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Have you heard someone tell you to “give value”… but you’re not really sure what the heck it means?! It drives us CRAZY because we’re told over and over and over again to “give value” but we’re never actually given the breakdown of what that MEANS.

Well no more! Jennie & Alyson are defining, in-depth, once and for all, what it looks like to give value to your audience.

Episode 106 – The Content Trap: How To Move Out Of Just “Giving Value” and Into “Creating Action”

Alyson Lex 0:03
We hear this phrase all the time, give value. People tell us coaches tell us experts and gurus tell us give value to your people and they'll buy from you just provide value and people will follow you. They'll say give them value, but they don't ever go beyond what exactly that is. It drives me crazy, because how do you know if you're doing it? Right? What is giving value? what's valuable? How do we benchmark it? How do we turn that into money for our business? And oh, yeah, what the heck is it? And so today, Jenny and I are going to talk about what value and giving value really is, why it's important, how to know if you're doing it, right, where to deliver it. All of those good things. And we are actually going to define once and for all, giving value. I'm so excited about this episode. I feel sassy about this. I'm so sassy today.

Jennie Wright 1:00
It's a sassy episode. And I like it. This value thing drives me bonkers bananas. I hate it. Because it is so vague. And it is such a thing that people say like, Oh, just do the thing. And all will be fine. No, it won't. Because you're not telling me what the thing is, I don't know. So let's talk about value. A lot of Facebook groups, Alice and I are both in value looks different, depending on which group you're in, on what day, if you're in the one of the podcasting groups that's looking for a guest or be a guest, one of those types of groups. providing value is talking about what it is that you do and how you would provide value to an audience. So it's actually like the things that you would teach as a podcast guest, Allison, and I get these posts all the time, we're looking at them all the time for guests for this podcast. And we really look at that kind of stuff. So when I look at those types of posts, Allison, do you agree that it's the value that they would bring to an audience?

Alyson Lex 2:02
Yeah, so what you want to look at is what the people that are reading that piece of whatever are there to do? And I know we're going to talk about this later. But yes, if I am in a group designed to connect podcast guests with podcast hosts, the valuable content in that group is the guest profiles. You got to read the room, so to speak, like you got to love that read the room.

Jennie Wright 2:35
Yeah, you've got to read the room. If you're in a podcast group, you got to talk about that. If you're in a group, that's the boss baby kind of stuff, you got to talk about that, you know, the value differs on the group that you're in. And you've got to tailor it. This is why this is why those posts where you look at your notifications on social media, and you see somebody is posted in like six different Facebook groups at the exact same thing. And they put the same thing on LinkedIn. And they put the same thing on it, you're like, no, because you're not reading the room, you're not reading the audience and what the people like to get, right.

Alyson Lex 3:09
Yeah, I mean, value doesn't look the same to everyone. And it doesn't look the same to everyone at every time. Because everyone has different needs. And what they're going to find valuable is going to depend on what those needs are. Right? So it could be like a check in, or accountability. It could be information or education. It could be motivation and encouragement. It could be personal stories and connection. It could be like Jenny said those profiles, it could be a mix of all of it. But like, define it for where you are. And so I said at the opening of this episode that we're going to define what value is. It's giving people what they need, when they need it, where they need it. And want

Jennie Wright 4:00
Absolutely, it's the premise that's worked for. We call it retail. Think about this, think about think about these big box retailers. Okay, I'm thinking like Costco, Sam's Club, those kinds of things. When you walk in, and you need bread and milk, where's the bread and milk located? At the very far back left or right corner, that's not by accident. And what is in between there and there like between the door and where you want to get to is the treasure hunt of things that you may not know that you need, but you need and you go through those aisles and you end up picking up a tent and like you know, 32 gallons of something other. Right. But it is the thing like it is what you want. And they have a premise they have like a saying in those stores is it's the right price. What's the right product at the right price in the right location. And it's no different than what you're doing for social media. For your list. As an example, Allison's list loves educational emails, my list like stories. They're very different. And I don't want to say it's a trial and error thing, but there is a little trial and error in figuring out the value that you need to bring. But I want to be incredibly concise by saying that you can get a pretty good indication based on the room, you know, being like that room being the, the social media or the platform that you're on, it should give you a good indication as to what you should be talking about.

Alyson Lex 5:22
It's really easy to think, Oh, this thing is going to be super valuable. And I remember, and we'll talk about it in a couple minutes about where you can deliver value. But I did a post in a Facebook group. That was, um, it wasn't run by me. And it, I think it was just like a quick headline formula. And I was just trying to get some engagement, and I got a ton of engagement. So I was like, Oh, this is the part that worked. The let's workshop at parks, I said, Let's workshop. Well, then I did another post the next week, and it was a different copy trick. And I said, Let's workshop it, and it was crickets. And so what that told me is that the people there wanted a super fast, easy quick when not the workshop. That's what we mean by trial and error. I'm not saying like, it has to be a six month long study. Right? do two posts. And again, we'll talk about all this in more depth later, but do two posts and whichever one does better, is the one that people find more valuable. I'm trying not to be sarcastic here. But that makes sense, right? It's

Jennie Wright 6:38
Yes. And again, we are a little bit pithy today, we are a little bit sarcastic, and we are slightly sassy. Actually, we were a whole bunch of sassy. But it is it's it's that simple. And I think a lot of people alson I think they overthink this whole value thing. And they get caught up in their heads about it and over complicated. It's not complicated. And that's the thing about it. It's not complicated. It's actually simple. Not easy. Right. So it's that thing.

Alyson Lex 7:10
Something that just came up for me when you said that is yes, we overcomplicate it, and you know what else we do? We have a distorted view of what value is. I think this is really important. Because for a long time, I would think I can't publish this. This is too beginner. I can't put this out, everybody knows this. This isn't valuable. And do you know what I've realized? It's easy for me because I'm the freakin expert. Right? So yeah, I think it's basic.

Jennie Wright 7:49
It's not basic for other people, though, because they've never done it before.

Alyson Lex 7:52
Exactly.

Jennie Wright 7:53
You can read it. I've seen you write a sales page with your thumbs from your phone while your kid is asleep on your lap.

Alyson Lex 7:59
True story,

Jennie Wright 8:00
true story, a full on sales page, which converted by the way, and that would mystify completely, like people would be dumbfounded by that. But if you were to teach somebody, the five, you know, the five steps to writing a successful sales page, or the five things that every sales page needs. As an example, by the way, that's a really cool title. Like we should use that

Alyson Lex 8:26
future episode, right?

Jennie Wright 8:28
And if you were if you were to write something like that, that would seem really basic to you. Because you if I told you, Allison, were the five steps to creating a successful sales page, you could probably rattle them off in about 30 seconds. But most people would be like, I don't know, like they just wouldn't know. And the same thing applies to anything. You know, I love baking bread. I love working with yeast. Yeast feels very overwhelming to some people, because they're like, well, will it rise? Did it? Like how do you do it? You know, the measurements. And I'm like, just a dash of this, a little bit of that, you know, and I and I eyeball it. But I've been, I was taught how to bake bread when I was six years old by my grandfather, I learned it as me. He taught me the secrets. And they've been in my head ever since. So it's easy for me. But that wouldn't be easy necessarily for somebody else, even though, you know, so we've got to look at what's easy, right? And we have to look at what we know. And then we have to look at the way that people actually learn. And we have to understand that not, not everybody's at the same level as you look at look at Alyson nine years ago, or look at Alyson 12 and a half years ago, right? What would Alyson need to learn to be able to do what else is doing or vice versa, etc, etc, right? Like so you have to look at these kinds of things. And it's incredibly important. You know it when you're doing this, it's so important to do something of value because it's the opportunity that you have to get people to know and like and trust. By the way I hate that phrase. So much

Alyson Lex 10:00
Because, like I was watching you get ready to say it. I knew I was saying internally cringing. Yes, I hate my phrase that

Jennie Wright 10:07
I hate. I hate when people say no like and trust factor, like especially the word factor. It just factor I hate the factor word. But there is there is an element of having to trust you and to get to know you and build a relationship. I'd rather talk about relationships, you have to build that trust. And providing value shows that you're willing to show your soft underbelly of, you know, what, you know, and share it with the world.

Alyson Lex 10:34
Yeah, I don't remember if it was on this podcast, or my summit or something. But I was doing an interview conversation and somebody said, you don't know the moment trust happens. You just know when it's not there. I think that was on their summit. It's very possible. I do not remember but it impacted me enough that I remember the quote, just terrible. I will try and find out who and put it in the show notes. And

Jennie Wright 11:03
if they're hearing this, please let us know if it was you.

Alyson Lex 11:05
Yeah, totally let me know. I'm sorry, for the SAS, I really did try to figure it out. But you have to let them build that trust, it's let's go relationship instead of the factor way of talking about things I know. But when you first meet someone, whether it's at a bar online, in a restaurant at the grocery store, you don't know them, you do not know them from the potential serial killer down the street. Okay, like, I know I went there. And so you have to take time and show them that you are who you say you are, that you do what you say you're going to do, and you stand behind what you promise. And that you are someone that they want to get to know. Okay, they want to know that you know your stuff. They want to know that you can help them solve their problem. They want to know they're not going to get scammed. They want to know that you're trustworthy. They want to know that your values align with theirs. In order to do that, they have to spend time with you. And you have to give them something.

Jennie Wright 12:22
A good example of that is this podcast.

Alyson Lex 12:25
Yeah. It's a great example.

Jennie Wright 12:27
It's very meta. But this podcast is a great example of delivering value.

Alyson Lex 12:35
We are on fire today. It is it is very meta. But yeah, we're not doing this. I mean, would we love for you to sign up for the lead magnet that we have on our website? Of course? Would we love for you to book a call with us and maybe become our clients so we can help you with your marketing? Of course we would. Do we want to be your Facebook friends so that you can cheer us on and read all about Jenny's infamous viral spoon post? Yes. But we don't expect any of that. We just want to get you into our world and help you get to know us a little bit Sasson all

Jennie Wright 13:14
I will never live that post down. Never. I love that post. I actually thought about this morning, I was washing my spoons.

Alyson Lex 13:24
I think you posted about your spoons. This morning. I posted a message actually posted about my spoons last night.

Unknown Speaker 13:31
Yeah, yeah, spoons,

Jennie Wright 13:32
they talked about my spoons, I cannot stop talking about my experience. Okay.

Alyson Lex 13:36
With delivering value furthers that relationship. Every bit of value that you deliver, it's a text message between you and the person that you might be dating, if you want to talk about relationships.

Jennie Wright 13:52
I've been out of the dating game for so long. I'm talking like 20 years, I have no idea about this stuff anymore. But I get what you're saying I actually look at it. Because I can't relate to the dating thing. I look at it as. And we've talked about this before as a dance. Right? And what do you when you when you know somebody really, really well or you're friends with somebody? Do you realize that you you actually physically mirror their actions. So if you're ever having dinner with somebody, a friend or whatnot, or you're on a zoom call, and somebody leans forward and puts their hand on their chin, you'll notice the other person leaves Florida puts their hand on their chin, right? Like it totally happens. And it's this mirroring effect. And it happens because there's a bond. Now it could just be a friendship bond or a trust bond or it just happened. You go and read about it. I am not the scientists that should be talking about this. But it's really cool stuff. And it's this dance. It's this, you know, you take one step forward, they fall behind and they do that because they want to continue on this journey. They want to learn more, find more, because you've provided something of value at the intrinsic moment where they needed it, that helped them further along their journey to achieving their goals. That's the whole thing behind value, help them where they need it along the journey for them to reach a goal. Here's how to know if you're doing it, right. One, it leads to engagement. This is that dance, this is the you take a step forward, or Hey, guys, I'm appearing on this podcast next week, I'd love for you to check it out. It's actually a live podcast, here's the link, and then people show up for it. That's a proof of engagement. Number two, it leads to sales. Now, that is a really good indicator that you're providing really good value. And you can have the conversation with people when they purchase your thing. Or if they buy your product, or they're on a call with you. Hey, where'd you hear from me? Oh, I heard about you on that podcast that you were on? Or, oh, I downloaded your lead magnet or I was on your webinar a couple months ago. Super cool. Or I've been I get this one a lot. Allison, I've been on your email list for two years. lurking away. Right?

Alyson Lex 16:10
I think that's really important. Because engagement is that dopamine hit you and I talked about this off, you know, off this podcast a lot. I love the dopamine hit. I've got to have people tell me they love me. That's just, that's the thing. I'm in therapy for it, I get it. But that is not the main driver of whether the value that you're doing is the right stuff. What you said, it leads to sales calls, it leads to sales, it leads to people who will buy anything you put out, I have a couple people and you do to that. I know if I put something out there buying it. Like I come up with something and I'm like, I have X number of dollars in the bank because these people are gonna buy it. That's just how it is. That's the kind of engagement that you're looking for, ultimately, or your your fan base. But does it lead to sales because lurkers lurk until they're ready to buy, they may not engage with you. They may not like they may not comment, they might not show up to the webinar, they're on the replay. They're right. But then all of a sudden, you've got a sales call, and they're buying your high ticket stuff. Because they've seen you show up, do what you say you're going to do. Keep your promises, solve their problems, be there when they need you be who you say you are. All of those things that we talked about what giving value really does for people. It builds this stuff,

Jennie Wright 17:46
right? Yeah, it does. It feels good when you do it. It feels good. When you deliver, it has to feel like it has to feel enjoyable when you share something that you know, somebody is going to read and they're going to get something out of it. And it might take a little while for you to uncover that it feels good. Because our first indication or our first

desired feeling is nobody's going to like this. And that's a that's a that's a you think that's a you problem that you need to work on. Because the real feeling the uncovered feeling, the deeper feeling of it is that it actually feels good. Right? It feels good to help people It feels good to connect with them. And you have to kind of put that, Oh, no, nobody's gonna like what I have to say thing. And also, if you have an ego about sharing stuff that you think might help other people, oh, no, if anybody wants my stuff, they have to pay me $250 an hour? No, no, no, no, that's a little bit of ego there. It's still very good of you. And a lot of people do this help out of the desire just to help people. Right, I get a lot of and you shared this to get a lot of people who say, Well, if I tell them this, that I'm giving away the farm, and they're never going to pay me,

Alyson Lex 18:56
Allison, is it true? That is I cannot believe I'm about to say these words. That is such a scarcity mindset. I know, I know, who am I I'm so not a mindset person. But in the last couple years, I've really, really discovered how important it is. But that is straight scarcity thinking. Because there's a point where people will realize that what you're giving away for free is just the tip of the iceberg. That's one, there's a segment that great you're you're teaching me this for free, but now I want you I want to take another step further. I want accountability. I want hand holding, I want one on one access, or I want you to do it for me depending on what your business is. And also, doesn't it feel good to help people like I know that I have personally helped people succeed in their business and they haven't paid me a dime and that feels It's really cool.

Jennie Wright 20:01
It is cool. And it sometimes pays off even if it doesn't. It sometimes pays off with great referrals later.

Alyson Lex 20:09
Yeah, Yeah, it does. I have so many people who refer me because of the value that I put out there. I help them I help someone they know. I had somebody, because every sales call, how did you hear about me? And I said that and she's like, oh, that somebody, a group of people were talking about you and an event.

Unknown Speaker 20:31
Wow.

Alyson Lex 20:34
What? Yeah. Yeah,

Jennie Wright 20:37
that's amazing. I had a sales call about four or five months ago, where the person on the sales call said, I heard your name on somebody else's podcast. And I was like, was I on the podcast? And they said, Nope. Somebody mentioned you as the go to. And I was like, really. And I didn't even know the people on the podcast. I don't even know them personally. But I was out there, I had helped somebody, they saw something, I don't actually don't know how they know me. And they said, yeah, if you're thinking about list building, and you're looking at building an online summit, you need to go find Jennie Wright. And this person went and found me and then found my contact information and then reached out for a sales call, right, super cool. When you're doing these kinds of thing, it also feels like something you can really stick with, this should feel like when you're delivering value value should be something that you're able to do on a regular basis and be able to stick with it. Right? That's something that I think is really, really important as well.

Alyson Lex 21:35
Alright, so we've talked about a couple of different places where you can deliver this value, Facebook or LinkedIn groups, on free calls with people on your social program, here's your social profiles. Um, your email list is a great place to deliver value. But then you also have other people's lists, podcasts, their Facebook groups, I mentioned that joint webinars or workshops, I've delivered a ton of value to Jenny's audience, on joint workshops, oh, yeah. Or being a guest on a summit. And I've gotten Yeah, right. They I've gotten a ton of engagement, I've gotten sales, I've gotten leads, all from leveraging other people's lists, which is probably a whole nother podcast in and of itself. But really, just wherever you show up and connect with people on a regular basis, or even an irregular basis is an opportunity for you to deliver value.

Jennie Wright 22:50
I'm writing down what you were saying. So I had to take a second there. When we're delivering value like that, it just it feels really, really good. And it Allison was mentioning the different places that you can do it. There's tons of different places, the you know, the list is pretty much longer than what we've talked about. But it's worth doing. Hopefully, this is kind of give you an indication of what value should be. And there's a couple takeaways that Elsa and I have from today that we hope that you'll be able to us. Number one, what is the value for your audience, and that depends on the audience. It depends on who you're talking to. So read the room. Again, if it's a podcasting group, talk about podcasting. If it's a group that talks about health and wellness or self care, you know, talk about the thing, make sure that you're reading the room properly, and not putting content out in the wrong place at the wrong time for the wrong people.

Alyson Lex 23:43
My biggest takeaway is the mystery experts quote about there isn't that defined moment that they choose to trust you they just know when it's not there. So your job now is to continue to give them reasons to trust you. Also, wherever you show up and connect with people is an opportunity to deliver value. This can be in person on the phone on a zoom on a webinar, other people's lives, podcasts, social media, anywhere you're showing up is that opportunity. So use it and leverage it.

Jennie Wright 24:21
Did this make sense? Did was this helpful? Did you get some understanding and some clarity on this with this whole value thing is we realize it's valuable, what's valuable for you? Wow, that's so bad. We hope so. Because this has been sort of like a little bit of a, you know, a little bit in our, in the back of our minds has been something we wanted to talk about. And then when we got together right before the episode started, we're like, yeah, we're gonna tear this one apart. We're gonna have a good time. So hopefully you've found something really, really useful in here. And I absolutely want to make sure that you guys know that we have an upcoming episode. That's coming up. about turning it from giving value into getting sales. So if you want to get subscribed to notify when that goes live, make sure that you go to the System to THRIVE COMM And subscribe to the list there. So you get these notifications. And you don't miss that because it is an upcoming episode. We want to take a second and say thank you so much for listening to this podcast, wherever it is that you're listening to them. We're really really appreciative. Please make sure you're following us on your favorite podcast platform. Tell your friends, let them know where to find us as well. And we'll be back again soon answering another big question.