How to Switch to Client-Centered Language

In marketing, there’s a fine balance that needs to be struck between sharing some information about yourself to make a connection with your ideal clients, and focusing so much on yourself that you turn off those same people. Remember, everything you do in your marketing needs to keep the focus on the client. That’s not to say you can’t share things about yourself; it’s all in how you word it. The right verbiage is what creates that balance of connecting with your audience on that personal level, while maintaining a client-centered focus.

There’s nothing wrong with sharing your story, but it doesn’t need to be the whole story. And that’s the trap that I see a whole lot of therapists fall into. They tell their story and their why. They share their education and their experience. They explain their services and their results. And while they may drop in something here and there about the clients they help, those clients most definitely are not the focus. The therapist is.

Instead, it’s important to write everything in your marketing with your ideal client’s perspective in mind. What do they want to know about? Yeah, your education is nice, but can you fix their issue? That’s the real reason they’re even looking at what you do? They want to know if you’re the answer to their problem. So the entire focus needs to be on them and their problem and explaining how and why you ARE in fact the answer for them.

Let’s say you’re writing about the types of massage you do. Instead of listing out a bunch of modalities most clients have never heard of, or at the very least, don’t really understand, speak to the benefits. For example, if you’re writing a description of any modality, instead of focusing on the methodology of the treatment, speak to their problem first and then explain that your massage can help that problem.

Let’s look at an example here:

THE NOT-SO-GREAT VERSION…
“Our custom massage sessions combine a variety of techniques to affect the deep layers of the muscles and connective tissues giving you the ultimate experience for pain relief and relaxation.”

This type of description focuses on you and the work with just a small mention of the client.

A MORE CLIENT-FOCUSED VERSION
would be something like…
“If you’re recovering from an injury or battling chronic pain, let us customize a massage session just for you and your body. With a combination of deep relaxation and detailed therapeutic work designed exclusively for you, this massage will leave you feeling like you can take on the world.”

This type of description keeps the focus almost entirely on the client, while discreetly summing up the work and skills involved.

Another example could be a social media post. Maybe you want to share a bit about a new training you’re attending…great! But how can you turn it to keep the focus on your client while still sharing this awesome news and creating that connection and hype?

THE NOT-SO-GREAT VERSION…
“I’m taking _____ class this weekend! Can’t wait to get back and show you all my new tricks. Book your appointment now!”

The focus is, again, entirely on you and how excited you are about it. What about building up the hype you want your clients to feel about it by making it about them?

A MORE CLIENT-FOCUSED VERSION
would be something like…
“I know a lot of you are dealing with back pain right now after shoveling all that snow we’ve had, and I wanted to be sure I’m offering you everything I possibly can to help. So I’m at another class, learning even more techniques to help a variety of back issues just for you guys! If you’re not already on the schedule, go ahead and book your session now so you can start getting relief as soon as I get back to the office.”

You get to show that you’re expanding your knowledge, yes, but it is entirely focused on the client. The problem they’re having, the training you’re getting, and the benefits of it…all for your clients. You’re doing this specifically for them; to help solve their problem.

No matter if it’s service descriptions, your about me section, social media posts, your welcome page, or anything else you write for your business, how can you ensure your verbiage is creating a connection while maintaining focus on your client?

Need a better way to plan out your marketing, and write things out like this?
Check out the newest version of my Financial & Business Management System spreadsheet that has an entire marketing plan section for each month so you can brainstorm and plan out your promotions, ads, social media posts, emails, events, and more.