John bit the dog. The dog bit John. Same four words, but when arranged in a different sequence, they have an entirely different meaning. Especially for John!
— Tony Robbins, MONEY Master The Game
Marketing Sequence. It’s not a topic that coaches hear a lot about.
We’re usually busy hunting down the newest strategies and best practices for our marketing and sales. But, finding the right strategy is only half of the battle. The next step is to choose the right sequence. Even the best marketing strategies in the wrong order can kill your results.
I see coaches struggle with this all of the time. They mix up their marketing and sales approaches – either marketing how they should sell or selling how they should be marketing. Sometimes, they use the same approach for both.
When your marketing approach is mixed up, you won’t get prospects into sales meetings. When your sales approach is mixed up, you’re met with objections and excuses that keep you from making the sale.
So, how do you make sure your marketing and sales approaches are in the right order? Here are three critical steps any coach can follow.
Master The Proper Sequence: Tell, Ask, Show
1. Tell – Promote A Problem In Your Marketing
“When you can articulate a person’s problem better than they can, they automatically and unconsciously credit you with knowing the solution.”
— Wyatt Woodsmall
In your marketing, you need to be declarative, not diagnostic. Start with answers or problems in mind and declare those. Your marketing should make statements, not ask questions (that comes later).
Picture ONE person and ONE problem, then stomp all over that problem. You want your target prospects to think you’re talking directly to them.
Think about the TV ads you’ve seen for Proactiv, or other acne medications. They’re experts at promoting the problem. These ads show with picture after picture after picture of nervous teenagers covered in pimples.
What do you think the kids with acne watching those commercials are thinking about? When they see those pictures, they don’t just see other people, they see themselves.
Why? Because they see the exact same problem. Pick one problem and hammer it out!
2. Ask – Diagnose Their Disfunction When Selling
In a sales meeting, nobody wants to be told all the things they’re doing wrong or how to run their business.
Instead, find the gaps between where are they are and where they want to be. Don’t do this by telling them about their problems – you’ve already done that in your marketing.
Identify the gaps by asking.
Create questions you can ask prospects to get them naked (telling you exactly what their situation is) and needy (asking you for you help).
3. Show – Step Through Your System To Close The Deal
When the prospect asks how you can help them, your response shouldn’t be, “Well, we can work together for an hour a week and have conversations about XYZ.”
People don’t buy a conversation. They buy a system.
Show them how to get them from their current reality to the results they want. The best way is by walking them through a simplified version (3-9 steps) of your coaching system.
This doesn’t need to be your entire coaching system. But it should show them how they’ll make progress with you in way that’s easy to understand.
Tell. Ask. Show. Your marketing and sales sequence should follow that order, every time.
When you get this right, ears will prick up at your marketing – not just anybody, but your ideal client. You’ve identified one person with one problem and spoken directly to them, the people that respond to your marketing will be in your specific target.
In the sales meeting, they’ll open up to you and beg for your help. They’ll know that you’re the right fit for them (from your marketing). They’ll also be assured you have the knowledge needed about their particular situation (from your sales meeting). This gives them the confidence they need to take the very first steps with you.
Is your marketing declarative or diagnostic?
P.S. Whenever you’re ready… here are 4 ways I can help you grow your coaching business:
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4. Work with me and my team privately
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