Why they’re just not “getting” your Value

I recently did a survey of my community asking you about your biggest challenge when it comes to getting clients.  The number one response from the survey by quite a long way was struggling to communicate the value of what you do and not being able to clearly articulate to potential clients why what you do can make a difference to them.

If that sounds familiar, you probably feeling extremely frustrated that when you speak to a potential client who could really benefit from your help, they just don’t seem to “get” it.

This is so important that I put a lot of emphasis on it within my “Get More Clients Saying Yes!” course.   So just how do you articulate what you do in such a way that your ideal client hears you loud and clear and can see the value of investing both their money and their time in working with you?

That’s what I’m going to answer in this video today. (Watch the video or continue reading…)

Why your clients aren’t “getting” it

As the business owner, if you have a service or something you deliver that can make a difference to other people the onus is on you to communicate that value and the difference you make clearly – you can’t rely on your client somehow figuring it out themselves.

If in your case you know that your potential clients are just not “getting it” then it’s quite likely you are coming at it from the wrong angle.

What I see a lot is a tendency to fall back on trying to convince people just how amazing your programme or process is.  Or what an amazing transformational technique you are using.  It’s as if you are trying really hard to sell them on your “process” or the “tools” that you use to get the job done, rather than selling them the end result.   And what this leaves your client feeling or thinking is basically some version of “Well, so what?”.

It’s important to remember that the question at the forefront of your potential client’s mind is “What’s in it for me?” and “How is this going to help solve the immediate problem that I’m struggling with right now? The thing that’s at the top of my priority list”.   Because where the value is for them, not “how” you are going to solve it.

Particularly if you are more established in business and have got some great results under your belt it can be easy to fall out of the habit of communicating your value and slipping back into just telling people how amazing what you do is.

For example I might catch myself saying:

“I’ve got an amazing 8-week online programme to teach you how to have authentic sales conversations.  It gets great results.”

In your case you might say something like:

“I use a really powerful and unique technique that works on your subconscious patterns and behaviour and works quickly and effectively.”

Or “I’m going to work with you to set up and streamline your monthly bookkeeping.”

As you can see these are all perfectly valid descriptions of what we do, and they even sound quite convincing on a first read.   But something is missing that the potential client needs to hear.  They don’t answer that question “What’s in it for me?”

What to say instead

So it’s about taking as the starting point, not the thing you do, not the tool or process you use, or the programme you deliver – as counter-intuitive as it sounds,  you really want to take this out of the equation altogether at this stage.

Instead your starting point should be:

“What is the biggest pain or problem that this particular client is struggling with right now?”
“What is the thing that is making them most unhappy?”
“What is the highest priority for them to sort out in their life or business?”

When you do that it allows you to start by showing that working with you provides the answer to that problem, pain or priority – and your client can now see the value and is open to hearing more.

So again, to take an example from my own business, a common problem I hear from potential clients is:  “I’m not confident to go out and take action to get clients because I’m not clear enough about my pricing”

So in order for me communicate the value of my online programme it would be more effective for me to say:

“You will get crystal clear on your pricing, so you can go out and confidently enrol new clients into your programmes and services.” 

As you can see, instead of talking about how amazing my programme is I’m talking about the result that it’s going to give, in direct response to a the problem my client has.

In another example, you might hear: “I’m lonely, and I desperately want to find a new partner, but I’m too self-conscious and lacking in confidence to go out dating.”   Here it would be tempting to talk about the really powerful tools and techniques you would use to help them, whether that is EFT, hypnotherapy or similar.   But in fact it would be way more effective to say something like:

“Within just a few weeks of working with me, you’ll be feeling much more confident in yourself, and you’ll be able to look forward to going out on a date knowing that you’re looking and feeling your very best.”

And for the earlier accounts example, your potential client might say, “I spend days every month getting tangled up with my accounting.  It’s eating into time that I could be spending with clients. Most of all I hate doing it and this isn’t what I came into business for.”

In this case, you can show your value by saying: “I’m going to help you get your accounts process down to just 2 hours a month so that you are free to do the work you really love to do.”

What about you? How can you better demonstrate your value?

I’d love you to pause here just for a moment.  Go back and read those examples again.  Can you see that in none of them does it mention “how” you are going to help – the tools or process.   All the emphasis is on the end result.  And THAT is what your client needs to hear if they are going to actually “get” that you really can make a big difference to them.

Do you ever find yourself getting into a pattern where the more you talk the more you see your potential client’s eyes glaze over, so you try even harder to convince them by talking even more, and their eyes glaze over even more….?

If you relate to that it’s worth taking a moment to reflect on your conversations with potential clients:

• Have you been guilty of falling back on trying to convince them and sell your, tool, technique or approach?
• Are you noticing that the way you’ve been trying to convince people of your value doesn’t answer the “What’s in it for me?” question?
• If so then grab a sheet of paper and jot down biggest problems that your potential clients typically come to you with.
• For each of those problems come up with a response that shows that what you offer can directly solve that problem or challenge.

This way the next time you are in conversation with a potential client you will be so much more likely to answer in a way that allows your client to truly “get it” and see the value you have to offer them.

I’d love to hear if this resonates with you.  Have you been struggling to communicate your value to your clients? Will you be doing something differently after reading this?  Please do share your insights in the comments below, I always love to hear from you!