Since you’re a heart-led coach or consultant, I know you can appreciate the profound importance of human connection. You know that as soon as you’re in a 1:1 session with your client, you can work your magic.
But how do you show your uniqueness and ability to help your clients on their journey before you ever meet them? How can you establish a meaningful connection ahead of time so that your ideal clients would feel excited to push that “Book a call” button on your website?
Well, you don’t need to look too far. The answer lies in your brand story.
Here’s what you’ll learn in this post:
What Is a Brand Story and Why Is It Essential for Service Businesses?
A brand story is a narrative that combines your customers’ deepest desires with your unique experiences. The goal of a brand story is to make your busy ideal customer stop in their tracks and go: “Wait a minute, who’s writing this and how are they in my head?!”.
It’s the pathway that invites potential clients into your world. By crafting a strong brand narrative, you build trust.
Because, after all, you’re working with humans, and humans need to relate to you on a human level before they feel comfortable enough to choose you as their consultant, coach, mentor, or therapist.
Now one thing that’s often confused with a brand story is the founder’s story.
My clients sometimes think that they need to talk about their past experiences, certifications and client successes first. How else would my customers know to trust me, they ask.
That is not the case, however.
I could not agree more with Simon Sinek when he says in his book “Find Your Why” that people don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.
Your brand story is your WHY and forms the foundation of your business identity. It’s the container for your values and your beliefs.
These days I sometimes feel that large corporations have thrown a wrench in the works, turning the brand story into just another marketing tool, whereas it’s the heart of the story that truly distinguishes you from others.
For heart-led entrepreneurs like you, a well-crafted brand story is crucial for standing out in a competitive marketplace.
Why Your Brand Story Matters for Your Business Success
When people seek out a coach or consultant, they are looking for more than just qualifications and expertise. They want to connect with someone who truly understands their challenges and can guide them through their personal journey. Your story is a powerful tool for establishing this connection, even before a direct interaction.
Here´s what your well-thought-through content can do for you.
Building Trust
Trust is fundamental in coaching and 1:1 consulting relationships. By sharing your personal story, you demonstrate authenticity and create a foundation for trust. Authenticity is key to building a strong rapport with potential clients. When they see the real you, they’re more likely to trust you with their personal growth.
Creating Emotional Connection
A compelling narrative weaves emotions into your story, enabling clients to connect with you on a deeper level. Emotional engagement makes your services more relatable and meaningful. By sharing your experiences and challenges, you make it easier for people to see themselves in your story and understand how you can help them.
Differentiating You and Your Business
The coaching and consulting market is crowded; we all know that.
But the good news is that your unique story sets you apart. Your personal journey, values, and experiences create a distinctive brand identity that highlights your uniqueness. In a competitive landscape, your brand story is the key to distinguishing yourself and capturing your audience’s attention. And I promise you, it IS possible.
How to Craft Your Unique Brand Story
If storytelling feels a bit intimidating, don’t stress! You don’t need to be a professional writer to create a compelling brand story—what truly matters is authenticity.
I’m here to support you every step of the way, helping you transform your reflections into a well-crafted and valuable narrative. Together, we’ll bring your unique story to life in a way that resonates deeply with your audience. If you’d like to dive deeper, feel free to book a free consultation with me!
But before we jump on a call, let’s explore a framework to support you in developing a story that resonates with your target audience and fosters lasting connections.
Step 1: Identify Your “Why”
Your “why” is the core of your brand story and if you’ll let it, it can guide your entire business.
Getting clear on the deep-seated reason behind your passion for coaching or consulting can be the North Star of every aspect of your work. That is, the guiding light that always pulls you towards the right choices.
Decisions ranging from who your clients are, what services you should offer, what transformation you can guide your clients through, how you show up to your sessions, what your coaching or consulting process is like, to whom you should hire and what to say in your marketing materials are just some of the many examples.
Reflect on the personal experiences that led you to become a coach. What moments inspired your journey? Why did you choose this path? Not only will this help you get really clear on your business, but it can also give your prospective clients a good insight into your coaching style.
In Practice:
The one question I love asking my clients to help them find their Why is this:
What do you believe is the one thing that if you could help make happen, the world would be a better place?
You must then answer it with an “I believe…” statement.
For instance, my I believe statement for my business Heroes & Guides is: “I believe that if more heart-led and empathic entrepreneurs got to build thriving businesses they loved in this world of sleazy marketing, the world would be a better place.”
For a client of mine, Julia, who’s a co-parenting counsellor for divorced couples, we defined her I believe statement as: “I believe that divorce is not a failure. It can, instead, be a beautiful new beginning and you can decide how this plays out for your family.”
An I believe statement for a holistic life coaching business might be: “I believe that self-care is not selfish. It’s essential for sustainable well-being and productivity.”
Put simply, a statement like this can ignite something in your ideal customer’s soul that helps you stand out in a crowded marketplace.
They’re not a gimmick or a hack. They’re simply a very specific call to very specific people – those who believe what you believe.
If you set your messaging on a belief, those who believe what you believe will feel an instant connection to you and your brand, making your marketing materials that much more powerful.
And those who don’t will more likely pass you right by and make your life even easier.
Step 2: Address Your Hero
After you have figured out why you’re doing what you’re doing, then the next step is understanding what it is that your client wants.
It’s simple: without clients, you will never be able to manifest your purpose, your belief, however well-meaning or noble.
I have spent over a decade in product management for startups and one of the biggest things I still see even seasoned entrepreneurs overlooking is the client.
We often think that our ideas are just THAT GOOD that once our target audience sees it, they’ll just have to jump on the bandwagon.
But here’s the thing: a good brand story is set on the premise that your client is the hero and you’re simply the guide. The hero wants to overcome a challenge and you’re just there to help them.
When crafting your brand story, keep your ideal client, your persona, in mind.
Your narrative should resonate deeply with them, addressing their specific challenges and aspirations. Tailor your story to reflect their needs and demonstrate how you can help them overcome obstacles.
Starting with your hero’s challenge first is always a good idea. This way those who resonate with that challenge will feel compelled to read on. Only then will you transition into how you can help.
Bonus points if you can season it with details about your ideal audience’s demographics.
Example:
“Women in midlife often find themselves at a crossroads. While a part of us hoped we’d be done with the big changes in our lives, with our role in our families and our communities shifting rapidly, we often realize we need to reinvent ourselves yet again.
Having been through this shift myself, and possessing the coaching skills to hold space for you, I will happily guide you through this challenging time.”
Speaking directly to your ideal client ensures that your story is relevant and compelling. By addressing their specific struggles and goals, you create a stronger connection and increase the likelihood of engaging potential clients.
Layering in just a touch of personal experience will help you connect with your customers on a deeper level.
Step 3: Share Your Personal Journey
As a 1:1 coach or consultant, your brand story is your personal brand story.
That’s why your personal journey is one of the key elements that helps you connect with your potential customers on a personal level. It’s about showing your hero that you have empathy for their journey, which is crucial for any life coach or 1:1 service consultant.
As a heart-led small business owner, your experiences serve as a source of inspiration. And believe me, you have so much to give; don’t hold yourself back.
When talking about your journey, I invite you to include not only your successes but also your struggles and the lessons learned.
These moments of challenge add depth to your story and make it more relatable. Your customers might touch upon those experiences in your coaching or consulting sessions and it can serve as a good ice-breaker with the customer.
Example:
“I spent years balancing a demanding career and family life while feeling a deep sense of dissatisfaction. It was only through my own coaching experience that I discovered the need for change. This realization sparked my passion to become a coach, especially for women over 50 seeking a fulfilling second act.”
Highlighting key turning points—such as significant life events or influential mentors adds richness to your narrative and is one of the best storytelling techniques to not just express empathy, but also establish yourself as an authority on the topic. These defining moments help illustrate your journey and connect with your audience.
Step 4: Showcase the Transformation
Clients seek personal coaching or specific consulting services to achieve transformation in their lives. Even if you’re a marketing consultant, the underlying need of your client is much deeper than a simple “I need marketing advice”.
They want to evolve, overcome limitations, and embrace their full potential. Your content should highlight the transformations you’ve facilitated, showcasing the outcomes clients can expect from working with you.
Use Examples: Share real-life client success stories (with permission or anonymously) to demonstrate the impact of your coaching and consulting services. These testimonials provide concrete evidence of your ability to drive change.
Example:
“Jody was struggling to get traction for her organic soap business. She was inspired to build her business after her daughter Lizzie was diagnosed with a severe skin condition and found that mainstream skin care products were only making her symptoms worse.
Existing organic brands, however, were way too expensive. She had found a clever way to make gentle skin care accessible to more people and had an amazing story to share. Still, she was struggling to get her voice heard in an overcrowded market.
Together we devised a custom marketing plan inspired by growth hacking tactics that are used in fast-moving startups. Getting crystal clear on her ideal client niche, we honed in on her band narrative and simplified her marketing to just two channels.
This increased focus on just a few channels with laser-focused messaging brought down her marketing cost by 37% and increased her revenue from 5,000 dollars a month to 17,000 dollars a month over the next three months.”
Illustrating client transformations shows your effectiveness and reinforces your ability to guide clients through their journeys. Adding a few numbers if you have them always helps to drive the point home.
You can, of course, also use direct quotes from your client to show you’ve helped real people get results in the past.
Step 5: Lay Out the Coaching Journey
Once you’ve defined the transformation for your customer, it’s human nature that your potential customers start to doubt the feasibility of achieving this outcome.
When the leap from where they are now to where you claim to be able to take them as a coach or consultant is too big, they can start to second-guess whether engaging with you is worth their while.
But you want them to engage with you because you believe that you have something valuable to give them. So it would be a real shame if you lost them at this point
That’s where you’ll need to define what their coaching journey with you will look like. That journey will help them reach the transformative outcome you defined in step 4.
The strategic approach here is condensing your coaching methods or consulting journey into three easy-to-understand steps.
Even if your approach to coaching requires you to engage with your client over a longer period, using multiple touch points and different coaching methods, I invite you to think about the three overarching steps that would act as the roadmap for your client’s success.
Example:
First, we’ll have a 30-minute call to discuss where you are and where you want to go.
Then, I’ll define a custom roadmap for your transformation. Don’t worry, I will be there with you every step of the way.
Finally, if you’re willing to put in the work, you’ll start to see major shifts in your mindset and overall well-being.
This is the secret sauce to building trust with your potential customers before you have ever even engaged with them one-to-one.
With the transformation story, you provided them with a North Star to follow. Now you have built them a ladder to get to it.
Providing supportive elements like this is crucial for your online coaching business where your brand story is your business card.
How to Share Your Brand Story Across Platforms
Once you’ve crafted your brand story, it’s time to share it effectively across various platforms. Your story should be the cornerstone of the marketing efforts in your online business, helping you connect with clients through multiple channels.
1. Optimize Your Website
For any online business, your website is your digital home. To make sure it can convey your professional identity as best as it can, and create a healthy client base for you, you need it to be optimized for conversions.
If you’re feeling a bit stuck on how to balance showcasing your unique personality with optimizing for search engines, sign up for my masterclass on How to Structure Your Website for the Best Conversions.
In this 40-minute masterclass, I’ll give you only practical strategies for making your website convert and share a number of resources that will help you DIY this.
Or, if you can’t be bothered and need my undivided attention, I’m just a call away.
2. Leverage Blog Posts
Your blog is like a personal diary that the world can read.
Use it to dive deeper into your brand story and share valuable insights about your journey, the lessons you’ve learned, and practical tips related to your coaching or consulting journey.
Regular updates to your blog not only enhance your branding but also strengthen your online presence, positioning you as an expert and keeping your audience engaged.
Plus, a touch of SEO magic—like incorporating the right keywords and linking to other posts—will help more people discover your content.
Now that you have a strong foundation for your brand story, your content marketing is that much more consistent, I can tell you that.
3. Utilize Social Media…Or Don´t!
Social media platforms are only to be used if you love social media! (I for one, do not…but more on that another time.)
While social media is a great tool to reach a wider audience, it is entirely possible to build your coaching or consulting practice without being active on social channels.
For example, you might want to share your brand story across various platforms and consider the power of collaboration and community building to further amplify your message.
Partnering with other like-minded coaches, consultants, influencers, or industry leaders can provide you with a broader reach and introduce your story to new audiences.
It’s always possible to engage in joint ventures, host collaborative webinars, or participate in industry panels which all can position you as a thought leader and showcase your unique perspective.
Furthermore, actively participating in online forums and community groups related to your coaching or consulting niche can help you connect with potential clients on a more personal level.
Your brand narrative is crucial here so you can keep your messaging on brand and consistent across these different channels and offer your insights in the right context.
By contributing valuable insights and offering support within these communities, you reinforce your credibility and demonstrate your commitment to helping others.
This approach not only helps you establish your personal brand but also fosters relationships that can lead to meaningful client connections and growth opportunities.
If you do enjoy social channels, however, your brand story is crucial in your consistent branding across the various channels. Share pieces of your story in your social media posts to build your online presence and connect with your audience.
4. Incorporate Your Story into Email Campaigns
If you´re not super comfy with social media platforms, email marketing is a wonderful alternative. There are so many great tools such as ConvertKit, MailChimp and many more.
You can use your brand story for example to welcome new subscribers and introduce yourself personally.
It’s wise to include elements of your story in newsletters and promotional emails to maintain engagement and provide value.
Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to share updates, insights, and special offers that reflect your journey and connect with your audience.
Conclusion: Your Brand Story is Your Most Powerful Asset
Your brand story is the key to unlocking the growth of your coaching or consulting business. Whether you are a life coach, business mentor or marketing strategist, your brand story is the essence that breathes life into your brand, creating deep connections with your ideal clients.
By embracing authenticity, vulnerability, and the power of storytelling, you’ll attract clients and build a thriving community aligned with your values.
Your story is unique and it’s your most potent tool for differentiating yourself in a crowded market. Embrace your unique narrative, share it with confidence, and—above all—don’t be afraid to watch it turn away the clients whose itch you will never be able to scratch.
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