What Do You Actually Do?3 min read
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This little question seems to have puzzled self-employed professionals since the beginning of time.
Somebody asks you what you do and you make the terrible mistake of actually telling them. Like this:
“What do I do? So glad you asked! I have this special methodology I use with companies that evaluate and assess their readiness to be innovative in a changing world when the diverse workforce needs to ramp up their capacity to thrive in an ever-changing post-COVID landscape.”
OK, but do you really have a clue what this means?
Will anyone respond with, “Wow, we really need that!” I don’t think so.
This person explained in excruciating detail about what they did. I’ve heard this kind of pitch more times than I can remember.
But I have a hint for you. Don’t tell someone what you Do!
No, tell them what they’ll GET if they work with you.
You see, people are really only interested in two basic things:
A problem they have that they don’t want and/or
A result they want that they don’t have.
So, let me give you some examples that will make this clear.
Let’s say you’re an HR Consultant. Your message is:
“I help companies solve headaches with difficult people who are too valuable to fire.”
Now, that addresses a problem they don’t want with a result they don’t have, right?
Or say you’re an Executive Coach. What do you actually do?
“I help leaders to calmly take control when things go sideways.”
That’s about getting an outcome you don’t have when you have a situation you don’t want.
Maybe you’re a Productivity Improvement Expert. What do you do?
“I work with companies to get the best results with shrinking resources.”
Starting to get the drift?
Finally, a Project Management Expert. What does he do?
“I work with businesses who can’t remember the last time a big project came in on time and on budget.”
This one is all about the thing they have but don’t want, right? And that is going to hit a nerve with a whole lot of managers.
So, all you need to do is focus on those two very relevant things.
What your clients don’t want that they, unfortunately, happen to have… and/or…
Something they desperately want but don’t yet have.
This must be the simplest messaging formula on planet earth, but almost everyone mucks it up and makes it way too complicated, talking about methodologies and processes people don’t give a damn about.
I think the legendary jazz bassist, Charles Mingus said it best:
“Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that’s creativity.”
So, put on your creative thinking cap and come up with a marketing message that hits the nail on the head.
And then test it out with a bunch of people until you get a “That’s For Me!” response.
When you do, you’ll know you have a message you can build on.
Thanks to my Colleague, Dov Gordon, for sharing this particular message formula with me.
Check him out and sign up for some of his awesome free stuff: https://www.dovgordon.net
Cheers, Robert
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