money-making messaging for entrepreneurs
The most successful business leaders are brilliant at transforming great ideas into world-changing products and services. But most are not great at finding the right words to communicate the value of those ideas to move customers to say YES. Indeed, it’s nearly impossible for business owners to clearly see what customers love about their brands. So, most copy falls far short of authentically expressing what buyers are looking for. Even communication professionals struggle with their own sales copy.
That’s why business-development consultant Lenora Edwards works closely with these C-suite business owners—and augments her service scope with Andrea Driessen’s writing skills. Andrea translates the marketing strategies, positioning statements, and client stories that Lenora’s work surfaces into sales copy, marketing hooks, and trademark-worthy terms that speak directly to what customers want. So that her clients’ companies generate more revenue and results. And it’s all in the voice that’s genuine to each brand.
–Lenora Edwards, Business Development Consultant for CEOs
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Chris, an entrepreneur selling niched magazine titles to a broad range of professionals, was facing a high-stakes opportunity to broaden his market share. He asked Andrea Driessen to revamp critical business correspondence and his website, so that each piece communicates the core value of his offerings.
About the process, Chris said, “Andrea challenged my assumptions about my products, customers, and goals—and in all cases brought greater clarity to my business. Her words, phrases, and cadence are perfectly suited to my target audiences and brand. Her writing shows how she understands 1. the value of my products and services 2. what my customers really want and 3. how my products generate the results my clients expect. I continue to hire Andrea to improve my communications, because she’s so adept at communicating my value proposition in ways that drive customers to stay, engage, and pay.”
–Chris, entrepreneur
“At the height of a global hiring spree, I faced an unprecedented reality: For the first time in my 20+ years as a recruiter and career coach, all too many job candidates were unwilling to schedule get-to-know calls with me. The market was saturated with opportunities. Yet without enough job candidates, I can’t fill positions! So I knew I needed to take a different approach. Even though I’m a former corporate communications professional, I find it pretty much impossible to gain perspective on my value to the extent necessary to write sales messaging. That’s why I rely on Andrea Driessen to help me see the forest for the trees.
Andrea wrote a one-pager for me to share with candidates to help generate more responses. I love the contrarian approach she took. As soon as I rolled it out, I tripled my response rate and was able to speak with qualified individuals immediately. The engaging wording showed job candidates that I fully understand where they’re coming from, and used humor and irony to get and keep their attention.”
–Angee Linsey, executive recruiter and career coach
Thinking of saying NO to this call?
I get it: You get hit up by recruiters constantly. You’re super busy. You aren’t miserable in your job. So why take time to talk to a recruiter who specializes in communications? …
It was early days in the COVID pandemic. Remote professionals—all suddenly working from home—soon realized that the ability to present effectively in virtual environments is a critical skill.
Globally-recognized leadership and communications coach Jacqueline Farrington—who coaches leaders around the world on how to use communications—indeed, their words!—to inspire people and organizations to change—had proven insights and strategies to share. She decided to write a book, but she knew she couldn’t do it all on her own.
So, she tapped Andrea Driessen’s expertise and network. Andrea helped craft a book proposal that expressed why Jacqueline’s book should be published—and why she was the person to write it. Then Andrea got the proposal directly in the hands of a prominent business book publisher. Within just a few weeks, Jacqueline secured a book deal—the opportunity to write a highly actionable guide to better presentations—virtually and in person.
Then the real work began: As Jacqueline wrote each chapter, Andrea helped guide its structure, and edited it, page by page.
The results? Kirkus Reviews granted Jacqueline’s book a rare starred review—reflecting the book’s “exceptional merit.” In their words, “In the undeniably vast crowd of books about public speaking, this one stands out for its intelligent, direct approach. An indispensable manual on all aspects of public speaking and a boon to those who may be anxious about it.”
–Jacqueline Farrington , leadership + communications author and coach
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Speaker and customer-loyalty expert Bryan Rutberg had drafted an e-book. The intent: leverage the words in the piece as a lead magnet. But as someone naturally too close to the content, he needed an outside perspective to speak directly to the needs of those leads. And align key elements of the e-book to his highest-value offerings, so prospects would be persuaded to schedule discovery calls.
Andrea Driessen took a broad look at both the e-book and Bryan’s website. She got crystal clear on what Bryan most wanted to achieve. As a speaker bureau veteran, Andrea also considered similar experts on customer loyalty and customer love. These other authorities use catchy, easy-to-remember phrases that encapsulate their intellectual property. And they are Bryan’s direct competitors.
Connecting all the dots—Bryan’s distinct expertise, the thought leader marketplace he’s in, the idea of customer love—Andrea coined a new one-word marketing hook for Bryan, the term “lustomer.” In just 8 letters, it compellingly communicates intrigue, curiosity, and a desire to know: What are lustomers, and how do I get them?! And she edited Bryan’s e-book so that it’s built around the “10 Ways to Transform Customers into Lustomers.”
BAM: Bryan went from being a speaker-trainer-author-with-25-years-of-experience-working-with-companies-like-Microsoft to THE expert who helps transform customers into lustomers—and drive more revenue. Plus, lustomer.com was available an easy-to-spell, one-word URL, and qualified as a trademarkable term.
–Bryan Rutberg, Founder and Principal, 3 C Comms
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Bennett Bratt, founder of Team Elements and the author of The Team Discovered, is a subject matter expert on team effectiveness. He wanted to clearly articulate his core value, leverage this messaging to further grow his company and influence, and:
Solutions:
Andrea dug into all of Ben’s writings…his book, his website, his manifesto, his sales documents. She ran competitive intelligence on other thought leaders’ IP and terminology. Then she distilled thousands of Ben’s words and documents—the most relevant elements of his genius—into short, powerful copy. And she identified a memorable phrase that encapsulates Ben’s value into one, easy-to-recall term.
Results:
ONE—For Ben’s IP, Andrea coined “SOCIAL TRUST” (in place of small social ecosystem). As this term appears to be likely trademarkable, Ben is seeking a ® designation.
This expression both explains the value of such a group, AND what the group does.
TWO—Andrea also wrote super-short summaries of Ben’s work, so he has pithy pitches to share with TEDx speaker curation teams and any event planner looking for a timely, relevant keynote:
SHORTEST: Social trusts can forge a less-divisive, more trusting society
SHORTER: American society can become less divisive and more trusting—it can even flourish—in our small social trusts.
SHORT: Humans are surrounded by groups, and are members of many—PTAs, HOAs, work teams. Yet they report that only 5-20% are effective. We think that’s inevitable. But it’s not. American society can become less divisive and more trusting—it can even flourish—via our small social trusts.
THREE—Andrea then personally introduced Ben to key decision makers at 2 TEDx’s. From these, Ben got an audition (granted only to a tiny slice of applicants), and he continues to be under consideration at the second TEDx.
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Zovig is a top-tier executive coach. She’d poured her heart into designing a zesty inaugural retreat to expand her reach and help women transform their leadership skills. But she lacked the right words to express its value. So she reached out to Andrea Driessen for support.
The results? In Zovig’s words: “Leadership Essence was a smash! I couldn’t have dreamed of a better first round of this program.” As for her messaging collaboration with Andrea? “In a word, working with Andrea was freeing. She helped me create copy to support my women’s leadership program promotion and strengthen my website content and LinkedIn profile. She even threw in some extra goodies to reinforce a few talks I do. She magically turned everything I gave her into concise ideas with real punch, then worked with me to refine them to get them just right. I felt total trust in her expertise and talent, and she made working together so easy and fun. I look forward to working with her again!”
–Executive Coach Zovig Garboushian
Problem:
A utility-scale energy consultancy knew that its competitive advantages were not clearly expressed in their marketing materials. The copy was more TerraPro-focused than client-focused. As a result, they knew they were leaving money on the table.
The original Unique Selling Propositions read:
1-Relationships
We invest in developing stakeholder relations. We think and act like owners on the projects we work on.
2-Knowledge
Our history in the cross-technology and utility markets (experience) allow us to develop best practices that work in any market. “If you can work in California, you can work anywhere.”
3-Results
We’re inherent problem solvers. We’ll deal with the stuff – your problem child- that you don’t have the time or resources to solve. We’ll find and implement a solution so that you can do what you do best.
Solution:
Andrea reviewed the full scope of TerraPro’s marketing materials, and talked at length with the team to clearly understand the outcomes that this premier consultancy achieves with clients. In doing so, she unearthed a set of buyer-focused approaches and a fourth USP.
Ultimately, this new wording became integral in TerraPro’s website, client pitch decks, and PR materials. The firm views the updated messaging as foundational to how they now communicate their unique value to prospects, and is winning more business as a result.
The final copy read:
1-Best of the best practices
Our one-of-a-kind due-diligence risk assessment roadmap ensures you navigate social, and political issues with competence and integrity. And our deep awareness of the project-development lifecycle harnesses best practices—from project inception through financing and completion, and across multiple markets. So you save time, guesswork, and headaches.
2-You, at the center
Bringing an owner’s mindset to every project, we represent you at every turn. Our deep, trusting industry relationships become your relationships. And together we fast-track projects to save you money, mayhem, and mistakes. Known for our clear communication and 5+ decades of experience, we stay ahead of the latest market and tech trends. You’ll be confident and calm, knowing your entire project is in the hands of experts who keep your needs at the center.
3-Cross-market know-how
As leaders in the energy business, we know that knowledge, like a battery, is power. Our long history and deep experience in the cross-technology and utility markets—including high-level fatal-law analysis, risk assessment, and mitigation—represent the industry’s most comprehensive, integrated expertise in the utility-scale marketplace.
4-Time-saving solutions
As creative problem solvers, we have eyes both on your end game and at every step of a project. That resource-zapping “problem child”? We’ve got you. That head-scratching legal snag? Consider it handled. The risk-mitigation issue you don’t want to slog through? We’re ON it.
Lakshmi’s website didn’t clearly express her powerful, one-of-a-kind consulting approach. Her positioning in the crowded marketplace of executive coaches diluted her significant value. After working with Andrea Driessen, Lakshmi has a website that resonates with her target audience. She’s now fully confident in sending prospects to the site as an important step in the sales process, because it’s a clear representation of her value and service set.
Kimberlee Centera, in her words, was both excited and terrified. She’d been invited to deliver a SUE Talk [similar to TED Talks]. Indeed, it was for her a career milestone! While she’d spoken at some trade conferences, she was not a professional speaker. Her talk draft lacked clarity and crispness. And she was deeply worried she wouldn’t be ready in time. Kimberlee knew that she had to nail the presentation, so she could leverage the talk into additional opportunities and career credibility.
In short, she needed help with her words—with scripting and presenting. But the clock was ticking.
Through a referral, she connected to Andrea Driessen. Andrea gave detailed guidance on word choice, flow, and format. She coached Kimberlee virtually over the course of 6 weeks on body language, presence, tonality, and memorization techniques.
By event day, Kimberlee was ready. Her script had become a gripping story that had her audience rapt.
–Kimberlee Centera
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