I talk frequently about the importance of building a brand voice that reflects your values and helps you build brand recognition with your ideal clients. But maybe you’re worried about what might happen once you do that.

If you create a brand voice that’s distinctive to you and speaks to your ideal clients, won’t that alienate some people? And could it result in you getting FEWER clients?

I understand that fear. It can feel counterintuitive to narrow down your messaging because, as you get more specific, you inevitably start to filter out people who don’t resonate with your brand voice.

My argument isn’t that this won’t happen. It will. But I believe that’s a GOOD thing, not a bad thing. Here’s why.

Who’s Fixing Your Dishwasher?

Imagine your dishwasher breaks and you want to get it fixed. You ask your community of friends and family if they have recommendations. Three people respond. Here are the recommendations you receive:

1. A guy your friend knows who does general home repair work. Your friend isn’t totally sure if he can fix dishwashers, but he might!
   
   
2. An appliance repairman who fixes everything from washing machines to microwaves.
   
   
3. A repairperson specializing in dishwashers.
   
   

Okay, so I don’t know if there are people who specifically repair dishwashers, but you get my point. You want the person who is REALLY good at fixing dishwashers to fix your dishwasher. You want the person who fixed your aunt’s dishwasher, who is well-known for her dishwasher-fixing prowess, and who comes highly recommended for dishwasher repair from others in your community. This is the scenario you’re creating when you build a distinctive, highly recognizable brand voice.

Instead of attracting a ton of people who might sort of need your help, you’ll attract more ideal clients who are ready and willing to hire you.  

What Happens if you Don’t Create a Distinctive Brand Voice?

Will you still attract people if you don’t create a distinctive brand voice? Sure you will. But here are the problems with that:

• You’re going to attract a lot of potential clients who aren’t a perfect fit for your services.
  
  
• You’ll probably end up doing a bunch of work you’re not super passionate about, or work that’s not even really in your wheelhouse (and we all know this can lead to a lower quality of work being performed).
  
  
• In all likelihood, you’re going to actually be MISSING OUT on perfect-fit clients—because they don’t know they’re a perfect fit for you. Because you’re not telling them!
  
  

  Not the best scenario.

So, what happens when you DO get specific with your brand voice?

• When you speak directly to a specific type of client and really address their UNIQUE problem, you are more likely to attract them and have a seamless sales experience.
  
  
• You’ll do more work that is totally up your alley and gets you super excited to get out of bed in the morning.
  
  
• Yes, you might attract fewer people. That’s okay! Focus less on the vanity metrics (how many followers you have, for example), and more on the conversions (how many people who find you actually reach out and then hire you).
  
  

When your ideal clients see themselves and their specific needs reflected in your brand voice, you’ll start seeing more of the RIGHT people flocking to your inquiry form. And that’s the metric that matters.

Need some help clarifying your brand voice and getting your message on target? I’m here to help! Grab my Build Your Brand Voice workbook here or book a free clarity call with me here.