One of the biggest challenges every coach, consultant, service provider and course creator has is saying what they do in a way that really resonates with their potential clients. Am I right? 

The market is huge, but so is the competition.

Which is why in my program, Live Your Message Lab, I teach my students HOW to craft an “XYZ Statement”.

Your “XYZ Statement” contains the 3 most critical pieces of information you need to convey within seconds of sharing your work online or meeting someone new: who you serve, what you do and why it matters — to them. 

Once you can express these 3 things in a way that has someone lean in, like, comment and say, “Tell me more”…

You want to back-it up with a compelling “Tell Me More Statement” that starts to share HOW you do what you do.

Once you get these two statements right, you’ll be able to share content and start business-building conversations anywhere.

Let’s start with the big question: So, what do you do?

We get this question ALL THE TIME.

And if you think most entrepreneurs have a rock solid answer to this question, you’re wrong. 

And that’s a huge missed opportunity because — if someone’s asking you this question — you’ve just been given an incredible gift… one of the BEST gifts an entrepreneur could ask for…

An interested prospect!

So if you want to stop turning prospects into pumpkins… you need to be able to nail your answer to this all-important question.

3 Mistakes Most Entrepreneurs Make

There are 3 critical mistakes most entrepreneurs make when trying to answer this question: 

[1] The first mistake is being caught off guard and fumbling for the right words. If you do this, you’ve already lost your prospect before you even say a word. Because confidence in what you’re saying is just as important as the actual words.

[2] The next mistake is saying too much. When you try to explain all the nitty-gritty details of what you do and how you’re different, you just confuse your potential customers by giving them too much info too soon.

[3] And the third mistake is sounding just like everyone else. This usually means you’re being too broad, too vague or too abstract, rather than laser focusing your message to your market — or the actual people you serve.

The good news is that you can easily avoid these 3 mistakes. Because I’m about to give you THE EXACT template you need to focus your message like a laser… so you can finally answer the “what do you do” question like a pro.

The XYZ Statement

So let’s start with the XYZ Statement template, which will allow you to craft a response  so punchy, so compelling and so enticing that your prospect will perk up, lean in and say, “Oooo, tell me more!”  

And when you’re talking to someone who needs what you have to offer — you’re going to see an immediate difference in their response. 

Instead of that glazed over look, their eyes will light up and they’ll start to ask The Money Questions, “How do you do that?” or — even better — “Do you have a card?” 

I get that one a lot and it feels really good 🙂   

And the good news is this formula is reallyyyy simple. In fact, it’s as easy as XYZ…

Are you ready?

“I help X do Y so that Z.” 

Where X represents the specific kind of person you serve. 

X = Your ideal client.

Y relates to the problem you solve, the solution you offer or the outcome you deliver.

Y = What you actually do for the person you serve.

And Z relates to the benefit or transformation that results from your ideal client doing Y.

Z = What your business, product or service allows someone to do, be, feel, have, overcome or achieve. 

Yep, it’s that simple! 

I help X (my ideal client) do Y (the problem solved, the solution offered or the outcome delivered) so that Z (benefit or transformation).

Can you see how important it is to be able to quickly answer the “what do you do” question by sharing who you help, what you do for and why it matters — to them (not just to you)? 

100%!

Real-Life XYZ Examples

And to illustrate how this is done, let me share some examples from my Momentum students (Momentum is our signature business accelerator program designed for people who are serious about starting a new business or taking their existing business to the next level.). 

I’m not going to tell you much about each student since I want these examples to speak for themselves… 

The goal here is to be both short and specific!

So Rochelle “helps design and build professionals build a successful referral machine so they can make money twice as fast and have more time for fun!” 

Dishit “helps software engineers accelerate their learning so they can maximize their earnings in their dream role.”

Naomi “helps accounting professionals expand their practice into the US legal cannabis industry.”

And CJ “helps new grads find meaningful work so they can express their talents and make the income they need for the lives they want.”

Now before you think you can only have a successful business by helping entrepreneurs or professionals make more money… 

Meet Diane who “helps families who are struggling with dysgraphia experience the freedom of legible writing, so they can belong in a literate world.”

And JR who “helps seniors regain their balance and motion, so they can avoid life-threatening falls and continue to have an active lifestyle.”

Then there’s Laurie who “helps sexually abused women find the strength to move beyond the trauma and love their life with courage and confidence.” 

Russell “helps health care practitioners identify and address the factors that have them on the edge of burnout so they can regain their health and balance and love their work again.” 

Nyota “helps military veterans struggling with the transition to civilian life create the structure and skills they need to succeed both personally and professionally.” 

And Aaron “works with parents who know their child is going through something, but don’t know how to help…”

Wait a minute, you may be thinking, that one sounds a bit different… 

And it’s true.

Rather than using the word “help”, Aaron uses the words “work with”… which is totally fine!

How to Adapt This Template

You can adapt this template anyway you like…

You may also notice that Aaron gives the XY — who he serves and the problem he solves — but he doesn’t share why that matters.

And that’s perfectly OK too, because — in this case — the benefit or transformation is implied.

If a parent knows their child is suffering, they’ll do anything they can to help, am I right?

You see, the goal of the XYZ Statement isn’t to say EVERYTHING, it’s to say JUST ENOUGH to get someone curious, leaning in and asking, “Tell me more.”

So sometimes you don’t need to give ALL 3 PARTS — the who, the what AND the why — to get that response, and simply giving the first two parts is enough. 

I call that an XY Statement… 🙂

Your Tell Me More Statement

Now once you get the response you desire… and you hear the magic words — tell me more…

NOW you have AN INVITATION to share more about what you do… rather than just assuming someone wants to hear everything, dumping it all on them right out of the gate… 

Marketing works much better when it’s a two-way conversation rather than a one-way dialogue.

Remember, the goal is to say JUST ENOUGH to get someone curious, leaning in and asking, “Tell me more.” Then you get to back up your “XYZ Statement” with — you got it — a “Tell Me More Statement.”

And the best way to start a “Tell Me More Statement” is with the word, “Well…” Because that sounds casual, like you’re responding directly to them… 

So let’s go back to Aaron… if he’s speaking to a parent who is currently watching their child struggle… and he says, “I work with parents who know their child is going through something, but don’t know how to help.”

What do you think is going to happen? 

They’re going to say something along the lines of “Tell me more…”

It may sound more like, “Wow, I’m in that situation right now…”

Or, “You know what, my child is really struggling right now, but they’re not speaking to me about it, how do you get them to open up?”

Or, “My nephew is really struggling, can you tell me more about what you do?”

And — because Aaron has crafted his XY Statement — he’s ready for this all-important question…

“Well, most of my clients come to me because they don’t want negative thoughts anymore or they want to help their child to stop having negative thoughts. The challenge is their child doesn’t open up to them, so they feel powerless to help.

And that powerlessness goes even deeper because traditional therapeutic methods take 1-3 years to start seeing results and are only 43% effective.

Also, less than 50% of medications target the “gamma” neurotransmitter in our brains, which controls negative thoughts. And most counseling and therapy can’t impact this crucial neurotransmitter.

To date I have worked with 4,820 families, and while my results aren’t perfect, I’m proud that they are 83.3% effective.” 

Can you see how when you’ve nailed BOTH your XYZ Statement and your Tell Me More Statement, you’ll have the clarity and confidence you need to share content and start-business building conversations anywhere?

100%, right!?!

So let me give you another XYZ/Tell Me More combo to inspire your own…

Here’s Momentum grad Sharrell’s XYZ Statement: 

“I help CEOs, executives and managers solve their biggest pains, dysfunctions and challenges so they can turn their teams into a well-oiled machine that contributes dramatically to the bottom line.”

That’s starting to feel a little long, so she could also experiment with using just an XY Statement: 

“I help CEOs, executives and managers solve their biggest pains, dysfunctions and challenges so they can turn their teams into a well-oiled machine.”

Now, if she’s speaking with a CEO, executive or manager who’s struggling with their team, what do you think is going to happen? 

They’re going to say “Tell me more!”

And — because she’s worked with us on her messaging — Sharrell’s going to be prepared for that question… 

“Well, I work with managers who feel stuck and dissatisfied, and help them bridge the gap between where both they and their employees are and where they want to be with a simple step-by-step process. In four months or less my Positively Managing Performance Program not only connects managers with their employees, it also helps them understand each other’s expectations. I’ve watched even the most low-performing employees start to believe in themselves and achieve things they never thought they could do. And when an entire department or organization uses my program amazing transformations occur. Productivity and profitability increases, morale soars and turnover, absenteeism and on-the-job injuries decrease.” 

Let’s take a moment to deconstruct Sharrell’s XYZ and Tell Me More statements before you roll up your sleeves and work on YOUR own statement…

Sharrell addressed the “I help X” part of the template with the statement, “I help CEOs, executives, and managers…” 

Boom! We’re only 6 words in and we know exactly who Sharrell’s ideal customers are — CEOs, executives and managers.

Sharrell addressed the “do Y” part of the template with the statement: “… solve their biggest pains, dysfunctions, and challenges…”

Once again, with very few words Sharrell conveys the problem she solves — what she actually does for the people she serves. 

Finally, Sharrel addressed the “so that Z” part of the template with, “so they can turn their teams into a well-oiled machine that contributes dramatically to the bottom line.”

This phrase paints a clear picture of the benefit or transformation Sharrell’s ideal customers get from working with her. 

Since Sharrell has already peaked her ideal client’s interest with her short and punchy XYZ statement, she can give a longer explanation of what she does and how she does it in her Tell Me More Statement. 

This Statement allows Sharrell to paint an even clearer picture of HOW she’s going to get her clients the result she promised in her XYZ statement. 

And she lets them know that she has a clear framework for how she’s going to help them with the phrase, “… a simple step-by-step process.” 

She also tells them how long it’s going to take to get from point A to point B with the phrase, “In four months or less…” 

And then she drives the point home by sharing specific examples of how her customer’s lives look different after they take her course with her 3 closing sentences, “I’ve watched even the most low-performing employees start to believe in themselves and achieve things they never thought they could do. And when an entire department or organization uses my program amazing transformations occur. Productivity and profitability increases, morale soars and turnover, absenteeism and on-the-job injuries decrease.”

You see how Sharrell’s Tell Me More Statement quickly lets her potential customer know EXACTLY how she’s going to help them, how long it will take and what the end result looks like?

Yep!

So, are you ready to put this into practice and craft YOUR XYZ Statement AND Tell Me More Statement? The one that attracts interested prospects? Then, get to it!

And if you want the coaching, training, templates and tools you need to start and grow your dream business FASTER… check out Live Your Message Lab. (FYI – this blog post is pulled from a training I did in Lab… so you’re getting something only my Lab students get).

Inside Lab, you’ll nail your Message-Market Match. This is where your unique knowledge, skills and passions meet a clear, compelling and lucrative market opportunity!

But studies show that most people take 3 to 4 years to nail their Message-Market Match…

That’s 3 to 4 years of struggling… with little to no revenue 🙁 

But you can do it so much faster…

When you join us in Live Your Message Lab!

So, if you’re ready to experience real, sustained success in 2024… check out Lab and I’ll see you inside 🙂