If you’re struggling to figure out your message and get clear on what it is you do and who you serve this is for you because we're going to help you get clear on your message!
Step #1: what makes you different?
When I came into the online space I looked at everybody's websites, their logos, what they were wearing, what they were doing and I tried to basically mimic it. I wasn't actually asking myself what makes me different. I would say, hi I'm Stacy Tuschl, I'm an author, podcaster, speaker and it was just boring! You've got to decide what makes you different and what separates you. One of the things that took me a little bit too long to realize was being you is what's going to make you different. I never talked about having two dance studios and I never talked about having kids or being married. When I randomly said something about one of those things somebody would say I love that you have a real business besides the coaching business or I love that you're a mom and you have your own business or I love that you're married and you can have this work-life balance.
It’s funny how we hide these things that we don't think are important but your audience wants to hear it. This is your tribe and they want to know more about you. I never would tell people I'm from Wisconsin and then people would say I love that you're from Wisconsin, you're not somebody from L.A. or New York where everybody feels like they have to be from. So people were relating to me because of where I lived. Maybe it feels really simple and normal to you but it's going to be what resonates with your audience.
Step #2: how does your story relate to your customer?
I read this really great book by Donald Miller called, The Story Brand. You're definitely going to want to check it out but I'm going to fill you in. He talks about how your story is about your customer not you which might sound really confusing so let me walk you through it. There's going to be bits and pieces of your story that your audience resonates with and we need to pull those pieces out. You might be 20 years old or 60 years old. Your story might be very, very long and we've got to figure out what are the pieces we need to pull out and make sure we share because there are bits and pieces in there that people are going to fall in love with!! People will think you’re just like them.
One time I was on a webinar and I randomly brought up something how I was really nervous to start my online business and I didn't tell anybody, not even my husband. The amount of people that jumped on and said me too, I still haven't told my husband or I'm still nervous to share with my friends. The little things like that really make people say okay, I'm connecting with her she's just like me.
Step #3: is create your subtopics
What I mean by that is figure out 3-5 things you are super passionate about, things that you want to share, that you want to teach and make sure that every time you’re sharing your story there's little pieces that go inside of those subtopics. For instance, if you're really passionate about your family or whatever it is, you want to make sure that you bring out those stories so your audience can connect with you faster. One example for me is I'm a mom and because of that a lot of people want to know how I handle work/life balance.
There's always a struggle there and I want to make sure that I don't just show me always working on my computer but yes, sometimes you see the kids climbing all over me or they'll bust in on a Facebook live. It happens because I’m a working mom and I want other people to see that that's okay!!
Those are the 3 steps to creating your messaging and getting clear. The most important thing you have to remember is what makes you different and what makes you stand out. To help you with that I created a free download! Make sure you fill it out so we can figure out what makes you stand out and separate yourself from your competitors!
