Why everything starts with the “why” when you are a consultant.

When it comes to selling your services, whether in person or online, the golden rule to remember is this: Clear Is Kind.

Let’s be honest, the landscape of coaches, consultants and mentors is a saturated one; it can be difficult to be heard above the noise of the crowd and you can bet the business owners you’re targeting as clients are way too busy to do the work of finding you!

What you need is something that makes you stand out as the obvious choice to the people you want to work with, a reason WHY your dream clients choose you, and which gives them confidence in your ability to help them solve their problem. But before we can do that, we must first understand who they are, what challenges they face, and how our services can help. 

That, my friend, is brand clarity. 

Gaining brand clarity should be the starting point for any successful business, and yet it’s something many people overlook, perhaps because it sounds a little too much like ‘marketing speak’. So, let’s break it down and get clear on what we mean by brand clarity:

What is Brand Clarity?

Simply put, brand clarity means knowing who you are, what services you offer, which problem those services solve, and for whom. It’s about understanding what makes your business unique, what you bring to the table for your clients that no one else can and what sort of person is actively looking for the solution you provide.

Once you have brand clarity, the whole process of attracting, qualifying and converting leads will suddenly feel much easier, and much more natural. 

So, let’s look at some simple questions you can ask yourself to identify what sets your business apart and to help you start building your compelling brand identity:

1. What problem do you solve?

Keep it simple, don’t over complicate this. In one sentence, articulate what problem or challenge you solve for your clients with the services you offer.

2. What does your ideal client’s life look like before you?

Outline the realities, challenges and circumstances of your client’s life before they work with you. What do they believe about themselves and/or their business? What are they telling themselves? What are their daily habits? Paint a picture of life if the status quo continues.

3. How could your client’s life look after you solve their problem?

What is different in your client’s life after working with you? Describe how their work, social, family and financial situation looks and explore the way they feel about themselves and their future as a result of overcoming their specific challenge.

4. Where do you sell your services?

Are your clients more likely to be local, or national? Do you typically sell in person, at events and networking meetings or online? The process of building trust and therefore the duration of your on-boarding journey will likely depend partly on these factors, so carefully consider where your ideal clients are, how they prefer to purchase, and how to reach them.

5. What are your brand standards and values?

Forgive me for getting a little warm and fuzzy here, but the bottom line is consumers in 2020 want to work with brands that are aligned with their beliefs, stand for similar things, and don’t violate their personal values. A moral compass is no longer a nice to have for brands that want to attract discerning clients, so it’s important to get really clear on what you do and do not stand for as a business.

6. Why do you do what you do?

Perhaps most important of all to your brand identity is this: The ultimate why. Once you can pinpoint what inspires you, drives you and ultimately, fulfills you, you can set your business goals accordingly, and start to attract clients who are similarly motivated.

Everyone’s why is different and yours won’t appeal to everyone. However, it will attract the customers you’ll love working with, who will most benefit from what you have to offer, and with whom you’ll quickly establish rapport, trust and mutual respect.

The purpose of brand clarity is not to make everyone like you (a fool’s errand) but rather to establish what makes your business attractive to the right people, making selling to your dream clients clear, straightforward and painless.

It’s not always easy to figure out brand clarity, in fact some people enjoy doing it as more of a group task. If you like to bounce ideas off of other people then it might be a good idea to get together for one of our brand clarity workshops. For more information on this send us a quick email to hello@avidmode.com and we’d love to chat through your needs!