Let’s face it – there will always be people who are kinda like, “meh” about what you have to offer.

They’re not against it. They’re just kinda lukewarm about it. They could take it or leave it.

Maaaaybe if your prices were lower, they’d buy.

Maybe.

And there will also be people who very much dislike what you’re all about. (Some of them may even be vocal about it.)

The problem is –

I see soooooo many entrepreneurs spending WAY too much time and energy trying to convince these two groups of people to fall in love with them.

And it just ain’t gonna happen. (Or if it does, they end up being your most challenging clients and customers.)

The good news is, there’s another group – the group of people who want, need, and go crazy for what you have to offer. These people are willing to spend money with you and then sing your praises.

These are your ideal clients (or customers).

Your job, as a business owner, is to connect with this group.

So how DO you connect with your ideal people?

By crafting a message.

A Memorable Message.

A Memorable Message is a powerful message that makes your ideal peeps go, “Oohhhh, maaaan. This. THIS is what I’ve been waiting to hear.”

A message that helps you STAND OUT from all the other people doing similar work to yours.

A message that your ideal people will REMEMBER – because it’s that good.

Sooo… how do you craft that kind of message?

In my Copy Luv Memorable Message System, I teach that a Memorable Message has 4 components:

1. Your Handshake Intro
2. Your Point of View
3. Your Core Message
4. Your Aligned Stories

Let’s break it down…

Your Handshake Intro

How would you answer this question in conversation?

“Hi, nice to meet you. What do you do?”

Most people either stumble, ramble, or panic when they hear this question.

Others launch into what they call an “elevator pitch” – a well-practiced spiel that usually ends up lasting 30-60 seconds and sounds like you’re trying to sell the other person right there, on the spot.

(And the other person is smiling blandly, nodding along, thinking, “Dude. I didn’t want you to pitch me. I just wanted to know what your business is.”)

Now, there IS a time and place for a longer elevator pitch-type introduction.

But the initial conversation isn’t it.

That’s why I teach what I call the Handshake Intro.

The Handshake Intro is short (about 10 seconds long), so the polite person you just met doesn’t feel like you suddenly monopolized the entire conversation.

It also makes two things crystal clear:

• Who you work with.
• And what you help them with.

We’re talking Plain English here, folks.

No jargon. No flowery phrases.

It is NOT an uber-clever, hyped-up song n’ dance that (although poetic or entertaining), leaves people totally confused about what you actually DO.

Here’s a quick fill-in-the blank formula for the Handshake Intro…

• I help _____ who are struggling with _____ to do _____.
• Ex. I help coaches and small business owners who are struggling to connect with their ideal clients to craft powerful messages that stand out and resonate.
• I help _____ to do / create / achieve _____.
• Ex. I teach coaches and small business owners how to write their online copy – like websites, emails, launches, and more.

If you’re a product-based business, you can still use the above formulas, or you can tweak it to talk about the product(s):

• I create ____ for ____ who are struggling with / want to ____.

Can it really be that simple?

Yes. Yes, it can.

The Handshake Intro leaves room for follow-up questions and conversation, without making anyone feel like you’re pushing your wares on them.

VOILA! Handshake Intro complete!

Your Point of View

Okay, so if the Handshake Intro is the Plain English version of what you do, then how do you STAND OUT? How do you make sure your ideal people recognize YOU as THE expert they need to work with?

With a Point of View.

Your Point of View (POV) is your opinion about your particular topic and area of expertise.

As part of your message, it helps differentiate you from your competition, stand out, and attract your ideal clients.

I like to teach my clients to create a POV Statement – a short, bite-sized version of your overall message.

The POV Statement tells us your opinion – AND it tells us the consequence of not following that opinion.

For example:

If you never figure out ___, then you will always struggle with ____.

Most people think _______. That’s why they ______. The truth is, ____.

If you keep doing X, then you will never Y.

Give it to us straight! What do you think, and what will happen if we don’t adopt what you’re offering to teach or sell?

When you say your POV out loud, it should feel like a total Truth-Bomb-Mic-Drop Moment.

Pssst… Want to dive deeper into crafting a powerful Point of View Statement? Grab a free copy of my guide, The “Craft Your Point of View” Workbook. You’ll learn how to create a bite-sized statement that stands out + connects with your ideal clients:

Once you have your Point of View statement down, you can move to your Core Message.

Your Core Message

Ready for some good news?

Your Core Message IS your Point of View… just larger!

If your Point of View is a 30-second share, your Core Message is more like a 2-minute share.

You may decide your POV Statement works great as the headline for the homepage of your website, or the opening line of your Signature Talk.

But once you drop the Truth Bomb of a POV, you then need to unpack that statement some more and really explain what you mean.

That’s where you get to dive into the meat n’ potatoes of your Core Message.

If your Point of View is your topic, opinion, and consequences, your Core Message takes it even further:

• The Big Problem:

What is your ideal client struggling with? Paint a picture of what that looks like for them.

Speak in your ideal client’s ideal language. How do THEY talk about this problem? What phrases do you hear them using over and over again? What specific scenarios pop up for the majority of your peeps?

• Your Opinion:

Take what you came up with for your Point of View Statement up above and give yourself permission to rant about it a little bit here. Get passionate.

• The Consequences:

Now expand on the Consequences you listed in your POV Statement – what’s really at stake here?

What’s the future nightmare that will happen if they continue doing things the way they’ve always done them?

• The Solution:

Transition into talking about how they can avoid those consequences.

Use a transitional phrase, like: “The truth is…” or “What you have to get is…” or “The thing is…” (This may be where you decide to say your Opinion.)

Then let them know that YOU are the one who can help them. (Hint: You can use your Handshake Intro here: “Hi. I’m Cheryl. I help small business owners…”)

Most of my clients end up creating a lot of great material for the Core Message when they’re brainstorming the POV Statement. They have SO MUCH they want to say, that by the time they’ve crafted a laser-focused, crystal clear POV Statement, they have all kinds of great phrases and arguments left over!

When you put it all together, your Core Message should sound like a friendly (but direct) conversation with your ideal clients that makes them want to work with you…now!

Your Aligned Stories

Once you’ve got your Core Message, you can bring in some support staff: your stories.

Think about it…

Your topic and Point of View are unique because of your personal history, the things you’ve learned, and the way you communicate with people.

That’s fodder for a lot of stories about people, places, and seemingly unrelated events.

And when your stories align with your business and mission? That’s messaging magic!

Stories are powerful tools to have in your messaging toolbox because they connect with people in a way lessons, tips, and passionate arguments simply can’t.

• As soon as we hear or read something that sounds like a story, we suddenly sit up and pay attention.
• We’re much more likely to remember a story than tips, statistics, or advice.
• There are even studies that show, when a human is listening to a story, they’re not passively listening. They’re experiencing it. So it’s an incredible way to help your audience learn a lesson or feel like they’ve gone on a journey of discovery with you.

Now if that’s not a powerful form of connection, I don’t know what is!

Now for the “aligned” part.

An Aligned Story actually SUPPORTS your Core Message and your Point of View. It becomes PART of your Memorable Message.

When you craft appropriate stories, you can use them in your website, speaking events, articles, webinars, social media, regular conversations – everywhere!

No matter what story you tell, make sure it has a lesson, takeaway or moral that supports your Core Message (or supports at least one tidbit that you teach within your Core Message).

Using Your Memorable Message

Congratulations! You’ve just complete a crash course on your Handshake Intro, Point of View, Core Message, and Aligned Stories.

That’s a HUGE step in connecting to your ideal clients and growing your business.

Now here comes the fun…

You choose where and how you use it!

• Bring your Core Message as a killer 2-minute intro at networking events.
• Highlight your Point of View on your Homepage.
• Tell your funniest/sweetest/favorite story at your next speaking event. (Bonus: Craft your story so it leads seamlessly into your Point of View Statement for a powerful ending.)

You are already offering value. Now you’ve got the tools to share it.

Happy messaging!

xoxo,

Cheryl

Pssst… Want to dive deeper into crafting a powerful Point of View Statement? Grab a free copy of my guide, “Crafting Your Point of View: How to create a bite-sized statement that stands out + connects with your ideal clients”: