There are two basic approaches you can take when marketing your training, consulting, or coaching business.

Approach 1: Go All-In on What You THINK is Going to Work

You have an idea of what you want to do. A best guess of what you think should work.

• You sorta kinda define your competitive strengths.
• You sorta kinda define the problems you solve.
• You sorta kinda define your ideal client types.

Then you push all your chips into the middle of the table and go straight into tactics.

You take your best guess, come up with a clever tagline, write some copy for your website and LinkedIn profile, and start “doing stuff.” Spreading the word, going to networking events, posting on social media—maybe even doing some cold outreach.

All without first testing out your assumptions in the real world.

Then, after a few weeks or months, you realize that your Plan A isn’t working out as well as you hoped it would. Which leaves you with another choice to make—keep banging your head against the same wall, or go back to square one.

Approach 2: Explore, Experiment, and Test Multiple Ideas

Like with the first approach, you start by roughing out ideas about your competitive strengths, the problems you want to solve, and descriptions of your ideal client types.

But then…

Instead of immediately pushing all your chips into the middle of the table and going straight into tactics, you hit the pause button, take a breath, and allow yourself some time and space to think. To explore different versions of your initial concept. To flesh out your best ideas.

You don’t settle for sorta kinda defining your competitive strengths, problems you solve, and ideal client types.

You think through different iterations of what your business could look like. You compare options against each other, seeing which ones hold up under scrutiny.

Then, and only then, do you pick your favorite approach and start “doing stuff.”

Ask yourself…

• Have I really thought through my competitive strengths, the problems I want to solve, and descriptions of my ideal client types?
• Am I clear about the specific value I can create and who I’ll serve, or am I just rushing through the thinking and strategy process?
• Is the current version of my business the one I’m willing to go to the mat for, to commit to over all others, or is it just one of multiple possible approaches?

Listen to the full podcast episode: Focus on the Right Marketing Activities For Your Unique Training, Consulting, or Coaching Business.