How to Describe Your Program So That It Sells

A reasonable question that people are going to have and will need the answer for, before they decide to become your client is, “How does this work?”

The mistake most marketers make is to answer this question by talking all about the process.   If you make this mistake, you describe what will happen during the course of the engagement, telling about the meetings or the sessions and what you will do.

The problem with this is that it is boring and doesn’t help to sell the program.

For the client, their concern is not about the process. It’s about the experience and the results that will be achieved through the program.  That requires a different description.

Maybe that might be hard to understand, so let me demonstrate.

Let’s look at two examples of how to describe your program. 

We’ve got two personal trainers.  The first personal trainer explains their program in the typical manner.

Typical Example

In our program we have three phases. 

In the first phase we get together 3 times per week and have you run 10 laps of the court, do 100 push ups after each lap and then do 50 squats to finish.

 In phase 2, it’s all about the diet.  We’ll get you drinking a green vegetable juice smoothie for breakfast each day for three weeks, and take you off coffee and alcohol for the whole time. 

For lunch you can vary it up.  You can have a green salad for the first week, a vegetable soup for week 2 and back to the green salads in week three.

Of course, there are  no carbs for the whole time either. 

Phase 3 is all about your energy.  This part is easy.  All you have to do is meditate for an hour at a time, twice per day. 

After the three weeks of the program, you’re going to feel great.

Are you in?

How about this one?

Results Focused Example

In our program we have three phases. 

In the first phase we are going to focus on physical strength and stamina.  You’re going to have a personal trainer to coach you through a program that will build muscle and aerobic capacity so that you will feel like you can play footy with the kids or grandkids like you used to 10 years ago.

 In phase 2, we are going to focus on fueling your body for maximum wellbeing.  You’ll be given an eating program that will first cleanse your system and get rid of those built up toxins, so your body can process energy better. 

Then we’ll start give you a vitamin boost to aid your immune system and increase your energy levels, so you won’t need those 3pm power naps any more, and have you full of energy to work hard and play hard. 

In phase 3 we are going to focus on the rhythms of energy, to stabilize your energy flows through the day.  This is going to raise your levels of serotonin and make you feel so happy, you’ll never want to go back to the old way of doing things.

I hope you get the difference here.

See how much more enticing the second description is.  Of course, they are both about the exact same program, but the second version sells the program by making it attractive because the client wants those outcomes.  The typical version probably puts more people off by making it sound too difficult and unappealing.

However, that’s the way I see most consultants, coaches and advisors trying to promote their services.  And being disappointed with the results.

Do yourself a favour and have a go at describing your program in the style of the second version here.

If you would like me to give you some feedback about your program description, I would be happy to critique it.  Schedule a time for me to talk to you about it by booking a 20 Minute Authority Positioning Audit at http://businessflightpath.com/audit and I will also give you feedback on how well your website and online presence positions you as the authority in your market.