✅ The outreach message checklist

People who are just starting out with their business often ask what they should do in order to get clients. My responses are always the same, as the first stages are always the same for all service businesses:

1. Figure out who your target audience is

2. Create a kickass offer

3. Start with warm outreach

   
   

Please note that some things commonly regarded as “necessary” aren’t listed here. Because they aren’t necessary. People tend to waste their time on things that regular people think they need, rather than things they actually need, in the early stages - like building a website or social media marketing (both are unnecessary to get started or to make your first sales).

Whether you are doing marketing outreach for the first time, or the thousandth, it helps to clearly define what that marketing should include.

Before you send any more marketing outreach, here’s a quick outreach message checklist:

✅ Define your objective

What do you want the people to do after reading this message? Is that a reasonable request - if you were in their position, would you do it? Make sure you know what they are meant to do next before you write a single word.

✅ Identify the pain points

What’s the #1 problem you’re solving? What are the symptoms of that problem? Leverage these problems and symptoms to help the reader self-identify with your offer and to create action urgency.

✅ Personalise the benefits

Clearly communicate the benefits your offer brings and tailor this to your target audience. Consider their specific needs and goals and where you best fit in to make their life better.

✅ Highlight differentiation

Why should we choose you? Clearly articulate what sets your offer apart from competition. Whether it’s unique features, superior customer service, or even your own personality, emphasise what makes your offer stand out.

✅ Remove objections

What would stop someone from taking action to work with you? Help the reader overcome the top objection(s) as part of your ask. Show you understand their situation by identifying the blockers and removing them.

✅ Use strong language

Use power words and action verbs to make your value proposition more impactful. Make it visual, paint a picture, and create a sense of excitement.

✅ KISS

Keep It Super Simple. Make it so easy for people to understand what you are offering that they can understand the value with just a quick skim. Have only ONE clear call to action. What one thing should they do next?

The outreach message checklist

There is a lot that goes into the first two stages, identifying your audience properly and creating a kickass offer. If you want my checklist to see if your offer is good enough, reply to this email (or email John@JohnJDMunn.com) with the subject line “KICKASS OFFER” and I will send the checklist to you.

Checklist: what makes a great offer

🆕 This month’s resource for referrals has been updated - you can now earn my template “Warm Outreach Scripts, Sequences, and Examples”.

🎁 Receive rewards for referring your friends 🎁

1. 📩 A document outlining exactly what to say, when, and to which kind of lead (e.g. past customer, lead magnet signup, friends and family, etc).Includes full sequences plus real examples that I or my clients have successfully used and proven.

   
   

2. This custom template is not sold anywhere, you can only get it by sending Work Smart Wednesday to your friend. I rotate these templates monthly. This template is only available in September.

   
   

Refer a friend

Screenshot from my warm outreach scripts sequences and examples templates

💡 Quote I'm pondering

"We seek freedom, but what we really want is opportunity for engaging activities” - Alex Hormozi

I optimise for my businesses to create my sense of freedom. That is the chief measurement of success for me - do I feel happy, wealthy, free?

Unfortunately, freedom is very loosely defined. I have yet to find a singular definition I completely agree with. The closest I have come to is “the ability to choose”, but ability to choose doesn’t help much if your options are poor or you are unaware of what options exist. As such, I often like to revisit my own definitions of freedom to make sure I am optimising for the right things.

This quote from Hormozi reminded me of an important facet of freedom - opportunity to be engaged.

Are you more free in an engaging job where you have little control or choice of direction, or being so rich that you could choose to do anything but nothing truly engages you or gives you pleasure?

As with everything, there are balances to be had. We need to remember what freedom means to us. We need to make sure our businesses are optimised to produce the freedom we truly desire.

I shared this in my Work Smart Wednesday newsletter. Want the full set of related insights? You can read them here: https://worksmartwednesday.substack.com/p/work-smart-wednesday-september-11-72e

👋 Want to work together?

When you’re ready, here are 2 ways I can help you:

🔍 Clarity Call - We will discuss your situation and create a step-by-step action plan together so you know exactly what you need to do next for maximum impact

🧩 Are we a good fit together? - See whether you and I are a good fit together by answering this short quiz. You will immediately see whether or not we are a good fit, and receive a personalised answer for what the next best step will be for you based on your answers.

💡 Want more from me? Find more on my LinkedIn profile.

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