How to Sign More Clients & Sell Out Your Programs

Are you posting everywhere, all-the-time, but struggling to book discovery sessions and/or clients?

Have you changed your title, updated your bio, and joined a few of those "networking" calls (you know, where you have 1 minute to give your elevator pitch...)?

Are you so over the money merry-go-round?

I've got good news for you!

You are definitely not alone, and there's a (very) simple answer to your problem:

Your messaging is confusing the people it's supposed to attract. 

...and confused people don't buy. EVER.

Think about it...

Do you really enjoy posts that leave you scratching your head? 

Or "vague-book-ing?" 

If you're like me, you 1000% don't. You scroll past and (maybe) even stop paying attention. 

WHOOPS. 

If your messaging is causing your audience to be confused...you need a fix, like yesterday. 

Because if you don't figure out how to make your messaging crystal clear soon...they're gonna peace out (and while your messaging absolutely should be polarizing and allow those who are not your peeps to quietly exit, if they're leaving in droves, that's a big - but fixable - problem.

So, if you've been posting anywhere consistently for at least 3 months, but you're not getting results...the problem is usually one of two things: 

1. You are using waaaaaaaaaaaay too much jargon

or

2. You're not actually addressing your clients frustrations and sharing how you can solve them.

The good news? Both Issues are absolutely 100% fixable. 

The first thing you need to do is a quick audit of your messaging on your website and your social channels. 

Do you see any jargon? Go on, I'll wait...

(Jargon is reason #1 why you keep posting but no one is buying...)

If you're not sure what you're looking for, and you spend most of your time justifying your industry or taking in general terms (in a way that makes NO sense to the person you’re talking to), instead of actually giving people a clue about what YOU do, specifically, not only are you relying heavily on jargon, but you're definitely not going to sign any clients. 

And yes, that 'cute' title or catchy tagline is totally fine to put on your website if you want to have a little fun...but if you actually want to sign clients and increase your revenue, it' honestly better to skip it and figure out how to talk about what you do in a way that your audience will actually understand. 

Still not sure what you're looking for? Allow me to share an embarrassing story with you...

PICTURE THIS:

You're at the neighbor kid's birthday party. You're relatively new to the area, and thrilled to be invited to participate (maybe more than your kids!) - and your new neighbor asks you what you do (he's noticed that your car rarely leaves your driveway, but is pretty sure you're not a hermit or serial killer). 

You reply that you help your clients with marketing and immediately launch into a super-jargon filled pit of despair. You know what you do and how you help, and yet, every word that comes out of your mouth causes the fog of confusion that is now permeating a whole gaggle of people. 

Your neighbor who originally asked the question sees that you're about to drown and tries to help, 'like advertising?' 

And, instead of shutting up and choking out a meek "yes," you launch deeper into a long spiel about how you help online business owners by writing words that they use to share how they help people, and develop plans for publication on multiple channels. 

Your neighbor kindly says, "that's cool!'" But you know by the totally dazed look on his face (and on the faces of every adult in the room - not to mention the pity glances you keep getting from your hubby - that he has absolutely no earthly Idea what anything you just said means.

You're mortified, but you keep your mouth shut (it wasn't doing you any favors anyway...). 

That night, you lay In bed, unable to sleep, revisiting that conversation and wondering what the hell actually happened (and why you sounded like a total ??).

So, you (obviously) start feeling out new titles - you play around with words to see if anything "lands." 

Digital Dynamo? NO.

Conversation Architect? Definitely not. 

Maybe Word Wizard-ess? Nope.

Here's the thing, when you use titles or descriptive words, they may sound "cute" - but you need a 17 page PowerPoint for anyone (even others in your industry) to understand what you mean. 

OUCH. 

Here's a hard truth: jargon and idioms risk making your potential clients - your audience - feel uncomfortable. That means they won’t feel safe with you. And, if they do not feel safe, how are you going to sign them as a client? HINT: you don't. 

Why Is this? I suspect that it's because often, people use jargon to hide a lack of understanding.

When you rely heavily on "cute" words or jargon - it ends up feeling like you lack clarity - in your mission and your services. 

If you want to sell your programs and services - you have to sound confident, professional, and well-informed - you need to be an expert. And jargon does the exact opposite. 

Jaron sacrifices simplicity, and more importantly, clarity. Want to sell more programs? Fill your 1:1 spots? Get more "HELL YES!" answers? Then you need simple, clear communication that easily illustrates how you solve your dream client's problem(s). 

Does that mean you should only use your elevator pitch to explain what you do? Nope (in fact, I'm semi-allergic to weird people at networking events who walk up to you, card in hand, and use their elevator pitch as an intro ??).

You need to figure out how to explain what you do in a way that is succinct and MAKES SENSE.

I mean, how awesome would it feel to tell someone what you do, have them immediately think:

“OMGEEEEEE! I know someone who needs exactly that service or product!”

...which causes them to text their biz bestie to tell her all about the amazing person they just met (that’s you!!).

And truthfully? A clever, "cute," fun job title just won't do that. 

Wanna know what will? Take a few minutes and answer these questions:  

• Describe how you solve your dream client's problem
• Tell it to a 4th-ish grader (yes, really). Do they understand it? If so, great! You nailed it! If not…
• Refine your message until they do.

Want to make your content even better? You'll want to dive deeper, and answer these:  

• What do you help your clients achieve or solve?
• Why exactly should someone invest 4-5 figures in your programs or services?
• What exactly is your dream client missing out on by not hiring you?
• What TANGIBLE results should potential clients experience as a direct result of your products and/or services?

Until you can answer the above questions, you're going to struggle to consistently attract and enroll clients. I mean, you may enroll a few here and there...or stumble across a bevy of ideal clients (right place, right time kind of thing)...but you'll still be subject to the dreaded income merry-go-round. 

Wanna know why? The questions you need to answer aren't necessarily the things that you want to think about - but they're exactly what your dream client is basing their decision (you know, whether or not to hire you...) on. 

Let's recap real quick: 

If you're using jargon, you're never going to reach the people who actually want to work with you. It's worth the time investment to figure out your messaging because (after all) the purpose of marketing is to make sure that the people who need your help find you, join your cult membership or community, and eventually hire you or invest in your programs. 

If your messaging is murky and confusing, it's not going to get you the results you're looking for. Your future clients need to know exactly how you'll help them, and (most importantly), the result of working with you. 

Next time you sit down to write a post, an email, or record your podcast, take off the "expert" glasses and exchange them for "audience experience" glasses - allow yourself to write from the place of support, improvement, and results. 

Here's the thing:

If you've been struggling to come up with an amazing, super-witty, unique title or 'elevator pitch' (I know what I said about those - but you know what I'm talking about, right?)...it's time to stop the absolute insanity of calling yourself the "Wizard of Lightbulb Moments" ?? so that you can start talking about what you do, why it matters to your clients, and the results your dreamy future clients can get excited about. 

Seriously, though. Stop trying to fit yourself into someone else's box. That never works - stand out using your knowledge, your programming, and your personality. 

Because until you make it easy for people to find and understand your content, so that they actually get what it is you do...

You're going to end up frustrated, confused, and chasing your proverbial tail as you try to crack the code that will reveal why people aren't buying (even though you charged your crystals during the last full moon and did your manifestation ritual). 

And worse? If you don't make this change, you run the very real risk of doubting yourself, when, in reality, you have totally 100% got this.

Now, all you need to do is figure out how to clearly and concisely state the amazing bennies of working with you so that they're inspired and want to work with you.