Greetings from Barcelona.โ๏ธ
๐Many thanks for reading The Quest, your weekly round-up of tips and insights to help you design and lead exceptional online sessions that your group members will love.โค๏ธ
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๐ค”What’s in it for me?”
This is not just a passing thought. It’s the #1 question on your audience’s mind when they join your live session. They are deciding whether to give you two of their most valuable assets – time and attention. And let’s face it, you are up against some pretty fierce competition.
It’s not obvious.
The problem is that it’s easy to assume that the benefits of your session are clear. The truth is that 99% of the time they are not. Make that 100% when your participants are not there by choice.
You’ve got to make the benefits explicit.
Not just in the session promo materials. Or only in the welcome email. Or even at the beginning of your session. The key to addressing WIIFM is to answer it over and over again.
Engagement depends on it.
Answering WIIFM can make or break engagement in your session. It’s the only way to ensure that your audience is committed to your session. And you’ll see engagement skyrocket when your group members understand how your session benefits them.
How can you answer this crucial question “What’s in it for me?” (WIIFM) That’s our Quest for this week ๐
๐WIIFM Pro Tips From Marketing Expert Billy Broas (+ free template)
๐ 5 Simple Tactics That Will Help You Answer WIIFM (without sounding salesy)
๐กWIIFM Pro Tips From Marketing Expert Billy Broas
I don’t know about you, but I have an aversion to marketing. It feels like you are trying to convince someone of something they don’t need.
Copywriting and marketing expert Billy Broas has another approach. It shows you how to connect with the true needs of your audience. It’s community-first and authentic.
Billy is the founder of a marketing framework called ๐ก The Five Lightbulbs. He has also been the behind-the-scenes marketing brains to entrepreneurs like Tiago Forte, Ali Abdaal, and David Perell.
I was thrilled to have Billy join us for an Expert Session last week. His session focused on how to use copywriting techniques to boost engagement. But there were also bigger lessons on how facilitators can get into a WIIFM mindset.
In case you missed it, here are three takeaways that will help you answer WIIFM:
๐ Put yourself in the shoes of your audience.
Before you can answer WIIFM, you need to understand the experience of your group members. What are their pain points? What do they want? How are you going to make their lives better? Once you understand this, you can communicate the benefits from their point of view, not yours.
๐ “Sell” your audience on everything you want them to do.
You may want your audience to come out to your live session, do prep work, take part in your workshop, or follow up. It’s your job to communicate the benefits of every action you want them to take.
๐Focus on the purpose, not only the features.
The Greeks called this Telos. Instead of only focusing on the “what” emphasize “what it can do” for your audience.
Billy shared this email template that you can use to boost your show-up rate (<– spot the benefit) for your live sessions.
Download it here ๐ โLive Session Promo Emailโ Templateโ
๐ช5 Simple Tactics That Will Help You Answer WIIFM
Fortunately, you don’t need to be a marketing expert to answer your audience’s WIIFM. It’s a skill that you can develop with practice. If you’ve ever struggled with getting people to engage, it’s 100% worth sharpening this skill.
Here are 5 simple tactics that will help you answer WIIFM๐
1/ ๐คUnderstand Your Audience.
This means understanding their problems, needs, and desires. Are they interested in saving time, stress & money? Becoming happier, healthier, and more productive? Reducing stress, working less, and having more free time? Ask them in a pre-session survey, interview, and during your session.
2/ ๐Show, don’t tell.
Give your audience benefits straight away. Skip the lengthy introductions; give them a useful technique or resource right at the start. This sends a clear message that they are going to get something valuable by sticking around.
3/ ๐Be explicit.
Your audience should be able to see a direct relationship between your live session and how it will help them solve a problem or reach a goal. Even if you have shared it in an email, state the benefits again throughout your session. For example, “We are going to do an activity now that will save you time designing your next live session.” (<–spot the benefit)
4/ ๐ Anticipate objections.
Simply listing benefits isn’t enough. You also need to anticipate their objections. For example, they may feel awkward taking part in an icebreaker. Acknowledge their resistance and then give them a compelling reason to take part.
5/ ๐Give them proof.
Share real success stories and testimonials. Demonstrating how previous participants have applied and benefitted from your sessions gives your audience solid proof of your session’s value. It also motivates your group members to get similar outcomes.
๐Ask yourself: Which tactic could help you answer your audience’s WIIFM?
๐I’ve got some exciting news to share with you ๐
I am thrilled and humbled that I’ve been recognized as a LinkedIn Top Facilitation Voice. ๐
I want to say big thanks to YOU, awesome readers of the Quest, for helping me find my voice, inspire new ideas, and stretch my thinking.๐
P.S. If we haven’t already, let’s connect on LinkedIn!
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