurs?
Result: I help female coaches.
Read How to Know If Your Ideal Client is the One for more.
Step 2: What do you help them with / do / get / overcome / be _____?
Once your ideal client is clarified, what do they want to achieve? What do they REALLY want? What do you help them do, get, overcome, or be?
Remember that you are moving your clients from what they don’t want to what they do want. So, where are they now, what challenges do they face, and what do they want to achieve?
What is the number one problem you solve that your ideal clients struggle around? What clear promise or result do you help your clients obtain?
Most importantly, what expected results will they pay for? Be specific, quantifying your tangible outcomes. Drill down to find the root cause.
There are three main reasons why people buy, so tap into these when possible. The promise of:
- Money: Making money to create happiness, time freedom, avoiding effort, or saving money
- Sex & Love: Finding love, being sexy, finding romance, or gaining praise
- Health & Happiness: Achieving better health, cleanliness, or hygiene, or escaping mental or physical pain to create pleasure and get more comfort
Example: Overcome limiting beliefs
Ask: First, do they know what a limiting belief is? Is this terminology your ideal clients understand?
Result: Yes
Ask: What limiting belief is so challenging that they are willing to pay for help? Be specific.
Result: Confidence, Self-doubt, Procrastination, Fear of rejection
Ask: Which is the most prominent reason listed?
Result: Fear of rejection
Most importantly, is your ideal client consciously aware of this problem?
Keep in mind there are 4 Levels of Awareness:
More often than not, your client is unaware of the root cause so it’s essential to craft your messaging so that it resonates with what they believe their issue to be. Make sure it doesn’t go over their heads!
Example: Fear of rejection
Ask: Does my ideal client consciously know this is their issue? How do I say this in a way that resonates and doesn’t go over their head?
Result: No. They don’t realize they have a fear of rejection.
Ask: What are the symptoms of this? What tangible results happen because of their fear of rejection?
Result: Does not follow up, sabotages sales calls, procrastinates and doesn’t go live, avoids selling, is worried about how much to share
Ask: Which of these options do my clients most want to solve? Which is most painful? Which would they pay for?
Result: Avoids selling
Ask: What do they want instead?
Result: Sell with confidence, etc. So your statement could read:
I help female coaches confidently sell.
Or if your answer is that they procrastinate and avoid going live, you can say I help female coaches stop procrastinating and start going live.
For more on offers, read How to Create an Irresistible Offer that Sells.
Step 3: Why do they want to achieve this? so they can / to _____ ?
What does your offer REALLY accomplish and why do they care about making this happen?
What does achieving it really get them?
What do they say they want when you speak to them?
What is most important to them as an end result?
Keep the why clear and tangible as well.
Example: I help female coaches confidently sell.
Ask: Why do they want to start confidently selling? What does this really get them? What do they say they want?
Result: Money, Lifestyle freedom, Time, Clients, Impact
Ask: Which of these is most relevant to your ideal client? What do they most want right now? What does each of these items get them?
Drill down until you get to the root cause while recognizing your ideal client’s level of awareness. Always meet them where they are by choosing language that speaks directly to them.
Note: The purpose of getting clients can be to have more money. It could also be to have more of an impact. Do they resonate with getting more clients or what clients gets them? If the answer is more clients, stick with that.
Result: I help female coaches confidently sell so that they can get more clients.
or
I help female coaches confidently sell so they have more clients.
Step 4: Tweak messaging, get feedback, and move forward.
Once you have a few possibilities, check in with what makes a powerful statement and the top mistakes from the beginning of this article. Continue tweaking your wording to create the best-sounding message. Try different variations of word choices to see what fits best.
Another trick is to try flipping your message around as sometimes this can make a more impactful statement.
Example: I help female coaches start confidently selling so they have more clients.
Becomes: I help female coaches get more clients through confidently selling.
*Notice the tweaked wording for more impact. And it can even be shortened which is great, especially for a bio: I help female coaches get more clients.
As you tweak your messaging, get feedback from ideal clients, trusted friends, or experts. Test out different variations in posts, DMs, and emails to see how it lands and what version feels right to you.
Know that this can take time, energy, and patience as it may require some thoughtful consideration.
Remember that this does not need to be perfect as it is common for your messaging to evolve as your business grows over time, so do not let this stop you from moving forward.
Find the best option for now, and move on knowing you can always change this.
Recap
Crafting a clear and compelling elevator pitch is essential to help your ideal clients understand your value, how you can help them, and leave them eager to learn more.
Step 1: Who: Who do you help? I help _____
Step 2: What do you help them with / do / get / overcome / be _____?
Step 3: Why do they want to achieve this? so they can / to _____ ?
Step 4: Tweak messaging, get feedback, and move forward.
By following the steps outlined, you are on your way to crafting an impactful message.
If you need help building your vision by creating a step-by-step strategy you can actually stick to, email me with the word PROGRAM.
I am looking forward to hearing about your success!
Michele x
