If you’re scratching your head…you’re not alone. In fact, you’d be as blindsided as I was at 6:31 a.m. when you open Facebook to see…well…this:

I’m still trying to figure out what on earth would cause that 👆to show up In my feed. 

Things that make you go hmmmmm…

Of course, I did the thing that I always do, and I sent it to my bestie and Ish (the hubs). Both of them were as perplexed as I was. Whew!

And the mystery only deepened as I scrolled through the rest of the photos to realize that this “work of art” is on display somewhere right now.

It’s also for purchase If you’d like to bring a jewel-encrusted trash panda into your home (for the low, low price of $5000). I mean, I get that the artist (taxidermist) used Swarovski crystals…

But my favorite part? This gem of a line when you click the product description:

“This doesnt have to be a raccoon, other taxidermy could be used.”

And yes, the lack of an apostrophe is literally killing me slooooooowly.

Oh, and if you’re in looooooove and absolutely need a stuffed-Swarovski-covered-animal, Cassandra actually has quite a few *ahem* things (?) that she’s painstakingly bedazzled (and painted??)…

Okay. So now that we’ve got that out of the way…wanna know why you should care?

Well, if you’re selling something (anything, really), then you need to understand how to market it (I mean…just look at that furry…thing…)…and if you’re a coach, consultant, or service provider, that can be challenging.

I mean, how do you get them (your future clients) to actually see you, understand your genius…& clamor to pay you  (in real currency – not taxidermy, just so we’re clear…unless that’s your thing…). 

Part of the issue is that before anyone pays you, they need to trust you. But if they’re not even seeing themselves being supported by you…

Then you have a messaging problem.

If you are unclear…

If your results are vague…

How will Sally Jo know that you’re the one person on this planet that can teach her how to fast-track her widget-making? 

She won’t. womp-womp.

If you’ve been doom scrolling, wondering why your posts aren’t getting the amount of engagement as that other coach, or why that potential client who was thisclose to signing actually hired “that other person,”…and you know that you solve a very real problem, but selling your solution is challenging because no one knows who you are…

You, my dear, may have more than a messaging problem – you and I both know that you can sell stuff – I mean, you’ve sold programs, packages, services (for $$$$$!!) before – and your clients LOVE you. But finding them finding you consistently is definitely not your reality. 

Before you panic – take a deep breath. This is fixable. 

1: Review & Revise Your Messaging

Even if you’re the world’s best whateveryouare, If you can’t clearly communicate what you do so that a middle schooler can understand it…you have some work to do. 

Take a look at your website, your about page, your social channels and look for inconsistencies – are you a “coach” on LinkedIn but a “social media strategist” on Twitter? 

Make sure that you have what you do locked down everywhere. And if you don’t, make the time to fix that yesterday.

Once your messaging (at least externally) looks good, then you can move on. 

2: Double-Check Your Client Journey

When someone finds you online – whether it’s through a mutual friend, a google search, or social media – what should their first step be? What Is the action that you want them to take? What is the first impression you want them to have of you? Of your brand? Of your expertise?

I promise you that there’s a path. 

3: Assess Your Client Results

From the first time a new audience member or potential client engages and takes action until you finally offboard them as a client or move into a consulting capacity – how are you measuring and tracking results? Are they living up to YOUR and THEIR expectations?

Look hard – what’s the one thing they’ll gain from every stop on the client journey (you did do that, right?)? Write that down – right next to each step on your client path. 

4: Ask Yourself, “Do the Journey & Results Make Sense?”

If your new follower starts down your client path…will the steps make sense? Do the offers naturally lead toward one another? Does anything need to shift? 

5: And, “Does My Messaging Speak to My Client’s Results?”

Suppose someone didn’t know you at all. Would they automatically assume that because of your messaging – the way you describe yourself, your services, your business, your offers – that you help people just like them achieve whateveryourclaimtofameis?

If they aren’t seeing it, ask yourself if you are clear on how you help and why they need you. 

Now, if you do all of those things, and you’re still feeling overwhelmed by, well, the perception that people have of you, of your work, of your value, you may want to consider something rather…different. 

You may want to THINK SMALLER. 

Why? Well, when you do less, you can focus on providing a smaller (but still super satisfying) yet fantastic result for every client you work with. 

How do I know you’ll still get a really awesome result from doing less? 

Because you’re awesome at what you do. Period. 

Maybe you’ve tried all other outlets for your artistic talents, but you keep struggling to sell HUGE pieces…so you narrow your focus to something smaller. Something less. Like a Swarovski-encrusted taxidermy raccoon, for example. 

Laser your focus on performing LESS and do your thing with the confidence that you just know the client is going to be thrilled. 

For example, let’s say you’re a copywriter (I’ll keep this in my wheelhouse for time’s sake, K?). And you write kick-ass copy – copy that actually converts into sales. But that copy takes time…and the most common make-or-break copy pieces? Sales pages.

So…you can absolutely offer your regular copywriting services, or you can offer a “single-win” or “bite-sized” option. In my case, I happen to have a couple of those (I know, “how convenient!”)” 

Option 1

You could offer a VIP Day and bang out that single sales page turned around in about a week. The single win here Is that they get their sales page written by a pro in a short period of time.

Option 2

You could show them the DIY course or template that you created to help your audience create their sales page(s) on their own. The single win here is that they will learn how to do a part of what you get paid the big $$$ for…and possibly (hopefully) decide that what you do is actually worth that investment that doesn’t seem so hugely overwhelming anymore – because they actually understand your value. 

Of course, we naturally want to sell the “big,” “high-ticket” packages – getting those pings that a 5-figure payment has hit your account feel goooooooood.

But if your potential client isn’t 1000% sold on your ability to guide them through or provide them with a transformation, then smaller, bite-sized, single-win options make a whole lot of sense. 

Plus, when done correctly, these smaller, lower-investment options give you a massive opportunity to increase the thing that everyone wants to have: a potential client who:

1. Knows you. 

2. Actually likes you. 

3. TRUSTS you.

…and when you use a stripped-down-style offer like the ones above, your client will reach those three key things all on their own. 

Think about it: your would-be client (soon to become a will-be client) will actually experience a glimpse of what it would be like to work with you longer-term (which is the goal…right?)

So…if you’re frustrated with feeling the need to explain why they should purchase the whole enchilada (again!), so to speak, consider pulling back and offering a “bite-sized,” “single-win” option as a starting point. 

That way, you are quite literally allowing interested people an opportunity to work with you. That choice to step into a bite-sized option will cause them to have a result they’ve been wanting, which will (eventually) allow them to make the choice to work with you in a larger capacity. 

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