How to Talk About Your Business Without Relying on Hooks, Feeling Slimey, or Overly Sales-y

AND GET TO $20K MONTHS IN 8 DAYS (JUST KIDDING)

I used to write commercials when I was little. They all started the same way:
”Ever wonder why your hair is just so… ugh?!” or “Ever wonder why your car is just so… ugh?!”

Ever wonder?

Those words “ever wonder” must have been a huge trope back in the 90s.

And now we’ve got new tropes in the form of hooks.

“The one thing you need to know to…”

“I made $XXXXXX by doing this on simple thing….”

“The thing nobody tells you about…”

These hooks are being used because they work on social algorithms. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with using a cheat code the algorithm likes. In fact, you should do that.

But I think the hard part about these hooks is a lot of us run businesses that aren’t about growth hacking, instant gratification, or outsized, Guinness-Book-worthy results.

If you’re like me, you’re building a business around your expertise. You aren’t in it to get to 1MM followers, or even $1MM in revenue. You’re looking to have a six-figure revenue with healthy margins that supports your life and allows you to actually live it.

Does that fit in a hook?

I think this is where we all get stuck. We’re taking our marketing cues from people who are reporting sensational, outsized results (which the the algorithm likes), often through selling on the platform they’re promoting on (which the algorithm also really likes.)

You just wanna be like, “I do a great job. I am smart. Hire me. You won’t regret it.”

(The algorithm will not like this unless you appear to be completely inept at social media and over the age of 80).

Where does that leave marketing consultants, bookkeepers, and lawyers?

Talk about your point of view.

I have found that the most natural way to talk about your work in a way that the algorithm still likes is to talk about your point of view.

Sharing a point of view is helpful for selling because:

• It’s informed by your positioning

Dear God, if you have not figured out your positioning yet DO NOT PASS GO and start there first. Otherwise everything you do will be a colossal waste of time.

I get you started here.

• It helps your readers get to know you and how you think about your work

• It builds trust in your expertise

• It educates people

When it comes to my own pitching, I have several POVs that I share often.

They include things like:

• No solopreneur can escape The Cringe feeling because sales and marketing are not optional - they should feel less alone.

• Putting yourself out there is completely wasted if your positioning is not strong

• I don’t like AI for content creation (:

Notice how each of these things are doing something for my sales:

• You can’t escape The Cringe feeling as a solopreneur because sales and marketing are not optional

  • ➡ Subscribe to my Substack to get better at sales and and marketing

• Putting yourself out there is completely wasted if your positioning is not strong

  • ➡ Let me help you with your positioning in 90 minutes with my Position or Die Session

• I don’t like AI for content creation (:

  • ➡ When you get free content ideas for me each week, you can bet your bottom dollar that I came up with them and not a robot

I find this type of content a lot more natural to write and share because it feels less like ,“XX steps to becoming a millionaire” and more like, “Here’s something you should know and why I think it’s important.”

How to develop your own point of view:

Start with your positioning.

Remember that I define “positioning” as the answer to these questions:

1. Who are you for?

2. What problems do you resolve for them?

3. What’s your edge?

(And if you haven’t done my exercise on this yet, GO HERE).

And now, let’s build some opinions. These prompts are only for subscribers (FREE OR PAID), so subscribe already. It’s free.

And now, write about it.

After this time spent writing, you should really have like 1-2 points of view (at least!) that you can write about.

Got them? Now:

Write a basic post about this, just straight up.

Now write me a post telling a story about a time where that POV was particularly true in your work.

Now write a post about your approach to your work and why you do it that way because of your POV.

Write a post about the of your POV that makes you mad when you see something happen that goes against it.

Write a post about what you absolutely love see happen for your clients because of your POV.

Tell me a story about when that happened IRL.

See where we’re going? That’s like six posts, all talking about your work. And somehow, not a hook in site.

Reminders for how you can work with me:

🎯 POSITION OR DIE 1:1: If you have trouble with your positioning and you want to make sure your 30 day sprint starts on solid foundation, get 90 minutes. with me and we’ll get this sorted. out. Keep in mind that Founding Subscribers to this Substack get a Position or Die Session that as part of their year-long subscription for a $50 discount. BOOK HERE.

👩‍💼 BECOME A PAID SUBSCRIBER: I give you all my resources and templates and once-a-month Office Hours for anyone who wants to come. Plus you get three ideas weekly for content that I think of- not AI- based on what I know works for clients.