We’ve all heard of (or received) the elevator pitch. Someone asks you what you do right as you hop on an elevator. Now, you have the 10-second elevator ride up four floors to tell them what you do in such a powerful, compelling way they basically leave their wallet with you because they’re so convinced of buying what you’re selling.
Yes, that’s an exaggerated explanation of the process, but the reality is there is some value in boiling down what you do into a powerful answer. Whether you’re at a cocktail party, sitting in the aisle seat, or standing in line at the coffee shop, you need to craft your answer that ‘pops’ with power.
I call this your Make-It-Matter Statement. What do you do, and why does it matter? This is your money statement, what you respond with when someone asks, “So, what do you do?”
After working with over 1,100 business coaches and consultants and 800 speakers in a one-on-one setting, I’ve identified and refined the four key elements of a Make-It-Matter Statement. If you’re looking for a new way to articulate what you do and why it matters, I recommend following a four-part flow to create your Make-It-Matter Statement.
We’ll tackle the first of the four parts in more depth, but for now, write out your answer to this question: “What do you do?” Then, read it out loud five times and ask yourself these three questions:
- Is this statement true?
- Does this statement excite me?
- What do you like about your current answer and what do you think could be better?
Keep your answers in mind as we cover each of the four parts of your Make-It-Matter Statement.
Writing Your Make-It-Matter Statement: Part 1 — Start With Your Positioning.
The first of the four parts of your Make-It-Matter Statement starts with “I” and then, you add a positioning element, such as “I am a champion for…” or “I guide…” or “I am the Online Course Whisperer…”
Don’t focus on your role; focus on your positioning: how are you best aligned for your target Market to see your genius? That’s why I love the term “I am a champion for…” It automatically puts a word picture in your audience’s minds that you have the strength, positioning, and skill to fight on their behalf in a specific area of life or business.
Whatever positioning term you use, be sure it’s clear, not just clever. If you do come up with a great, sexy term that shows your alignment with your audience, then use that term as long as it’s clear what you do. What’s the positioning term you want to say to show you’re best aligned with your audience?
If you’d like to personally work with me to help you get better results with your message than ever before, visit workwithjoncook.com.
Writing Your Make-It-Matter Statement: Part 2 — Your Hyper-Specific Market
Now that we have the first part of your Make-It-Matter Statement, your “I am…” positioning term, then we focus on the second part: your target Market.
It’s not helpful at all to say your target market is just entrepreneurs because it communicates laziness and lack of focus. Instead, your statement will ‘pop’ quite a bit more if you were to say your target market is “entrepreneurs with teams of two to 10 who’ve been in business at least five years and are trying to safely get off the entrepreneur treadmill they built in their business…”
That specificity alone tells me you’ve done your homework. It shows intentionality, research, expertise, and implies you have just as specific of a plan to help your target Market get great results.
Start with your “I am…” positioning term, like “I guide…” or “I am a champion for…” or “I help…” and then, mention your specific target Market, like female executives or tech startups or parents with kids under the age of five. Be specific and your message will automatically start attracting a more specific audience for you to serve.
Writing Your Make-It-Matter Statement: Part 3 — What’s Your Superpower?
We’ve covered the first two parts of our four-part Make-It-Matter Statement. I call this next part the “Share Your Superpower” part. What do you uniquely do that seems heroic, magical, extraordinary, or simply amazing to other people in your life, more specifically your target Market?
We have your first part, the “I”-focused positioning element, such as “I help…” or “I guide…” or “I am a champion of…” Then, we add your second part, mentioning your specific target Market by name, such as female executives, parents with kids under the age of five, or mid-level sales reps selling products at least $1,000 in value.
Now, we add the third part, “Share Your Superpower” of how you serve your audience. As an example, if you create curriculum for elementary schools, your Make-It-Matter Statement could read, “I serve first- through fourth-grade educators by crafting data-driven, fun, and effective curriculum that students rave about when they get home!”
Whatever your superpower is, be unapologetic in sharing what it is and why it matters. This will start to connect with your audience more because it shows you know why you were given your superpower in the first place.
If you’d like to personally work with me to help you get better results with your message than ever before, visit workwithjoncook.com.
Writing Your Make-It-Matter Statement: Part 4 — So They Can What?
Now, we’re ready to put a bow on your Make-It-Matter Statement. Again, this has four parts:
- The first part is your “I am…” positioning element, such as “I guide…” or “I am a champion of…” or “I serve…”
- The second part is where we mention your specific target Market, such as female executives or patients with chronic back pain under the age of 50.
- Then, we add the third part, “Sharing Your Superpower” where you say what you do that shows the world that your greatest gift has a purpose and you’re using that purpose to serve your target Market.
Now, we end with the fourth part, the part with three simple words that make a profound difference: “…so they can _________.”
What’s the primary benefit your audience will experience because of your superpower? Think about what’s keeping them up at night. What can’t they stop thinking about? What do they really want out of life? What does your superpower unlock for their future that they’re excited, maybe even desperate to experience right now?
This fourth part is the catalyst for this entire Make-It-Matter Statement. It doesn’t have to use the exact words “so they can,” but if you’re just getting started writing your statement, it’s helpful to use that term in your first version, “so they can” what?
Follow those four parts, craft a new Make-It-Matter Statement, and watch your “Hi, I’m…” conversations go from “Oh, that’s nice…” to “Do you have a card? How do I work with you?”
If you’d like to personally work with me to help you get better results with your message than ever before, visit workwithjoncook.com.