I just visited couple of websites.
And it went like this:
I created… I developed I designed
I use I was I am
O, look, pretty photo of me!
So here is a tip: chances are I’m not on your website trying to find out how awesome you are.
I want to know you can help ME be more awesome.
I don’t care how many expensive coaches told you to get Paris photo shoot and write your fab story – it’s not going to work unless you can make it relevant beside trying to make me jealous of your lifestyle. Who teaches that stuff??
(My lifestyle is already pretty good and I’ve been to places you probably didn’t know existed, just saying.)
Talk about your customers and write with your ideal clients in mind.
I know that there is plenty of people here that get it – and they are also people who know that lifestyle it’s a little bit more than a photo shoot and buying stuff in expensive stores.
But I get a lot of clients that come to me broke and disillusioned after working with fancy coaches full of glitter – because their cookie cutter formulas didn’t work.
- Yes, the lifestyle bit is important because a guy in a suit with a fleet of leased cars probably won’t understand our desire to run a business from a laptop and a smartphone.
- Someone who works all available hours to become success won’t teach you how to become insanely focused and productive and work 4 hour days.
- Someone who is still used to working 5 days a week won’t understand a quarterly launch model – where you work like a fiend for a month, deliver the class and take a month off.
I guess what I’m trying to say is if you looking for a coach or business support, make sure they know what you want to learn because anyone can teach you how to make more money but it has to be on your terms.
And if you are a coach trying to get more clients, make sure your website is focused on your clients – pretty obvious, I know. But still very hard to achieve. And rare.
TIP:
The easy test is to print out your website and mercilessly highlight every time you say ‘I’. Shocking right? Gets me every fricking time. Another way is to save it as word document and do a search for word YOU and use highlighter feature to see results.
I love talking about myself, we all do. It’s not egoistic, it’s being human. We are centres of our own universe and all the change comes from within. There is nothing wrong with that.
Create a real brand experience.
But on your coaching/ freelancer /business website? You talk about clients. About what they feel. Why they come to you. How you can help. Get their pain points – and that goes deeper than trying to say online coach lifestyle is about living in paradise drinking margaritas green smoothie and doing morning yoga on the private beach, and being styled to perfection #IwokeUpLikeThis. We already curate our lives and living your brand is a bit more involved than not being caught without make up ever.
That’s where great testimonials are coming to play to – that’s bragging without looking like a duchbag, not only allowed but 1000% encouraged.
Being on brand is important for coaches, because more often than not we sell the lifestyle as part of the offer. We sell the ability to change their life – be it for branding coach, health coach, personal stylist or relationship coach – therefore we are often judged on the lifestyle part.
Great pictures are crucial because we are very visual, but your words – your website copy – needs to be enticing, convincing and truthful to set up right expectations. That requires delicate balance between showing that dreams are actually achievable, that passion doesn’t have to take second place to ability to create success – and make profit and that you are the right person to get them there.
So do what feels right, and you don’t need to follow any formulas to attract ideal clients – talk to them, like you were talking to a friend. Without posturing but with a lot of understanding. Without trying to guilt her into buying, taking second mortgage or credit card debt because otherwise ‘she is not believing enough in herself.’ Make your clients so excited about working with you, they squeal with delight and literally can’t stop talking about you – because you make their dreams possible and they can feel it.
PS. Of course it’s not the Paris photoshoot that makes your website look narcissistic, self centered and money focused – I adore Paris, just as I love Barcelona and Krakow. I know plenty of coaches who are crushing it, while still holding onto their integrity and style. And I am all for bragging how awesome your life is now, since you started working online – one of my friends just send out her post launch happy pics, bragging how she could help her favourite charity with the awesome, life changing donation. And she is not the only one using her money, influence and time to make a real difference in the world.