Message: Nail Your Product Message So People Will Give You Money Easily
Simple steps to identify and articulate a product message that captures attention and opens wallets.
Welcome back!
Last week, I introduced the plan to help you launch a new product by Black Friday and get 2 or more sales.
Why Your Own Product Is the Secret Weapon for Instant Credibility and 100% Profit
You have complete control over the products you create and sell, and you keep 100% of the profits while creating your unique branding.
Having your own product increases your perceived expertise. The fact that you have a product automatically demonstrates to your target market that you can do what you claim to be an expert on. This will make you INSTANTLY stand out from the sea of sameness that has already flooded your industry.
Having your product will eliminate the “unprofitable” time you spend with people who are not ready to do business with you but just want to waste your time. It also allows you to be selective about who you choose as a client.
More importantly, your product or program can serve as a pool for generating new clients. When you have more people who have enjoyed the product or program you create, it is easier for them to buy another product you offer. The renowned Jay Abraham says the most profitable way to increase revenue is to have repeat buyers. That is because existing customers are more likely to buy from you. They’re also more likely to spend more than a first-time customer.
But then one person asked me, "Why not aim for more than 10?"
My response: High expectations, especially for beginners, can hinder rather than help.
Today, let's dive into the crucial first step: defining your product message.
Why Your Product Message Matters More Than Your Product
What's the essential element of a good product?
It may surprise you, but it's not the product itself.
In fact, its not the design or branding of the product.
It's the clarity of the product's message.
Your goal as a product creator is to ensure your audience understands your product and why they need it.
A Painful Lesson: How My Product Failed Because I Ignored This One Crucial Element
Let me share a personal failure to illustrate why this is so important.
Some years ago, I created a product called "Uptimize Your Life."
It was to be a comprehensive guide on personal growth and micro-transformations — a brain dump of everything I knew about creating personal change.
The tagline was "Your first personal power program for unleashing your inner coach."
Sounds impressive, right?
But what does it mean?
To promote "Uptimize Your Life", I ran an educational video series and a free live workshop.
I even wrote a free mini-book titled "Uptimize Your Life: The Unparalleled Truth About Creating Massive Lasting Changes in Your Life in Less Time."
Despite all the 'wahala' I did over 4 to 16 weeks, including designing and branding it, the product failed. Fatally!
It was painful. No one bought it.
Why?
The message was unclear.
It was confusing and lacked a specific market focus.
I had an idea for a product but no clear methodology, market or meaning behind it.
The clever tagline didn't convey any clear benefit or solution to whoever was going to buy it.
The marketing, too, was all over the place because I was doing what the gurus said to do.
And the product tried to appeal to everyone, which meant it resonated with no one.
When It Comes to Creating Products, Your Core Message is Your Niche
Everyone creating content, launching products, or building businesses online faces a question: "How do I carve out a niche?"
While most people concentrate on the specificity of the topic, category product creators focus on the specificity of the message as their niche.
They understand what sets their product apart, and they use that to create uniqueness.
But this involves finding a CLEAR MESSAGE that resonates with a specific audience.
3 Simple Steps to Crafting a Product Message That Resonates and Converts
Identify the Problem: What is the single most important problem your product will solve? Not two. Not three. Just one.
Clarify Your Message: Write out a simple, clear statement of your product's key message. You may not get it right the first time, refine as needed.
Define Your Unique Angle: What unique perspective do you bring to this problem?
A Real-World Example
I once worked with a coach who helps students and young professionals become productive while living a balanced life.
The key problem her coaching product was going to solve was overwhelm from managing the demands of private life with work, academics, and other engagements.
She initially thought the product was going to be about personal leadership, because she felt the overwhelm could be managed by being more intentional. She later found the message of her product: "Your best self at work, at school, and in life—without the overwhelm."
The product was then named: The 360° Student Mentorship Program
How About Turning Your Mess Into a Message?
For that, I have a different perspective.
The mess isn't a problem.
It's the process.
It's the work you did to get out of the mess.
That's where all the good stuff is found.
But I must add that not every mess should become a message.
In fact, most messes that became messages lack processes.
There’s no methodology to the mess.
Just serendipitous outcomes.
And while I believe in increasing your luck surface area, as Dennis Geelen teaches, developing a message and fitting your mess into that as a story, metaphor, or data point is more valuable.
So, if you've gone through stuff in life and you want to make that your message, build a process around it so it's repeatable for someone else, and not motivation.
Case in Point: How One Client Turned Personal Trauma into a Powerful Coaching Message
I had a coaching client whose life's journey was fraught with overcoming a lot of personal challenges.
Being molested as a teenager, growing up as a kid without biological parents, bullied in high school, etc.
And how all that informed her decision to become trained in relationship coaching and trauma counselling.
This shows you can convert personal experiences and acquired training into a structured body of knowledge.
Your personal challenges and experiences can inform your product.
Think about what core transformation ONLY YOU can bring with your story, skills, expertise and interests.
By merging your personal experiences with a clear methodology, you create a message that's not only powerful but also actionable.
This adds depth, relatability, and practical value to your mess-age.
The G-E-E-K Formula: Turn Your Life Experiences, Expertise and Ideas into a Product Message
Here’s the process to map your product message by answering these key questions:
Who you are: Your gifts, passions, skills.
What you know: Your expertise and specialized knowledge, including trainings.
What you've done: Your significant life experiences, achievements, problems you've solved for yourself and others.
Use all this data to create valuable knowledge for your audience.
Pick the most resonant message from that list.
Here's a template you can use for that.
How I Transformed a Failed Launch into a Successful Product with a Clear Message
Remember my product "Uptimize Your Life"?
After the failure of my initial product launch, I repackaged it with a clear message and a step-by-step methodology.
The new product, "Lasting Transformation", had a defined market and a compelling message: coaches and counsellors who want to help their clients get lasting results.
This time, the product attracted a market that bought it.
I sold it multiple times. Some of you bought it, remember?
Start with your message.
It's the foundation of your product and the key to its success.
Take the time to clarify and refine it.
Your clear, compelling message will set you apart and attract the right audience.
I want to hear from you!
What challenges have you faced in defining your product message? Do you have any questions or need further clarification on how to craft a clear message?
Reply to this email or leave a comment on Substack to share your thoughts and experiences. Your feedback is invaluable, and I'm here to help you on this journey.
Live courageously,
Dayo Samuel
Returning from a holiday tomorrow, excited to get started on this!