In this episode, I share a framework you can use to know your product, even if a service is what you sell.
Listen as I break down the 7 components of the Know Your Product framework. You’ll learn how to get to know your product so you can create your content based on what you sell.
Join My Upcoming Webinar: Increase Your Sales & Audience By 25% Using Profitable Content, happening Tuesday, June 4, 2024 at 5pm Pacific Time. Click here to sign up for free.
Transcript:
What is up, y’all? If you haven’t signed up for my upcoming webinar, I want to invite you now. I’m going to teach you how to increase your sales and audience by 25% using profitable content. Learn why great content doesn’t always equal sales and the simple steps you can take to shift your content from being likable to profitable.
Creating content that actually gets sales calls and signups is simple. It’s not tedious, it doesn’t have to be mind-blowingly creative, and you don’t have to hire a team to help you. What slows down your process from generating revenue is overthinking, overanalyzing, and trying to get it perfect.
Sign up for my webinar where I’m sharing the simplest content creation strategy in the industry. I’ll be teaching you how to build trust, create more effective calls to action, and build an audience that wants to buy. Inside my free training, you’ll learn:
- How to shift your mindset away from metrics and focus on conversions.
- The difference between audience-building content and revenue-generating content.
- My four-step process to create profitable content quickly that feels honest, authentic, and you.
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I cannot wait to see you there.
My name is Catalina Del Carmen, and I am a wife, mother of two, daughter of immigrants, and rule-breaking business coach for women of color coaches, creatives, and service professionals. I spent years trying to figure out the online business game, creating fashion blogs, YouTube channels, Instagram pages, email lists—everything with little to show for it. Now, I run a growing multiple six-figure coaching business, keeping things radically simple so I can spend more time with my babies than my business. Inside my programs, Show Up Real and Show Up and Lead Mastermind, I teach my clients how to build an online community using authentic, revenue-generating content that doesn’t require them to be everywhere. Whether it’s your first four figures in business or six figures in my mastermind, less is more when you are committed to growing your impact and revenue at the same time.
In this show, I tell the whole mother effing truth about what it takes to build and scale an online business. I don’t gatekeep. I don’t tell you half the truth. I keep it real, and I will challenge you to do it as well. Welcome to the Show Up Real podcast.
What is up y’all? Welcome back to the Show Up Real podcast. I’m so happy you are here. We are getting ready for the webinar. So, the webinar is coming up soon. If you haven’t signed up, you are crazy. I want you to sign up. I’m excited because I’ve never taught content in this way. I feel like the last year I have been collecting information and data and studying content, and I’ve really come up with this four-step process that is going to help you think about your content differently and make more money in your business through your content. Sign up for the webinar now. It’s going to be so, so good. I can’t wait to have you there.
Today we are talking about a framework that I created for my client, and I have loved it. I think it’s just so helpful to really understand what you’re selling, and that’s what I want to talk about today. So today’s episode is called “Know Your Product.” A lot of you don’t have product-based businesses, or at least those of you who work with me don’t, but in this episode, I want you to think about your service as a product.
This really stemmed from my time in retail. I started my working career in the restaurant industry and the retail industry. First, I worked in restaurants for a long time, and then I went into retail. I landed at Nordstrom when I was about, I don’t know, 20? Actually, I think I was 19. I started working at Nordstrom on the sales floor, and Nordstrom is commission-based. So, or at that time it was. Nordstrom is commission-based, so you would make more money when you sold more. I had never been in that type of environment. Working in a commission-based business helped me realize, like, okay, it is important for me to go out there and make sure that every person that comes into my sales floor in my department is greeted by me, that they know I’m here, I know they’re there, and that if they need anything, I’m here, right? Those are just the basics.
Now, once they were on the sales floor and they were looking around, my job, if I really wanted to make more sales that day, I had to know what was on the floor. I had to know a lot about the products, right? I had to know these things. My last job at Nordstrom, I had 12 jobs at Nordstrom in eight years, and one of my last jobs was being the personal stylist manager. What that meant is I had, I think I had up to 14 personal stylists that I managed. I also became the sales trainer for the entire store. I would put on trainings for all the teams and all the departments, and I would teach them the way to think about selling and the way to think about products and all of that. So I taught my teams how to sell and how to think about their product.
What I learned on the sales floor for so long is that if you really want to sell something, you have to know your stuff. You can’t just know about one product or just a little bit. You want to know what you’re selling. Most of the time in stores like Nordstrom, one person, like a salesperson, will kind of stay in their department. But I had personal stylists, and my team were personal stylists, which means they were able to go everywhere in the store and shop from any department. Because of that, I had to teach them a lot about each department. It was a goal of mine to make sure they knew what was new in the men’s department, what was trending in the women’s department, or what were the top 10 items in the children’s department. I had to know about shoe trends and new styles in bags, or what the best sellers in each department were. Not only did I need to know this, but I wanted my team to know this, right? Because the way we thought about customers was, sure, we’re going to help them with whatever they came for, but we’ll help them style their entire family if they let us, right? And if they do let us, we want to be ready.
From this thinking, when I created this framework, I was like, everybody needs to know what they’re selling. That is the foundation. If you don’t know what you’re selling, you’re going to have a hard time selling. It’s just the truth. What I want to go through with you today is my “Know Your Product” framework. The point of this is not for you to just check a box, like, “Okay, I know this, I know this, I know this.” I want you to use this information that you come up with in your own product framework. Let this be your selling. Let all of your content stem from this. I want you to be so good at understanding your product and your services, understanding them to a T so that you can sell it intentionally. You can sell it authentically. You can sell it very naturally. When you know your product well, that’s when your authenticity is high, when you know the product and you have belief in the product. It’s really important that you know this stuff. That’s why I’m going to go through this with you.
This is a framework we use inside Show Up Real to help folks get very clear on who they’re selling to, what they’re selling, and all that good stuff. I’m going to break it down for you. There are seven components to this. Let’s get started. Number one, and it’s an acronym, it’s PRODUCT. So we’re going to go through each one.
Number one is Person. P is for Person. Who’s your person? Who are you selling to? Understand that. I want you to take a moment and really ask yourself with the knowledge I have, with the offer I have, who is this best fit for and who do I desire to sell to? Who did I create this for? Now, for my programs, my programs are designed for women of color, coaches, service providers, creatives. They’re designed for business owners who have typically online business or service-based business. Now, I have some clients who sell products, but that’s who I designed it for. For you, I really want you to identify who is my person. If we’re going to stick with the Nordstrom theme, I’m thinking of, there’s also a time I worked in handbags, and I’m just thinking of, like, if you think about brands, the brands within handbags, they each have a very specific type of person they’re selling to.
For example, I am not a Kate Spade kind of girl. I’m just not. When I think of Kate Spade and Kate Spade’s person, Kate Spade’s person kind of reminds me of Charlotte from Sex and the City. This person likes things very pretty and feminine and sweet. It has this energy that is very put together. The prints that they make are very, I’m trying to explain it without judging it. The prints that they make are very simple. They’re feminine. They’re pretty. They’re kind of girly. That is the entire aesthetic of Kate Spade. So when they’re thinking about who they’re selling to, they’re thinking of their ideal client, they’re thinking of their person, and even if they, like, if Kate Spade made a bag that was a little, you know, a little edgy, it would still be an edgy bag for their ideal person. It might be black and it might have a little bit of, you know, maybe a little spike or something, but it would have like one, you know, I don’t know. But what I’m saying is you want to know who your person is. Who are you selling to? Let this be simple. Let it be one sentence. Let it be like, and let me give you some examples. Women of color coaches, high achieving women, stressed moms, angry moms.
I just thought of a couple ideas. Some other examples could be photographers. Photographers could be its own niche or burnt-out photographers, burnt-out real estate agents. It could be anything. Anything you get to choose, but I want you to know who you’re creating your products for. And I also want to mention really quickly, it doesn’t mean that all your clients are going to be like under this type of person, but that’s who you’re selling it for. That’s who you are thinking of when you’re cultivating that kind of, when you’re creating your own offer and service, right? So for example, my programs are designed for women of color. The programs are designed with that in mind, right? But if a man or a white woman wants to work with me, it’s not like I’m like, nope, only women of color. No, I’m like, the point isn’t that I’m just women of color. It’s that I’m designing for them. So for you, let’s say you sell to real estate agents. There are going to be other people that come to you. You might get people who own businesses and who are not real estate agents who come to you. I don’t want that to spin you. I don’t want that to steer you in another direction. I want you to be like, oh yeah, I’m willing to work with everyone I need, but know that this program is designed for my people.
Alright, number two, Results. You have to know the results that you help people get. If you’re a coach, people are working with you for a result. They want something. They want to create something for themselves, and they want your help. The result that you help people achieve should be specific and simple. Specific and simple. I don’t want you to spin out about how specific it should be, but I will say that when you are really thinking of the result that you’re helping people get, what’s more important is that you have full belief behind it. I have seen million-dollar life coaches. I’ve seen million-dollar health coaches. It doesn’t matter what your niche is. What matters is your belief behind what you’re selling. When you’re creating a result, the reason you create a result is because you want to make it very clear that when you come into this or when you buy this, or when you work with me, I’m going to help you get this type of result. Now, sticking with the Nordstrom theme, I’m thinking of lingerie. When you go into, like, if I went into the lingerie department and let’s say I was looking, I don’t know why I’m thinking of this example, but like, it’s kind of like if you’re looking for nipple covers. That’s like a common thing. People in the lingerie department go there to buy nipple covers. But let’s say I wanted to go in to buy that, but all they
showed me were bras, and that’s it. They just were like, oh yeah, our bras, this is the best bra, and this is that. But they didn’t show me the thing that I came there for.
I wouldn’t feel like I got the result I wanted. This might be a terrible example, but the point I’m making is if I came to the lingerie department for nipple covers, they should be prepared to sell that to me. They should be prepared to help me find that because I came there for a specific result. I came there for something. Now, if I come into your program and let’s say I want to lose 10 pounds, I want to lose 10 pounds by the summer, and you are my health coach, I need to make sure that you know what the result that I want is, and you are confident that you can get it to me. This doesn’t mean that you’re just saying, oh, I help people lose weight. No, it’s like, oh, I help people lose 10 pounds in 12 weeks, or I help people, um, you know, cut sugar out of their diet, or I help people, um, whatever it is, right? But just know that the result needs to be very simple and very specific. And again, with the Nordstrom theme, it’s just, it’s kind of like if you were going in there for a certain thing, they should have that certain thing, but they should also have, like, more things too, right?
So let me make another example. My program Show Up Real, the result of my program Show Up Real is I help you increase your sales and increase your audience by 25% in six months. And I help you do that through content marketing, right? Like, that’s how I do that. Now, another example could be, I don’t know, I don’t know why I’m thinking of another example, but, like, if I was a dog trainer, the result would be I help you train your dog to stop barking within 30 days. Just keep it simple and specific.
Alright, number three, Offer Details. Know all the basics about your offer, like the back of your hand. I want you to know how long it is. How long is the program? What is the price of the program? How often do you meet? Do you have a payment plan? I want you to know all of the basics about your offer. This is super important because a lot of the time, you know, I think, I see my clients struggle with this, and even in my own coaching and being coached, it’s kind of like when someone asks, “Oh, how much is it?” or “What’s the price?” or “What’s this?” Sometimes, you know, you want to, like, add a discount or you want to change it a little bit because you’re nervous about it. I don’t want you to do that. I want you to just commit to the service you’re providing. I want you to commit to the length of the time. I want you to commit to the price and all of that because you know what it takes to create the result. You know what it takes to help your clients get that result. So it shouldn’t be a negotiation. It should be just something that you say very clearly and confidently.
Alright, number four, Desired Outcomes. Desired Outcomes are really the byproducts of the result, right? So let me give you an example. If you’re a health coach and you help someone lose 10 pounds, some of the desired outcomes could be they feel more hydrated. They’re less tired. They have more energy. These are all byproducts of achieving the result. Another example could be, let’s say, you know, I’m just thinking of, like, a business coach. Let’s say you’re a business coach and you help people start a business. Some of the desired outcomes could be they feel more confident. They feel more financially secure. They have more time freedom. These are all things that are byproducts of the result that they achieve. So know what the desired outcomes are. It helps you communicate the full value of your offer.
Alright, number five, Unique Points of View. What are your unique points of view on the industry and the result you help people create? These are the beliefs that you hold that are different from others in your industry. So, for example, one of my unique points of view is that I believe content marketing is the most accessible and equitable way to do business. I think it’s the easiest way to do business. I think it’s the best way to do business. That’s a unique point of view that I hold. Another example could be, let’s say, you’re a money coach. Your unique point of view could be that you believe that budgeting doesn’t have to be restrictive, right? Like, that’s your unique point of view. Another example could be, let’s say you’re a health coach. Your unique point of view could be that you believe in intuitive eating. You don’t believe in diets. You believe in intuitive eating. Know what your unique points of view are because this helps you stand out and it helps you connect with your ideal clients.
Alright, number six, Core Skill. What is the basic, general skill that you teach? For me, it’s marketing. I teach marketing. I teach sales and marketing. That’s my core skill. For you, it could be something different. It could be money management. It could be health coaching. It could be, you know, organizing. It could be anything. But I want you to identify what is the basic, general skill that you teach. This helps you understand and articulate what you do very clearly. So when someone asks, “Oh, what do you do?” You could say, “Oh, I teach people how to market their business through content marketing,” right? Like, that’s very clear. Another example could be, “Oh, I help people manage their money better,” right? Like, that’s a core skill. So identify what that is for you.
Alright, and number seven, Transformational Promise. What is the overall transformation that you promise people? This is the big promise that you’re making. This is the thing that you’re saying, “When you work with me, this is what you’re going to get.” For me, the transformational promise is, “When you work with me, you are going to have a business that is aligned with your values, that feels authentic to you, and that helps you create more sales and more impact through content marketing.” That’s my transformational promise. For you, it could be different. It could be, “When you work with me, you’re going to have a healthier lifestyle, more energy, and a better relationship with food.” Whatever it is, know what your transformational promise is and be able to articulate that clearly.
Alright, that is the “Know Your Product” framework. I hope this was helpful for you. I really want you to take this and apply it to your own business. Go through each component, write it down, and get really clear on what you’re selling. When you know your product well, you can sell it with confidence, authenticity, and ease. You got this!
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