Market Research—The Hidden Key to Crafting Offers That Sell

Market Research—The Hidden Key to Crafting Offers That Sell

You’ve been coaching for a while now. You’ve put in the work, you’re great at what you do, but your revenue just doesn’t reflect the magic you bring to your clients. Sound familiar?

The missing piece to this puzzle might be market research—the secret sauce that can turn your business from an endless grind to a money-making machine that flows with ease. Stop winging it and start letting your data tell you exactly what your ideal clients need.

Why Market Research is a Game-Changer

You see, most coaches jump straight into offer creation without stopping to do the most crucial step: getting to know their audience. When you skip market research, you end up making offers based on assumptions, and—let's face it—hoping for the best. But what if I told you that dialing into the exact needs, desires, and frustrations of your ideal client could lead to offers that sell out with ease?

Now, let’s talk about how to make that happen.

Real Talk: Meet Amanda, a Burnout Coach

Amanda had been coaching for two years, and while she had some success, she couldn't seem to attract the right clients consistently. She had plenty of leads, but many weren't converting or didn’t align with her passion for helping women avoid burnout. She felt like she was throwing spaghetti at the wall, hoping something would stick.

When we started working together, Amanda realized she’d skipped a crucial step—market research. She wasn’t tuning into what her ideal clients really needed. After diving deep into surveys, social media research, and even hopping on a few 1:1 calls with her past clients, Amanda discovered something surprising: Her audience wasn’t just looking for stress relief—they were looking for strategies to set boundaries at work and build resilience before burnout hit.

Armed with this new insight, she shifted her offers to focus on prevention and positioned herself as the coach who helps women create sustainable success. Within weeks, she was booked solid with clients who were excited to work with her—and her revenue? It tripled in just 3 months. Amanda went from scattered to strategic, all by harnessing the power of market research.

The 360° Market Research Approach: Your Blueprint for Success

Market research isn’t just about knowing a little about your audience—it’s about uncovering the full picture from every angle. This is how you create offers that don’t just sell, but sell out. My 360° Market Research Approach helps you do just that, and it includes four powerful components: Ideal Client Research, Audience Research, Past Client Research, and Competitor Research. But before you dive in, you need to nail your competitive advantage—what sets you apart in your industry.

Let’s break it down:

Step 1: Discover Your Competitive Advantage

Before jumping into research, you need to get crystal clear on what makes YOU the go-to expert. What unique strengths, experiences, or perspectives do you bring to the table? This step is all about highlighting what sets you apart so that you’re not just another voice in the crowd. Once you know what makes you unique, you’re ready to see how you can use that advantage to serve your ideal clients better.

Step 2: Ideal Client Research

Get to know your dream clients—the people who are a perfect fit for your coaching services. Who are they? What are their biggest challenges, dreams, and desires? This research goes beyond surface-level demographics; we’re talking about the psychographics—their values, motivations, and decision-making processes.

• How to Do It: Use surveys, interviews, and even social media listening to understand their pain points and what transformation they’re seeking.
• Example: After diving into her ideal client research, Amanda (the burnout coach) realized her audience wanted more than stress management—they needed practical tools for setting boundaries before burnout hit. This revelation completely transformed her offers.

Step 3: Audience Research

Your broader audience holds golden insights too. Whether they’re followers on social media, email subscribers, or potential clients who haven’t yet worked with you, they’re worth studying. Audience research helps you spot trends, common struggles, and gaps in the market that your ideal clients may not even be aware of yet.

• How to Do It: Use social media polls, ask open-ended questions in your groups, and pay attention to the types of content that get the most engagement.
• Example: Amanda noticed that her audience frequently engaged with posts about work-life balance. This insight led her to create a free resource on setting healthy boundaries, which became a key lead magnet for her business.

Step 4: Past Client Research

Your past clients are a treasure trove of information. They’ve already experienced your coaching, so they can provide invaluable feedback about what worked, what didn’t, and where they still need help. This data allows you to refine your offers based on actual client experience, ensuring that your future clients have an even better journey.

• How to Do It: Send follow-up surveys, ask for testimonials, or simply check in with past clients to learn more about their ongoing challenges and how you could have served them better.
• Example: Amanda reached out to past clients and found out that while they loved her stress-relief techniques, they wanted more accountability. She added follow-up support as part of her new offers, and her retention rates skyrocketed.

Step 5: Competitor Research

It’s important to know who else is serving your audience and how you can stand out. Competitor research allows you to identify gaps in the market and opportunities to differentiate yourself. This isn’t about copying what others are doing—it's about learning where your competitors fall short so you can position yourself as the best solution for your clients.

• How to Do It: Study competitors’ offers, client reviews, and messaging. Identify the common themes and figure out how your unique edge can fill the gaps.
• Example: Amanda noticed that most burnout coaches focused solely on recovery after burnout. By positioning herself as the coach who helps women prevent burnout, she set herself apart and became the go-to expert for high-performing women who wanted to stay at the top of their game.

From Data to Irresistible Offers

Once you’ve gathered all that juicy data, it’s time to connect the dots. When you truly understand your clients' needs, your offers basically write themselves. This isn’t about guessing anymore—it’s about offering a solution your clients already want.

Here’s the magic formula: Research ?? Insight ?? Offer Creation ?? Sales.

By letting your research guide you, your offers won’t just be attractive—they’ll be irresistible.

Ready to Take Action? Here's What to Do Next

Start today by diving into your market research. To help you get started, I’ve created a free downloadable guide with simple prompts to help you dig deeper into what your clients need. Plus, if you’re ready to go deeper, I’m hosting a Strategic Offer Creation Webinar where I’ll walk you through the entire process live. You’ll learn how to:

• Conduct research that reveals what your clients are really looking for.
• Create offers that hit the bullseye and practically sell themselves.
• Avoid the common mistake coaches make when trying to sell their offers

Join my Strategic Offer Creation Webinar and turn your business into a consistent money-making machine. Your dream clients are waiting for you!

Call to Action

Your homework: Take 10 minutes today to ask one burning question to your audience. Start with something simple like, “What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to [your niche]?” You’ll be amazed at the insights you gather.

Remember, market research isn’t just another task on your to-do list—it’s the key to offers that sell and a business that scales effortlessly.