Stop Selling The Drill

One of the biggest mistakes I see advisors making with their messaging is that they focus too heavily on selling the tools that get the job done (retirement planning, life insurance, etc.) instead of focusing on the outcome their clients want and the challenge they face (a comfortable retirement, tax savings, etc.).

Nobody buys a power drill because they need a drill. That’s the tool. What they need is an outcome—a ¼” hole.

John, an advisor in Wisconsin, came to me because he was having trouble finding and converting prospects. He had just gone through a business coaching program and was told to start 100 Messenger conversations a day 🤮 and to post daily content on social media with an invitation to get on a call with him.

He tried this strategy for 2 months, spending hours at his computer every day on Messenger and social media, ending up with a few "go nowhere” calls.

John had previously tried buying lists, dinner seminars, and at least one other social media-based program. So when he finally reached out to me he was exhausted and discouraged.

I saw in his online content that while he mentioned “business owners,” his messaging was focused on the tools he used: financial planning, life insurance, tax savings, and employee benefits.

He was not addressing the three essentials:

1.        Who they were (“business owners” is too broad to be a niche),

2.        What they needed most that he could offer them (the outcome and challenge), and

3.        Why he was the best person to get them that outcome.

"Business owners" is a broad category. Different types of business owners will experience business (and life) very differently. A retail store owner experiences problems that are very different from a restaurant owner or a manufacturer or a lawyer or accountant.  The owner of a business with 3 employees experiences problems that are very different than the owner of a 100-employee business.

What John needed first was a niche. Having a niche lets you focus your time, energy, and money in a way that is much more likely to land you clients.

I challenged him to find a business niche, and he chose area manufacturers with 20 or more employees.

Talking about all your possible services—your tools—makes you a hardware store, indistinguishable from all the other hardware stores.

I challenged him to pick the thing he felt was the most attractive outcome and challenge for his niche.  He chose tax savings.

Then, we got to work on his messaging. You want prospects to be able to see themselves in your content. If they cannot see a picture of themselves overcoming the big challenge and reaching that outcome, they won't connect the dots that you're the one person who can help. Vague marketing—no matter how intense—kills sales!

Then we found the best ways to reach his niche with his outcome message. New business began to appear as if by magic.

If you'd like some help tweaking your offers and refining your messaging so you can land 2-5 perfect-fit clients every month, one of my Marketing Tune-Up one-on-one coaching programs might be a good fit for you. 

Here’s how it works:

• First, we'll get your best existing clients and COIs primed to give you more business and perfect introductions.
• Then, we’ll get you clear on your best-fit prospect and the outcome they crave.
• We'll create or refine your offer to them, so it becomes an “Easy-Yes” for them to meet with you.
• We'll refine your messaging and positioning so that you lead with your “WHY”: Why you chose to work with them and why you’re the only solution to their biggest challenge in the way of reaching the outcome they desire.
• We’ll create a marketing plan that works best for your chosen market and outcome.
• And last, but not least, as we work together we'll see if you have any inner “BUT Monsters” hampering the growth of your business. And I'll give you the tools you need to deal with them.

Send me a message if you'd like the details of the Marketing Tune-Up coaching programs.

And KEEP REACHING...