Why Your Messaging Is Missing the People You're Meant to Serve (Maslow’s Mountain Pt. 3)
Your messaging has nothing to do with you. It has everything to do with them. The coaches who land clients consistently aren't the most credentialed or the most polished. They're the ones whose words make their ideal client think, "How did they know that's exactly where I am right now?" That feeling is trust. And trust is what closes. The "I help blank do blank" formula isn't wrong because of its structure. It's wrong because the language almost always comes from the top of the mountain, describing outcomes your avatar hasn't lived yet. Get specific about the problem first, and the rest of the message follows.
"Stop the peacocking and just really start being you. Even if you're a manatee."Jess Webber · I Love Coaching Podcast
Before you write another word of content, answer this one question: where is your avatar on the mountain right now? Not where they want to be. Not where you are. Where are they today, in this moment, feeling the exact thing that makes them need you? Write that down first. Then write your messaging from there. If you are reaching for aspirational language before you have answered that question, your message is going to miss. Start with the problem, not the outcome.
Show Notes + Resources
What You'll Learn
- Why "I help [avatar] achieve [outcome]" is killing your conversions and what to replace it with
- The specific question you need to answer before writing a single word of messaging: where is your avatar on the mountain right now?
- Why aspirational language repels the very people you're trying to attract
- How to remove ego from your messaging without removing yourself from it
- The difference between specificity and complexity, and why your audience wants one and not both
- What Taki Moore gets right that most coaches get completely wrong about authentic messaging
- Why storytelling outperforms information dumping every single time, on social, on stage, and everywhere else
Key Themes
- AI as thought partner, not content creator
- The "I help blank do blank" trap in coaching messaging
- Psychographic messaging: think, feel, need
- Hero vs. guide positioning (Donald Miller / StoryBrand)
- Authenticity vs. ego in public-facing content
- Taki Moore as a case study in avatar-first messaging
Memorable Lines
- "Stop the peacocking and just really start being you. Even if you're a manatee." — Jess Webber
- "Your messaging has nothing to do with you. It has everything to do with them."
- "Leaning on AI without that foundation isn't just ineffective. It actively erodes trust."
- "The coaches who land clients consistently aren't the most credentialed or the most polished."
Resources Mentioned
- Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller (guide vs. hero positioning)
- Taki Moore: go watch his recent reels for a masterclass in authentic, avatar-first messaging
- Get Paid to Coach free guide: ilovecoachingco.com/get-paid-to-coach
- REAL Coach Method Membership: ilovecoachingco.com/discover
- Instagram: @ilovecoachingco / @adamrroach / @thejesswebber
- YouTube: youtube.com/@ilovecoachingco
No matter where you are in your coaching journey, ILC has a resource built for you.
The I Love Coaching Podcast is hosted by Adam Roach and Jess Webber of I Love Coaching Co. New episodes drop weekly wherever you listen to podcasts.