Imagine you went to an auto mechanic, and he told you he was going to lift the hood of your car, shine a light around, and move some parts up and down.  Does this sound like a service you would pay for? Of course not. What you want to hear from the mechanic is that he will fix your car. If you're not telling clients about the results your work produces and the benefits they will get from it, they will never see the value of it.

Market the results of your work, not the process you use

If you were in my profession of business coaching, and someone asked you, "What is coaching?" you would be unlikely to enroll a client by saying, "We meet by phone for half an hour each week and talk about your goals." That's just the process - where's the value? A slightly better answer might be to say, "Coaching is a process for helping you get what you want." Now you are stating some value. But an even better answer would be not to market "coaching" at all, but instead to market higher earnings, improved selling skills, or more fulfilling work. You would respond not with a definition, but with a statement of benefits: "I help my clients learn to make more money with less effort."

Offer Results, Not Services

Instead of offering tax preparation, an accountant could invite you to "save money on taxes." Instead of selling logo design, a graphic designer could suggest "get your business noticed." Rather than proposing a company retreat, a trainer could promise "improved teamwork and cooperation." Whenever possible, market benefits your clients can place a dollar value on. You're asking them to write you a check, so if they can't see a monetary benefit, they are much less likely to do it. In a corporate environment, talk about improved productivity or employee retention. With individuals, describe the benefits of a healthier lifestyle or better relationships. People need to see your service as the answer to an essential need they have. If you allow it to be something that's just nice to have, you will either limit your market to clients with a budget for luxuries, or you'll limit your rate to only what people will pay for something that's nice but they don't really need.

Homework: Try this over the next week!

Sit down with paper and pencil, at your keyboard, or with a voice recorder, and list out all of the results your clients result after working with you. Be as specific as possible. Extra credit if you call a past client and ask them what results they got after working with you! Consider financial, health, relationship, personal development, and business improvements. Extra, extra credit if you can use mathematical or measurable facts (i.e., for a business coach, "increased income 600%"; for a massage therapist, "reduced pain by 30%", etc.)

Deanna Maio, Certified Business Coach & Consultant, teaches women business owners how to stop wasting time, start making more money, and create a business that acts as a vehicle for living the life they desire and deserve. For FREE tips on how to increase your income and client base in your business, visit http://www.savvygals.com/