0:00:01 - Betsy Jordyn
Ever wonder why your offers may not be hitting the mark? I've identified seven common mistakes that consults and coaches make that could be holding you back and how to fix them. And welcome to the Enough Ready Podcast. This is the show for consultants and coaches who want to forge their own path to success in their careers and in their lives. I'm your host, betsy Jordan, and today we're talking about how to create consulting and coaching offers that get your clients to say yes, yes, a thousand times yes to the idea of working with you. And so what we're going to be doing is I'm starting a brand new three-part series all about framing, describing and pricing your offers.
It's my first solo series that I've done in almost a year and it was really hard for me to take a pause on the interviews, because I absolutely love doing those interviews my highlight. I love them so much. But I felt compelled to do this series because I've been getting so many questions lately about offers and I've been working with my clients one-on-one on their offers. So I have a brand new VIP experience all about offers, and it has yielded so many powerful results that I had to do some episodes all around offers. So I got an email from a client who told me like, oh, I had to write you, betsy, because we just heard back on a second proposal and she's going with option two. So this is two yeses, all with the help of one awesome coach. So that makes me smile because it works. They're landing more clients and they're landing the right clients. I got a message from another client who landed her first five-figure retainer, for $20,000 for a year-long engagement, and so she's thrilled because she's been able to set up her business for success. And, by the way, this is a brand new coach. She's brand new and she's already landing this type of work.
So offers are important. Offers are critical. This is where the rubber of everything that you do with your business hits the road and it really determines everything about your business. So how you frame, describe and price your services and your offers have the direct, most direct correlation on your impact and your income potential. So offers are super important and we're gonna be getting into it.
But the problem is with offers is there's so much confusion about them, especially for people like us who are mid-career consultants and coaches, who may have had a previous career as an organization of some kind, an organizational leader or an individual contributor, we never really had to think about how do we price ourselves and how do we put our offers together, and it's very different than looking for a job, and so that's why I really wanted to get into this series. So my goal with the series is to demystify all of this, and today we're gonna be starting this conversation around what an offer even is and what are some of the very common understandable mistakes that many consultants and coaches make and how to fix them. So, to help you with your offer clarity, I did create a brand new freebie for you. It's an offer creation guide, and this is going to help you enhance your ability to create more compelling offers. So you can head on over to wwwbetseyjordancom and remember Jordans with a Y, forward slash, framing hyphen, offers, hyphen blueprint, and you can get this guide, and I'll also have this URL in the show notes so that you can refer to it there, and this is gonna get this process started for you, in addition to what we're gonna be talking about on this episode. So, without further ado, let's get started. So let's talk about the mistakes, the very common understandable mistakes that consultants and coaches make, and the number one mistake is they're just simply unclear on what an offer is.
So an offer is very different than just a product or a service. So product or service is a specific item or service that you're selling. So, for example, a service might be a one-on-one coaching session or an assessment or a strategy session. An offer, on the other hand, is a total solution of what you're providing your clients and packages those products and services in a way that is more compelling, valuable and attractive to a client. So let me give you some specific examples around the differences. So you could say I want to sell one-on-one coaching sessions to improve sales skills. Let's say, for example, an offer is more of a package. So maybe you offer a three-month sales coaching program that does include weekly one-on-one sessions, personalized action plans, access to online resources and tools and ongoing support via email and phone. Now that's much more compelling because it offers more of a comprehensive solution that will actually lead to the improved sales skills. So perhaps you might be a consultant who offers a strategy session to your clients to help them identify business growth opportunities. So a strategy session is a service, but an offer would be is a comprehensive business growth package that includes, maybe, that strategy session, but also a market analysis, competitor research, customized action plan, ongoing coaching and supporting and a follow-up review session. So I think you're getting the gist and I hope you can see this from your perspective as a consumer. Would you rather hire somebody that created this comprehensive offer that will give you more value and help you really achieve your goals, or would you rather just invest in these smaller services? That's the difference here. So I want you to think about that from a consumer standpoint. Then also put yourself in the mind of your clients, because when you put an offer together, you definitely change the conversation from an expense into a specific activity, to an investment in a program that will create a return and that's much more compelling. So the fix for this mistake is focus on packaging your products and services into compelling offers, and that freebie that I mentioned to you will help you jumpstart that.
Now let's talk about the second mistake. The second biggest mistake is they try to create offers without understanding who their ideal clients are. Now, if you go into my episode 37 on this podcast, I have one on why people don't get it when you talk about and write about what you do. It's the same problem. So if you don't really know who you're trying to help with your offer. It's gonna be really hard to really create it in a way that shows them that like, oh my gosh, this is a solution I've always been waiting for. So when you think about a high converting offer, it's about a transformation that you offer to your ideal client. So it's aimed to them, a very specific audience who is willing and able to buy exactly the offer that you have. It creates a solution for them, their problems, and it communicates value into currency and language that they care about. So you really need to dial in first two than what this offer actually is.
So what this looks like is, let's say, you have a coach who offers general personal development services. It's gonna be really hard for you to create a very compelling offer if you don't really identify who your audience is. So let's say, for example, you might have personal development coaching, but if you don't know if your clients are busy working parents who are struggling with work-life balance, or an aspiring executive who cannot get on the succession plan, you really will create offers that will make them say, oh yes, you're the person I've been looking for, you know. Or let's say, from a consulting standpoint, you know, management consultant again with that strategic planning opportunity you know, or offer. You might wanna look at it differently, as if you're looking at ideal clients, who are small businesses who are aiming to scale versus large companies needing to better align and prioritize their strategic initiatives. So the real goal here is that if you're talking to everyone, you're really talking to no one. So this is true from a marketing copy standpoint and from an offer creation standpoint. So you really need to know first who, then what. Who is your ideal client and what problem do they need your help solving or a goal that they need your help achieving? That's critical. So that's the second mistake.
Now let's talk about the third mistake. This is very, very common. I did this quite a bit when I was a brand new consulting business owner, and it's all about focusing way too much on our processor methodology, you know. So this is the whole idea of like. All right, I have five steps to help you get wherever you are. And before I start dissing on processor methodology, I I'm not going to lie. I absolutely love conceptual frameworks. You'll see a billion of these on my website. You'll see it in my content, you'll see it in my courses. You'll see it in everything I do.
I love conceptual frameworks. I love how they simplify complex concepts and make them easier for other people to understand. I use them again all the time. I also use it when I'm teaching, when I'm speaking and when I want to help my clients get clarity on how to get from where they are to where they want to be. But my framework isn't my offer. And so the reality is people don't buy your frameworks. They're helpful because it definitely takes away that fear of the unknown and replaces it with clarity, but they're not buying that. They're buying you, your help, your guidance in your partnership.
So don't lead with those conceptual frameworks as a service solution. It might be something along the lines where you might use it to frame your offers, but it's not the thrust of your offers. So, for example, a coach might promote their services on their website by really getting into like I'm certified in XYZ Psychometric Tools and they're they're a really big part of what I do and you might want to put it on your website. The reality is your clients don't care about that. They care about the results, and if this Psychometric Tool is a helpful aspect to get some tiered results, then you might put that, but you're not necessarily going to throw that on your website. Especially if you're working in organizations, you know, especially when you're working with senior executives who've been there down that, who've been through all the Psychometric Tools, they're just really not that impressed with it, and the whole idea also is not to necessarily really focus on, like my five steps to whatever. By the way, I did this quite a bit at the beginning of my consulting business journey, as I am saying. So I'm not. I'm not criticizing anybody, but this is what we typically will do. So again, the problem with really focusing on your methodology is the spotlight is still really on you and not on your client. So what you need to do here's the fix you need to shift from what you will do for a client to what a client will get from working with you. So it's not about what you do with or for a client, it's about what they will get from working with you. So that's the fix.
So now let's talk about mistake number four. I made this mistake too. In fact, I made all of these mistakes at the beginning of my consulting business ownership. So I'm really not saying anything from a judgmental standpoint, but what we tend to do is use jargon or technical terms. So if you look at my very first website, you'll see a lot about organization redesign and strategy development. Organization design really actually did work well for me because it was in it was a search term, but overly using OD jargon is not something that was going to create success for me on the whole.
And so you don't want to say things like, oh, we use a proprietary algorithm to optimize your marketing. I mean, that's not going to speak to an ideal client. It might make you feel smart, but it makes your client feel dumb and you don't want to know what somebody who feels dumb when they show up on your website or they read your proposal will just pop off because everything that they see that you're offering seems overly complex and accessible. They'll be done. So you really want to use more simple language and you want to make it really clear.
So when I started really getting into learning about copywriting, my daughter, who is now 20 years old so this is my daughter, ainsley she was in eighth grade when I really got into this and I started really using what I would call my Ainsley test. And that's when I think about, like what I'm writing and am I writing something that Ainsley would understand. Now, if Ainsley would understand it I know I'm being too complex, so you could use my Ainsley test. That's your fix is will somebody in eighth grade understand your copy? And if they do not, then you need to replace it and you need to talk much more clear to your clients. All right, so now let's talk about mistake number five, and this is similar but not exactly the same, and it's all about being too aspirational or theoretical in your language.
So you might say things like I'm going to help you unlock your personal power, which makes perfect sense to you as a consultant or coach, which makes literally no sense to your clients. It's very confusing. It's much more powerful if you would say something like I'm going to help you confidently express the value of what you do. That gets clients excited to work with you. That's clear and much more resonant with what's on their mind and what's in their hearts. So you don't want to be too aspirational, too theoretical. You also don't want to be too overly Clever, you know. So if you're a career consultant, let's say, you might use a term like oh, we're going to help you with a quantum career transformation which might make sense to you. And the word quantum means something very, very meaningful to you. It means nothing to your clients. It's better just to be clear and not clever and use easy to understand conversational language. So that's the fix is be clear over clever. Be very, very simple. Use my Ainsley tests, all right.
Now let's talk about mistake number six. And mistake number six is all about focusing only on the features of your offers, leaving out the benefits. So you might say something like oh, my program includes 12 coaching sessions, which is clear to you. It's absolutely not clear to your clients. Or a fitness coach might promote their services by saying you know, our program includes 12 one hour training sessions. Well, that shows the feature. It doesn't really show anybody like. Well, what are they going to get from those 12 one hour coaching sessions? Why should they invest in them? What difference will it make? So it's not clear. It's not clear what they're going to learn. It's not going to. It's not clear what behaviors are going to change. It's not clear what results they'll be able to create or achieve and it's absolutely not clear on what the return on investment will be.
Or let's say a business consultant says you know, our package offers comprehensive market analysis and strategy development. Those are great features, but it doesn't really paint a picture around. What difference will the market analysis make or the strategy development so you may sweeten it by adding in the benefits is we will provide you a comprehensive market analysis to help you pinpoint exactly where the gaps are on the market and what, where you can identify unique opportunities and really connect with your ideal clients so that you can create a strategy that will accelerate your success and get everybody on the same page. Like I'm just kind of making it up as we're talking about it here, but you can kind of you could see you add in the benefits and people get much more excited because they're paying for the results. They don't really love the actual experience all the time of, like what we do as consultants and coaches. It's difficult. You know the work we do or we have somebody really just expose like all the difficulties in the organization or where they're limiting beliefs are like that's really painful, difficult work. But they're willing to go through that if they can be clear on the outcome that they're going to get. And it's up to you, in all of your offers and all the ways that you communicate your offers, to show the benefits. So lead with the benefits. That's the fix here. Lead with the benefits that clients will get because of the unique features of what you can offer. If you are putting an offer together and it is a psychometric test, that's a part of it then you need to really articulate why why that is so beneficial for that client. I'm not saying throughout everything that you might offer and I'm not discounting the value of the actual work of a consultant or coach. I'm really talking more about how you position it and lead with those benefits that the clients are going to get. So that's the fix.
But then there's also the last mistake. So we're in mistake number seven and it's the flip side of number six and it's really focusing only on the benefits, without any features of what you'll do to help a client achieve those benefits. So I was working recently with a client on her website copy and she was doing a great job on so many different things to get things situated and really getting her brand clear. But one thing that what she got she almost like flipped. She went from I do all those coaching, this methodology and then she flipped and she just talked about the benefits and the problem was it's like, okay, so you're going to help me scale my success without burnout, but how. It makes a huge difference if the way that she helps them is through helping them build a financial foundation, let's say, versus somebody else who might help them really build an internal team and internal processes and systems, or it might be really different around somebody helping them create a really compelling strategy that everybody buys into. It's important to link both of these together.
So you don't want to be just focused on the features without clarity on the benefits, but you also don't want to just talk about the benefits without any clarity on the features and what you're going to be offering. So, for example another example a career coach might promote their services by saying, like, transform your career and achieve your dream job, but how are you going to get that person there? How are you going to transform your career? Or again, that financial consultant. Then they might say something like you know, secure your financial future with our services, but how are you going to get there? So you really want to balance both. So the fix is is that when you are putting, let's say, a value proposition together or you're putting maybe bullets in your offer or putting a frame around your offer. You might say you know, this service helps ideal clients with this problem, achieve these benefits by and then what they'll get from working with you. So that's sort of that framework that you could use when you start thinking about describing things as I help, or this program is for this person who's struggling with X, y and Z, achieve these benefits, the things that they really want by the features, what you'll do, what you'll give them in order to get them to that outcome. So that's the fix.
So let's recap. So in this episode we explored the common offer mistakes that many, many consultants and coaches make when crafting their offers. And it really begins with not fully understanding what an offer is, or their ideal clients. That's the starting point. The rest of it is beautiful gravy, you know. We can add in better clarity of your language. We can get it free from jargon, free from aspirational language. We can really get clear on the features and benefits only if you really understand that you're trying to put a package that represents a comprehensive solution. That is the best way to solve your ideal clients pain points, problems and helps them achieve their goals. That's what we're trying to focus on here. And then we also talked about the impact on offer effectiveness making sure that your offers are clear, relatable, they resonate with your clients so that when they see your offer, either on your sales page or on your proposals or on your website, they're going to say you are the one I've been waiting for. This is exactly the solution, because you are comprehensive enough to say this is the total package, and then I offered you several fixes to make your offers more compelling. So here's what I'd love for you to do next Take a look at your offers, take stock.
Do you have offers or do you have lists of products and services, and is there ways that you can repackage things in a way to make things more compelling? And also look at the mistakes that I mentioned and just be honest, maybe you're making some of them. I'm telling you, I made all of them and I continue to grow and get better in all of them, because I might accidentally slip into any one of those mistakes. We all do no problem. Just it's all about improvement. We're making consulting and coaching practices not perfect, so definitely take stock of that.
If you're not clear on who your ideal client is and the problem you're consulting and coaching solves and the value that you uniquely create. That really is your first step. You cannot create compelling offers that people want to buy if you're not clear on who the person is that you want to buy those offers. So you definitely want to work on that first. That is what I do with my clients in my brand messaging and positioning VIP experience. And if you are super clear on that and you just want to get better with offers, definitely take me up on my free brand new freebie. It's the offer creation blueprint. It's at www.betseyjordyn.com forward slash framing, hyphen offers hyphen blueprint. Or you can learn all about my new VIP experience about creating offers on my website as well. It's www.betseyjordyn.com under services, and you will see it there.
I'm super excited about this program. I'm kidding you not. It's just. The results are unreal. People are not just making great money as a result of this particular program, but they're doing so in a way that allows them to make a bigger difference. So I'm super excited about that and for the next couple of weeks, I'm going to be continuing with my offer clarity series. So please make sure you hit subscribe wherever you're listening or share this series with a colleague and until next time, thanks for listening.
