Crafting Your Core Message to Attract and Convert Dream Clients
Lately my Future You clients have been having some serious breakthroughs…
…They’ve gone from hearing crickets to fine-tuning their marketing and sales processes and made it THAT much easier to connect with their people, get them on the phone, and actually close sales
… They’ve grown their email newsletter list massively (we’re talking 17x what it was when we started working together) and are having their highest income months EVER
…They’ve stepped into the business they’d create if they were no longer holding themselves back because of fears that they’re unqualified or undeserving
…They’ve become really clear on what they actually want in their business, and it’s been THAT much easier to show up, call it in, and have five-figure months because of it
And not only have their businesses taken huge leaps forward, but their lives look so much different now too. They’re basically different people.
All because they did the mindset work necessary to think different, be different, and see different results.
I had a client tell me, “I feel like I haven’t really done that much this week. It’s all been up here,” she said as she pointed to her head.
“That IS the work,” I was quick to tell her. “Because it’s practically impossible to create more of the results you want in your business when it’s a mess upstairs. It needs to start with the thought work.”
I’d be willing to bet you’ve seen the same in your business.
While us high-achieving women (yes, I’ve been there too!) like to think that the way to see more results is to hustle harder, spend more time, make more sacrifices, stay up later, and try more strategies, it’s hardly ever the answer.
Because if what you’re already doing isn’t working, doing more of the same is hardly ever the RIGHT actions in your business to really move the needle forward and see more of the results you want.
Which is why I believe wholeheartedly that mindset work is essential to seeing more of the results you want in your life and business.
I see it again and again for my Future You clients—once you nail the foundation, you’d be amazed how quickly you can (and they do!) see results.
That means making sure their business is aligned to what they want and how they want to create it.
It means creating a marketing plan that feels good to them so they can show up consistently and become more visible.
It means shifting their mindset around sales so they can actually feel good about selling and serving their clients.
But before we even get there, it means creating a core message that draws in those dreamy clients and actually converts.
And while this is the foundational piece so many like to skip over, it’s also one of the single most important things you can gain clarity around to create bigger results in your business for both you AND your clients.
Because if you’re confused about what you do, the results you offer, and how to talk about your work, you better believe everyone else is going to be too.
So this week, I’m talking about crafting your core message to attract AND convert those dream clients (plus examples of how I’ve applied this insight in my own biz!) so you can start doing less while seeing more results.
The same, but different
When clients first start working with me, they’re often clear on the service they offer in a broad sense, but at a loss for what sets them apart from everyone else.
I’ve coached designers who specialize in branding and website design. I’ve coached photographers who specialize in weddings and portrait sessions. The list goes on.
I can safely say, almost every single one of them has given me a deer-in-the-headlights look when I ask what sets them apart from others in their industry.
It’s no surprise either. When your skillset goes far and wide, it’s easy to think that you can do just about anything, for just about anyone.
Not only that, but over here on team human-being, we often spend wayyyyyy more time thinking about why we AREN’T good at what we do than why we’re amazing at it.
That’s where the mindset work comes in.
I like to start by getting more specific about exactly what you’re so passionate about and what you’re amazing at.
In fact, here are three questions you can journal on if you’re feeling stumped by that very same question.
Because I refuse to believe that you’re the only business owner without a secret sauce—we just haven’t found your exact recipe yet.
Why do you do what you do? Chances are you got into what you do for a deeper sense of purpose—to make an income and an impact. Get specific about that.
What do your clients love most about you? Look back through those testimonials or think back to the compliments from clients you typically brush off. What do people rave about?
And what consistencies can you find between past projects or clients you’ve worked with? I bet they have a lot more in common than you might think.
How it’s worked for me:
Personally, I’m wildly passionate about helping you cultivate the mindset you need to take more of the RIGHT actions so you can close more sales and truly thrive in life and business. But my message is the result of all three of these questions.
→ I started my design business after living the big NYC life and having the “dream job” on paper, but feeling like the fulfillment piece was missing. Thriving in BOTH life and business is the very reason I started my own business and later pivoted to coaching because I deeply believe you can have BOTH.
→ My clients love the way I think, how I can see their blind spots, shift their perspective, and call them on their own BS. And consequently, when we make those shifts, it’s easier for them to show up more consistently in their business, gain visibility, and feel good selling so they can make more money and thrive.
→ And every single one of my clients has had to do the mindset work FIRST before the results started showing up for them. They’ve all wanted to pile on the business and marketing strategies (because honestly strategy is the “easy” part—shifting old patterns and doing the uncomfortable work to stretch and grow isn’t always fun but it has WAY more results to show for it!). Because when they shift their mindset and start taking more of the RIGHT actions in their business, their results shift in a massive way too.
Focus on the result
Having a background in branding and design, I absolutely LOVE coaching designers because I get it on a deeper level.
I mean really. I’ve booked $10k website design projects, landed clients in Anthropologie, worked with clients who have been featured on Oprah, and others who have since expanded to multiple cross-country locations after working with me. I get it.
But I also know that it took me a hell of a lot of time to get to that point and I could have gotten there way faster had I known THIS (hint: even if you’re not a designer, what I’m about to tell you could save you weeks, months, and even years of spinning your wheels).
You see, designers love their process. And it makes sense because it’s THROUGH that process that your clients are guaranteed results.
It’s how you know that know matter what ingredients you put in, you’re going to get a very similar result each time, and in that way, it’s very comforting in a creative profession.
But here’s the mindset shift → All process and no results is like showing up to a birthday party with the recipe for a cake instead of the cake. It’s definitely not the same.
It’s definitely not as delicious. And it’s all around, not as exciting.
You see, your clients are sold by THE RESULT you offer them. The ingredients or the process you take to get there isn’t the reason they’re hiring you. It’s all about the transformation.
How it’s worked for me:
I stopped ONLY talking about the process.
My Future You coaching program is tailored to my clients’ exact mindset challenges and their homework is based on where they are at specifically in their life and business.
On a higher level, our work together is based on what they want and how they want to create it.
But that being said, there are facets of my process that every client is taken through.
They all start with major breakthroughs in the Welcome Guide.
They all have personalized homework assignments between each call so you know exactly what they need to do to move their business forward and have the accountability to get it done.
They all have full access to me between calls in Basecamp in case they get stuck, have questions, or want to share a win (and believe me, there are ALWAYS things to celebrate!).
They all get access to bonus materials like my Rare to Rock-Solid Marketing Plan, Ideal Schedule Workbook, The Business Owner’s Money Mindset and Manifestation Journal, and Morning Routine Design Guide.
But simply put, that’s not the part they get excited about. They’re hooked on they can close more sales and truly thrive in life and business because it seems SO FAR from where they’re at currently.
When they come to me, they feel like “nothing is working” and they’re overwhelmed by all the things they could be doing to grow their business, without any real insight as to what the right actions are to get them there.
So clearing out the mental clutter, laying the foundation, and doing the mindset work to show up and take the right actions is where the transformation lies.
But at the end of the day, they’re walking away with the mindset they need to close more sales and create a thriving life and business, and that’s what they’re excited about, so that’s what I talk about most.
Because it’s not just about the process or deliverables, it’s about what the deliverables create for them in their life and business.
Say it all the damn time
Now that you’ve gotten specific about what you do and the result you offer your clients, it’s time to tie it up into a nice little bow. I mean sentence.
Because gaining clarity around your core message is not only essential to your own confidence and ability to talk about what you do, but also your ability to convert more sales. Because remember, people rarely purchase if they don’t understand.
If you’re feeling at a loss here, I’ve put together the basic structure you can use to put together your own core message:
I help ___(who you help)____ with ___(what you do)__ so they can ___(result)___.
Now here’s the thing: everything should tie back to your core message.
You’ve spent this time getting clear on these key pieces so it’s time to put it to work.
All of the content you write, all of the posts you promote, all of the offers you have, and more! should all tie back to your core message.
Believe me, I get a lot of push back on this and it’s one of my favorite things to shift my client’s mindset around. “I don’t want to be like those big names that only ever pump the same message and you hear the same thing over and over again.”
But (mindset shift!) the reason those people ARE big names is because they got really frickin’ clear on what it is that they wanted to be known for and they did the mindset work to actually stick to it.
It’s what they talked about when no one was listening.
It’s what they give speeches on and write books about.
It’s what they’ve continued to talk about even as some people dropped off who were sick of hearing it.
It’s the very reason they’ve been so successful and you will be too.
So consider this your full permission to sound like a broken record and actually become KNOWN for the work that you do!
How it’s worked for me:
One of the things that’s really helped me to stick to my core message and talk about it from different angles is developing a set of categories that I rotate weekly in my content marketing.
It’s why you hear me talk about self-care one week and marketing the next.
In this way, I’m able to both stick within the umbrella of my core message AND keep things new and fresh.
It’s this structure that I rely on so I don’t tell myself the story that, “I have nothing to say” or “I don’t know what to talk about.”
Because each of these categories are what I believe helps you to cultivate the mindset you need to take more of the RIGHT actions to gain visibility, close more sales, and truly thrive in life and business.
Now I’m not saying that you have to share your message in exactly the same way that I do (I’m a strong believer in finding a way that works for you!), but I do think it’s important that everything ties back to that message.
I’ve always found myself to be most creative when I have a container to work within, so giving myself structure in this way helps me to stay on message while still delivering valuable content.
So no matter what your content marketing plan looks like, I do encourage you to have one.
Some of the clients that feel most guilty for not showing up the way they think they “should” don’t even have any idea what that would look like for them → making it pretty darn impossible to stick to and stay on message!
The bottom line:
You can use the journal prompts above to gain clarity around your passion and expertise so you can start communicating it to your dream clients more clearly.
You’ll want to be sure that you tie this to the results that you offer your clients, rather than simply the process you use to get them there.
Once you’re clear on those things, go ahead and use the sentence structure above to craft your core message so you can start converting those dreamy clients.
Remember, if you’re still feeling lost when it comes to making more money in your business (and how mindset can help you take the practical steps to do it), then I’m here to help!
Together, let’s break through what may be holding you back. Go ahead and hop on my free Sincere Sales coaching call where we’ll get to the root of the biggest mindset challenge when it comes to selling so you can sell in a way that feels good and close more of them because of it!
Tell me in the comments below:
Now it’s your turn! Share your core message in the comments below! Or if you’re feeling stuck, let me know and I’m happy to help you through it!
Photography by Sandstone Creative
