Transcription
My first client online ever, in my very first online business, back when I had no content and no reputation, paid me $5,000. And to be clear, before that happened, I hadn't even considered that within the realm of possibility. But she didn't pay me that because she thought I was so cool. If only she paid me that, and very happily so, because in her mind, she was paying for one very, very specific thing. And this is also the most important thing you have to get right to, if you want to attract premium clients.
Before I explain it, I want to make sure you're not thinking this is just a one-off thing where I just got lucky. Take a look at one of my clients, Rose, who is a recovery coach, who sold her first-ever package for five figures. You wouldn't guess it, but when I first started working with her, she was so in her head about the whole thing, thinking, "Would someone really want to pay me that much?" And that's a fear you might be thinking as well.
If you're new to this channel, let me give you a little bit of background so you know where I'm coming from. I grew up in a family where making $60,000 a year was the dream. My parents are your typical super-frugal Asian immigrants, so I was taught that money is something super precious, it's hard to make, and you definitely don't spend it willy-nilly. That's why it was so crazy for me to wrap my head around that very first $5,000 sale.
But the truth is, it's actually not about the number. What it is actually about is the value of what you're selling. Now, I know people throw around the word "value" a lot, so let me clarify what I mean by that. It's not your hourly rate, it's not your fancy website, and it's not, not even your testimonials. The value is the transformation that you can deliver, and what it's worth to the person you're delivering it to. When you think about your value that way, the question goes from, "Who am I to charge that much?" to, "What can I deliver that's going to be the most valuable?"
If you're an introvert like me, this can be a hugely comforting reframe that helps you feel good about selling and charging what you want, because at the end of the day, your clients are paying for the product, and the product isn't you, it's the transformation you're helping them get. For example, let's say your business is health coaching. Your value is, "I'm going to help you feel fabulous, have so much more energy, and achieve your dream weight, all of which is going to have you feeling so much more confident and able to live your best life." Or maybe your business is career coaching. Then it's going to be, "I'm going to help you find your dream job, which might also include a promotion and a raise, so that you can actually enjoy what you do, feel fulfilled by your job, and have an income that supports you in reaching your financial goals."
Now, let's talk about how to apply this to your business so that you can start attracting those high-paying clients. High five to that first! When you're putting together your offer, start with the result that you can help someone get. What is it? How long would it take someone to get it? And what are the steps that you would need to walk them through? And that is your package. That's literally it. You do not have to make it any more complicated or stressful than it needs to be, because when you first get clear on what you are actually selling, that's going to make it so much easier for your potential clients to see your value too. That's why this is tip number one.
But just so you know, even when you do that, not everyone is going to see the value of what you're selling. That's why tip number two is so important. When I was building my first business, all I could think about was how many people would not be willing to pay my price, which, you know, if you've thought this, makes it feel impossible to ever be able to replace your salary and leave your job. So since that was not going to fly, I switched up the thought and found a way to think about it that made it feel so much more doable. Math. Let's say your goal is to make $100,000 a year. In that case, you just need 20 clients if you're selling a $5,000 package, or 50 clients if you're selling a $2,000 package. The point isn't the exact price, so don't get caught up in that. The point is, out of all of the billions of people on this planet, do you really think you can't find 20 people in a year who would be willing to pay you?
And that's where tip number two comes in, because it will help you get clear on who would be willing to pay you. And I promise, it's way easier than trying to play Where's Waldo? First, your ideal client needs to appreciate, and in fact, want the value of what it is you have to offer. But the way we're thinking about "want" here is not a generic want, because it's easy for people to say, "Sure, I think I could want that." They also need to be able to buy.
When it comes to this piece, I have a pet peeve about something a lot of scammy sales coaches like to preach. "If your client really wants what you're selling, they will find the money." I could not disagree more. It's one thing if someone can afford your offer but just need some help understanding the value of what it is you're offering. That, yes, you should communicate all day long. But if they really can't afford it, like they'd have to put it on a credit card or go into debt to afford it, that is not a sale you want to make. The last thing you want is to be the reason someone is stressing about bills and rent. That just does not feel good to me. Plus, when that's the case, your client can't even focus on the most important trait you need to look for: being excited and ready to do the work to get the results.
Once you've got that mental image of your perfect client with those three characteristics tattooed in your mind, it's a lot easier to create the specific marketing and content that's going to speak to that person. I hope that makes it feel a lot more doable too, because now you're not making content trying to convince every single person and their mom to buy from you. Instead, you are just looking for people who are looking for you.
So now, let's talk about how to make the kind of content that gets that person's attention. I know this might feel a lot easier said than done, but we can make this as simple as possible. And the best way to do that is to put yourself into your client's shoes. You are looking to get help with your problem, and solving this problem is so important to you that you are willing to pay a significant amount to solve it. In that case, what do you need to know to believe that someone can help you? Then you reverse-engineer your content to answer that question.
For example, for me, I would want to know that the person I'm hiring actually knows what they're talking about. And you can show that you do by sharing your credentials, your knowledge, and your experience. You can also share your own results. So if you're a health coach, share your before and after photos, or share who you've helped with before and after photos of friends or clients you've helped. And those are great, but my favorite way to do this is by sharing your methodology. Going back to the health coach example, I could say, "I don't believe in dieting, but I do believe in eating foods that make you feel good. So my methodology is all about finding the right foods for you and customizing a meal plan to fit your needs and goals." Or if you're a career coach, you could say, "I believe it's never too late to find your dream career. I'm going to help you by showing you how to take the skills that you have right now and using them to transition into any other industry."
Now, everything that we've been talking about up until now has been about you creating something amazing that your ideal client will love. But there's still one pretty big problem. Even though your dream clients are out there, they don't know about you yet. So it's your job to figure out how to get in front of them. But this is where a lot of people get tripped up, and that's why we've got tip number four. Don't just rely on creating a ton of content and waiting for people to come to you. Unfortunately, this is really common advice these days, and it's bad advice for most people. To be clear, your business can operate that way eventually, but eventually, it can take a long time. So it's a huge mistake to sit around and just wait for that to happen.
Instead, you want to put on your proactive hat and put yourself in front of your ideal audience. One of my favorite ways to do this is to look for other creators who already have the attention of the people that you want. But I'm not talking about looking at your direct competitors, because their audience has already found a solution to their problem, and it's not you. Instead, look for creators who offer something complimentary to you. For example, if I was a health coach for busy professionals, I might look to career coaches, because they have an audience of people who are willing to invest in themselves, care about reaching their goals, and probably want to look and feel their best too. Then reach out to that creator and see if you can bring value to their audience in exchange for getting in front of them.
That's how I first started gaining traction when I started this business, specifically through podcast interviews. I would pitch my expertise and knowledge to a podcaster and let them know, "Hey, I'm happy to teach your audience this, this, and this." And in return, create this win-win situation. In return for providing them with content to share with their audience, I'm able to get in front of my ideal clients. And in case you're wondering why someone would want to interview you or share what you know with their audience, it's not about you having to do some crazy big thing first. It's really just a matter of you have a unique story and perspective to share right now. For example, back when I was doing career coaching, I just wrote about my personal career experience, and that's how I got to write for The Huffington Post.
The key is, you just got to start. So if you've been wanting to start your business for a while, maybe even years, let me show you how to get started within the next 24 hours. In this next video, we will figure out what's been holding you back and what you need to do to start building that momentum ASAP.