Of all our blog categories, the consensus seems to be that “business of coaching” is a smashing hit.
In previous posts we’ve covered topics like “Hook, Story Offer: What it is and Why It Matters as a Coach”, “Finding Your Ideal Customer”, “7 Steps For Creating and Scaling a Successful Coaching Business”, etc. It’s really great to hear that you’re enjoying these posts - message heard, we’ll keep ‘em comin! 👊
Last week we published my 7 Steps For Creating and Scaling a Successful Coaching Business. I know it’s on the longer side, but the content is vitally important for all coaches, so if you haven’t given it a read, please do so now…
Since that post was published, several coaches reached out asking a simple question: “knowing my ideal customer is one thing, but actually attracting them is another. How do I make sure my offer finds the right crowd?”
This is a straightforward question, with a not so straightforward answer.
The truth is, you aren’t gonna magically appear right in front of your ideal customer. ITERATION and EXPERIMENTATION are key here to hone in on your marketing audience and sell your offer.
But I CAN help you with one key component of offer hacking: crafting what clever internet marketers call your “Million-Dollar Message”.
That is, your one-sentence summary that immediately resonates with your niche’s goals and dreams while helping them avoid their biggest pain/frustration.
In module 2 of the Level 1 ConnectedCoach Blueprint, I share a clear “mad libs” style sentence that can really help get the ball rolling here:
“ I help _______ achieve/do __________, so they can _________ with/without _________.”
Notice the key attributes of this sentience:
- It leads with the exact persona of who you HELP. Starting the sentence by defining who you’re looking to coach will help the athlete immediately determine if you’re a good fit.
- It’s focused on what you help athletes DO. That is, no component of this sentence includes anything about your credentials or who YOU are – it’s all focused on the outcome you facilitate. It’s a subtle difference, but when you focus on OUTCOME, you’re speaking directly to your athlete’s desires and goals. People are goal-oriented, your marketing should reflect that.
- It closes out by speaking to the single biggest pain point they arefacing in their pursuit of achieving their desired outcome. Make sure that last blank includes a common complaint or issue that athletes in your sport face. By saying you can help them AVOID certain headaches will make you that much more appealing.
Here are some examples:
- I help aspiring college baseball players achieve higher exit hitting velocity so they’ll get noticed by D1 Recruiters without wasting time developing skills these recruiters don’t care about.
- I help golfers that shoot over 100 achieve lower scores so that they can enjoy 18 holes with anyone without being embarrassed.
- I help busy dads lose weight so they can be more energized with their families without wasting hours in the gym.
Notice how SPECIFIC these sentences are. Again, don’t be afraid of niching out too narrowly - it may seem counterintuitive, but the more niche your offer is, the more it will resonate with your ideal clients.
And in your million dollar message, try focusing on what their life will look like if they DO choose you as a coach.
It’s a little cheesy, but the concept of “manifesting an outcome” can be very powerful. Help them visualize exactly how you’ll help them succeed and how it’ll FEEL when they do- then when the going gets tough they’ll have something to contextualize the struggle
Also note: you don’t have to fill in the blank personally or follow this EXACT formula… But I think it includes all the key attributes that help frame your offer in a compelling way.
I want to close this post out by giving you a series of questions to ask yourself when crafting your Million-Dollar Message. I hope these act as a useful jumping off point for filling in the blanks above 👊:
- What are your client’s 3 main obstacles/challenges/pains between them and results?
2. What will their lives be like if you DON’T solve this problem?
3. Which clients will you accept and which will you reject?
4. What’s your client’s biggest goal or desire?
5. Why does this matter - what will life be like when they achieve results?
I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to reach out with the answers to these questions. We’d love to help get your coaching business and marketing on track.
Talk soon!
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