PODCAST: Season 7, Episode 17
If you’ve ever wondered why your content gets crickets, or why the enquiries you do get never quite feel like the right fit — this episode is for you. Mills digs into one of the most common (and quietly damaging) patterns she sees with service-based business owners: messaging that’s so broad it speaks to nobody. This is not about niching down in the traditional sense. It’s about getting specific enough that the right person stops scrolling and thinks, that’s me.
Why Your Messaging Is Vague (Even When You Don’t Mean It to Be)
Mills breaks down three patterns that quietly keep service-based business owners stuck in broad, forgettable messaging:
Pattern 1: The fear of getting too specific. If you niche down, you’ll put people off — right? Wrong. When you speak to everyone, you land with no one. Specificity is not what narrows your audience. It’s what makes the right person feel like you’re talking directly to them.
Pattern 2: Saying yes to the wrong fit clients. When income isn’t where you want it to be, you bend your rules. You reshape your offer. You say yes one too many times. And then you look up and wonder why your messaging feels complicated and your offer suite is a bit of a mess. This pattern is more common than anyone admits — and it starts with getting specific before you hit that pressure point.
Pattern 3: Using your language instead of theirs. Words like “overcome your limiting beliefs” or “step into your power” mean everything to you and nothing to your client. She’s not Googling that. She’s Googling, “why do I never finish anything?” Close the gap between your language and hers, and your content starts to land.
How to Write Messaging That Actually Attracts the Right Clients
Step 1: Find the specific who. Not a demographic. Not a job title. A person in a situation. Ask yourself: what is she unable to do right now that’s costing her something? What’s the specific trigger moment that made her look for help? If you don’t know the answer, start asking your clients when they reach out.
Step 2: Get clear on the outcome. Not a feeling — a behaviour. Not “she walks away with confidence,” but “she sends the email, posts the content, names her price without immediately discounting it.” Feelings are real but they’re not tangible. Concrete outcomes are.
Step 3: Test your words. Run your new message through these four questions:
- Is there a specific person or situation in it (not a category)?
- Is there a concrete outcome something they do, not just feel?
- Would a stranger immediately know if this is for them or not?
- Does it make you feel slightly exposed? If yes, you’re probably on the right track.
Your Messaging Audit
Get curious with these questions:
- Does your current message name a specific person or situation?
- Does it describe something they will do or something they will feel?
- When did you last update your messaging based on what clients are actually saying to you?
- Is your content attracting people or trying to convince them?
- Could any service provider in your space use your current message? If yes, it’s not specific enough yet.
Connect with Mills
- Instagram: @mills_gray
- Celebrate the launch of THE REBELLIOUS LEADER! A business book for women done playing by the rules https://millsgray.kartra.com/page/booklaunch
If this episode resonated, share it to your stories and tag Mills — she loves a good DM.