Session 2 of 8 With Two Financial Coaches Who Want Clients

October 14, 2010 By

In the first session, M&M and I looked quite deeply at their
target market. What would be the natural next question?
How do you reach them? I call these your Touch Point 1
venues. Lucky for me, I didn’t have to convince M&M that
speaking is hands-down the best way to connect with a
market; they had already done some speaking.

So in this session, we delve deeply
into this subject, again gathering
data and building upon it. Where
have they spoken before? Where
could they speak that they’d never
thought of, and which are the three
most effective venues? We decide
that to attract couples, they would
reach out to churches, libraries,
Barnes & Noble (they could ostensibly
speak on Dave Ramsey’s book), and
local boards of education to see if they
promote workshops for parents.

From there, we begin to touch on content. What have they
spoken about in the past? Well, their previous topics have
been rather dry, focused on how to budget and reduce debt,
so I draw us into thinking about what would be most Brain-
Sticky. To determine that, we must know who would be in
the audience (target market), and what would get them there.
So we need to understand the Trigger Event (see yesterday’s
post) and their market’s most acute pain, and of course
M&M’s special solution.

I advised them that this time, they need to give more than
just an information-based seminar. In this day and age,
I told them, you want your audiences to be transformed
in some way, right away. And you do that by taking them
through what I call the “Transformation Arc”: this is a certain
trajectory that guarantees a powerful shift in thinking and
very often a shift in behavior.  This “arc” begins by getting
their market immediately into the ugly emotion they deal
with (even unconsciously) every day. I call it “getting
them into the  ick.”

The male “M” of M&M, who has done all the presenting in
the past, is unsure of this direction. He has always worked
with audiences in what I call the “Old Paradigm,” where
he hauls out a Power Point (aaaaggghh!) and didactically
transfers knowledge, without much engagement with those
in the room. I point out to him that in order for his audience
to be moved enough in this  free “portal” talk to then buy
a service package with M&M, they must FEEL—and you can-
not tell someone to feel; you must set the stage for them to
experience emotion themselves. This, and only this, creates
transformation in them, and a far stronger interest in
buying.

Next, we need to solidly determine what the “ick” is for their
particular market. What is the emotional sludge these
couples are wading through, as it pertains to their financial
struggle? Well, in the next session, three, we hit pay dirt!
Together we figure this out and with that knowledge, we begin
to sketch out the Brain-Sticky concept of their portal,
signature program…that could become the differentiation
for their entire business! Be sure to come back tomorrow to
see what it is!

As for you: is speaking on your list for strategies to get
more clients and build your list? What Touch Point 1 venues
will best reach your market? And what about the “ick” your
market stews in day in and day out—how can you have them
experience or come face to face with that “ick” in a talk you
give? Would love to hear your thoughts below! And feel free
to share this post so others can get eavesdrop, too!

Filed Under: Eavesdropping on Sessions, Sales and Marketing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

8 Sessions with 2 Financial Coaches Who Want Clients

October 12, 2010 By

I had an 8-session consultation with two financial coaches
who wanted more clients to walk in the door. There was one
thing they were clear on: once they had clients, these two
coaches would do amazing work with them. The trick was
getting them in the door! Sound familiar?

Over the next 8 days, you’re going to get the chance to
“eavesdrop” in on my sessions with “M&M” and get some
ideas for your own business. This is just a sampling of
the work I do and I decided to make it public—not just
in these blog posts, but in a CD product I’m launching
next week! You’ll be able to get the actual sessions,
plus 2 great bonuses, starting next Tuesday.

So Session 1 with M&M. Of course, I need to get the lay of
the land: how long have they been coaching, who have
they been coaching, etc. They tell me they were trained
through Dave Ramsey and have been coaching couples
on and off for ten years, mostly giving their coaching
away. Now, they’re ready to make money! I am pleased
to see that they have a somewhat Brain-Sticky differentia-
tion already, promoting themselves as, to paraphrase,
the “seasoned couple working with younger couples.”
This is, of course, very appealing, as what younger couple
wouldn’t want to be guided by an “older and wiser” couple,
who had weathered financial storms in marriage?

I am also pleased to see that they have a target market!
I can’t tell you how many service entrepreneurs don’t.
“Couples” is still too broad, but we can begin to focus this
down by looking at the age of their market’s children. Do
M&M work with very new couples, who have newborns?
Or those who have preschoolers? Or are they in high school,
facing the issue of college? Each “era” has its own difficulties
and it is critical to know which difficulty they want to
address as coaches. They tell me that most of their clients
have children in elementary-school, indicating that (generally),
the parents have been married at least seven years, and up
to 14 years.  These are often pressure-cooker times, when
the honeymoon is over, financial issues are no longer
ignorable and volcanic eruptions occur.

I begin to take M&M through a process I call the “Trigger
Event.” The fact is, humans walk around thinking they can
handle most of their issues by themselves, or at least with
the help of friends and family. But something happens, one
day—in fact, one moment—that triggers their dawning reali-
zation that they need help. This is a tough exercise for most
people, and M&M and I move right in like “Google Earth” on
their couples, looking in on a typical scene when such an
awakening might occur. They decide the couple is reviewing
a new credit card statement and we move through the entire
scene: what the conversation is like, what eruption occurs,
and what finally “pops the cork;” has one or both of them
blurting out, “We can’t do this alone!”

Why is this important to know? For starters, it is critical
to understand that you won’t make money if your market
isn’t hungry—and they aren’t always hungry. I always tell
my clients and students that your greatest competition is
not someone else, but rather the idea, “I can do this myself.”
But there will be a tipping point when they are in such pain
or frustration they are finally ready to spend money. And
you want to know what that pain is—on a very specific level
—so you can refer to it in marketing copy, creating intimacy
with your market as they “self-identify,” saying, “That’s me!”
—and so you can potentially influence that trigger event in
those who haven’t had it yet. The trials and tribulations are
there in the background, like a humming furnace, but they
haven’t realized they need help yet. You can help them
realize it, by talking about those moments, only if you know
what they are.

So, what is a moment that would wake up your market
from enduring and tolerating whatever is not working for
them? Would love to hear your ideas below! And be sure
to come back tomorrow, when M&M decide on the strategy
they’re going to use to get more clients!

Filed Under: Eavesdropping on Sessions, Sales and Marketing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Did These Solo Entrepreneurs Have Brain-Sticky Websites?

August 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I surveyed two websites today to see if they could pass the
Brain-Sticky Litmus Test: a coach’s and a nutritionist’s.

They each did some things “right”:  they had opt-ins
“above the fold” (viewable before one scrolls down).
One had the option to “like” her Facebook fanpage on
the right, above the fold, too, and the ability to subscribe
to her RSS feed. Very good.

Another opened her copy by asking questions of the
reader right away–excellent form. And she listed some
of the concerns that she treats.

But there were problems, too.

I noticed that neither of them had a definable target market.
As such, their copy was broad, vague and, well, not Brain-
Sticky. It was, in fact, Brain-Antagonistic–it shut off the
brain’s natural tendency to be alert to something new. I
had to read their copy because it was my job today; but
would others?

So, I urged them both to settle on a sliver-population target
market. Why? For 3 reasons: 1. It streamlines your efforts.
You know where to go to find them. But I’m a communications
expert, so I’m concerned with reasons 2 and 3: 

2. Your marketing messages become very intimate because
you are speaking to a specific group whose problems you
know intimately; whose desires you can articulate better than
they can. This is the key to selling effectively! Intimate copy.

3. Knowing the problems and desires of this narrow market,
you can create your programs around them. In fact, you
MUST create your programs and info-products around your
(sliver-population) market.

We’ll see if they take my advice on this. 95% of students and
clients do the “target market squirm”–where they fight to the
death to keep their wide audience because they’d “get bored”
with a narrow market, or they’re afraid of losing business with
a smaller market. I know. I’ve heard it hundreds of times. The
most successful get a narrow market.

NEXT…I suggested to both of them that they switch the way
they position their opt-in–the offer that invites someone
to sign in for their newsletter. As I said on the call, giving out
email addresses these days is akin to purchasing something–it
carries that kind of weight. So, what you’re giving them had
better be VALUABLE. Here’s what’s NOT valuable:

“Sign in for my monthly newsletter“; or “Sign in to get
weekly updates from us,”etc. What’s valuable is a PRODUCT.
One person today had a product–a tip-sheet of some sort.
BUT she was seducing people with “a free newsletter” instead
of with the tip sheet. The other website didn’t have any product
at all–not an ebook, or special report, or audio program. So, I
told her to get one–and then to highlight THAT as the reason to
opt-in…rather than a free newsletter. You must always
*mention* that subscribers will be put on your newsletter list,
but that can and should be in the smaller print. The big print
should highlight the GIFT you’re giving them, and a newsletter
is NOT a gift–not anymore.

I was pleased to see that the nutritionist had gathered her
services into “programs,” with beginning and endings. But
her “identity” was scattered. She did a lot of things. The brain
needs to grasp a new concept quickly, or it quickly moves on.
I didn’t know clearly what she did–what single problem she 
solved, for instance, and urged her to carve out a single-identity
and present it boldly.  

Today, Wednesday, I’m critiquing 2 more businesses. I have
openings for an additional two, to be critiqued next week. If
you’d like to see how your business passes the Brain-Sticky
Litmus Test, be sure to sign up at
www.inspiredleadershiptraining.com/15min.

And register there if you just want to listen in, too. Send
friends and colleagues here who may want to take
advantage of this opportunity. This is valuable information
–and it’s free!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Your Target Market *IS* Your Business: Choose Wisely!

July 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

 

Camp Brain-Sticky is open now, which means I’m
consulting privately with a few new clients. I thought
I’d give you a chance to eavesdrop on some of our
sessions. (Be sure to watch, btw, for my brand-new
”Eavesdropping Series” CD’s coming soon!).

So, there’s absolutely no where I can go with a client
until we determine who their target market is. I say to
every single client or student, “Your target market IS
your business. Switch target markets, and your programs
and information products change.” They must, because
they (services + products) must cater to the specific
needs, pains and desires of the market. In order, then,
to create or revamp those products and services, the
market must be clearly defined. This, believe it or not,
is much harder said than actually done.

There are 3 criteria through which every solo service
professional must pass their ideas for prospective target
markets: 1) Are you passionately interested in this market?
2) Are they hungry-to-starving for what you offer? 3)
Can they afford you?

If you cannot give an enthusiastic “two thumbs up” to
each one of these, you must go back to the drawing
board. Now, what does that mean?

Well, in many cases, it means that you scrap the market
you’ve been working with or considering. If you’re not
passionate about them, you won’t be able to sell them.
If they can take you or leave you (aren’t hungry), you
won’t be able to sell them. And if they don’t have money…
need I say more?

Here’s the process I took one client through yesterday:
I focused for quite a while on the first criteria: who is
she passionate about. I asked her these two questions:
1) What is the pain out there in the world that you would
most like to heal? She was aware enough to be able to
answer very quickly, and said, “Isolation.”

Next, I asked her, 2) “What section of the population
feels most isolated?” And to stimulate a strong answer,
I began taking her through human developmental stages
by “decades.” So, I said, “Are you interested in working
with children ages 1-20 on isolation issues?” She knew
she was not, so I moved to those in their twenties, and
because she had some interest, I asked her to answer on
a 1-10 scale. Then, to further refine things, I asked her
to discern whether she was most interested in working
with women or men in that decade. We quickly learned
that she wanted to work with women, so we continued
on through the decades, looking at her interest on a 1-10
scale, and ended the inquiry in the decade of the 70’s.

By doing this, we were covering the first two criteria
quite thoroughly. We began by my asking her the pain
she most wants to heal—which, in most cases, locates a
hungry market. If they’re in pain, they’re most likely hungry.
And then we addressed the gender question and the age-
range to see whom she is most interested in working with.

Her highest 1-10-scale score was for women in their fifties.
So, naturally from there, we dove into the precise nature
of their “isolation pain.” Every decade would have a unique
portrait of issues. We both felt that the pain for this decade
had everything to do with the “empty nest” syndrome, where
these women now feel isolated from their peers (no more
Booster Clubs to attend), have a recognition that they are
isolated from their husbands, now that the distraction of
kids has been removed. And they can very often come to
a realization that they are isolated from themselves: from
a knowledge of what they really want to do in the world.

Knowing the issues this group faces uniquely then enables
us to formulate the types of services and products this client
could offer. Do you see how different they would be if she
had chosen men in their thirties? Or women in their sixties?

The issues facing different markets is profound and it is
critical to ferret them out–in order to create programs that
are marketable; that will be bought.

After this work, I put this client in an incubation period of a
two days to determine if indeed this is the group she wants to
work with. If she sleeps on it and wakes up saying, “I just
don’t feel it”—then we have to go back to the drawing board.

If she does decide she wants to craft her programs around
this market, there is still more target-market work to be done:
diving deeply into the psychology of their wants and fears.
This information (which virtually no one explores) is crucial
to crafting not only the perfect program and product, but the
perfect marketing language that will pull that market out of
their reverie (i.e. denial) and into the program.

More on this later in the week!

Camp Brain-Sticky is still accepting applicants. Read
more here.

Filed Under: Business Articulation, Sales and Marketing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,
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