With so much information and shiny objects out there, there’s a huge temptation for coaches to add more ideas/services/messages to their brand and business. The thinking is the more I do, the better results I’ll have.

But, if you’re looking to be a sought-after coach in your industry, the kind of expert that is the go-to person in their field with high-level services, it’s vital to go Marie-Kondo style and declutter and clarify your brand and business.

As a brand strategist and designer with +15 years experience working with world-class luxury brands including L’Oréal, global wine brands, agencies, coaches and creatives, I’ve figured out what works and the key elements to building a brand that connects with the kind of clients you love working with. And that brings EASE and JOY to your business.

Like all magnificent things, it’s very simple

–Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting

In this article, I’ll go through the steps to build a Decluttered & Elevated Brand. These are the strategies I use to craft clean brand identities for coaches, that elevate their businesses and help them connect with dream clients. These insights will help you connect with the clients you love on a deeper level, stand out from the competition, and build a thriving coaching business.

Does decluttering your brand really work?

Overwhelmed and over-informed, we yearn for simplicity and clarity.

And we make snap decisions. Data shows that people spend less than a second on a website before deciding to move on. This means your coaching brand needs to be clear (easy to understand) and clean (elevated, high-end design).

Clean design works better! Studies like this one have shown that it’s is more effective in getting people to stay and act on your website.

In other words: people need to easily and quickly understand what you’re about, how you can help them, and they need to feel drawn in by an elevated, clean visual design.

Also, clean, uncluttered branding for coaches is especially important when you’re in the process of establishing yourself as an expert in an overcrowded industry. By being laser-focused on what you do and how you communicate that, you become memorable and referable.

Here are some examples of how a clean, focused brands helped these brands and people succeed:

• Amy Porterfield talked only about Facebook marketing.
• Jenna Kutcher focused only on wedding photography.
• Gary V talked only about wine.
• Amazon sold only books.
• Starbucks sold only roasted coffee beans.

You get the idea! Laser focus and clarity.

Once they became the go-to experts and companies in their areas, they gradually added more products and services.

Here are the steps to build a standout brand that will help you build a thriving coaching business.

01. Find your Essential Brand Personality

To define your brand personality, consider the adjectives that best describe your coaching style.

What sets you apart from other coaches? Are you caring and warm? Empowering, confident and bold? Or super knowledgable and analytical?

Sometimes, it can be tricky to pinpoint what sets ourselves apart… I get it! We’re too close to ourselves see clearly. It can be like trying to read a bottle’s label, while you’re inside the bottle. And I have just the tool to help you get started figuring out what sets you apart: my Brand Personality Quiz for coaches and creatives.

Similarly, your brand values represent the principles and beliefs that guide your coaching practice. What do you stand for? What do you stand against? Your brand values should align with your personal values and resonate with your ideal client.

A defined brand personality will make it much easier to make decisions regarding what type of content you’ll be crafting, your tone, the right brand colors and images, and even the best outfits to use. It’s the foundation of a uncluttered and elevated brand.

02. Identify your Core Problem & Client

It’s surprising how few coaches can clearly and succinctly answer the question: “What specific problem do you help your ideal clients solve?”.

And if you can’t put your finger on it, it will be much harder for your clients to figure out how you can help them.

So take some time and define a) the precise problem you solve and b) the ideal clients you help with this problem.

Avoid being too general, as in “I help people who are overwhelmed and bring calm to their life”. Try to go deeper. Be specific. For example, you could say “I help anxious, sleep-deprived women navigating mid-life transitions design the next best chapter in their lives.”

The bigger the problem, the more valuable your service will be and the more you’ll be able to charge!

03. Craft your Essential Offer

Make it EASY for people to understand how you can help them, and become a REFERABLE EXPERT for a specific offer. Become the GO-TO person in your industry for a particular thing.

Think of it like the all-you-can-eat buffet (something for everyone, dozens of bland, unappealing dishes) versus the BEST high-end, exciting sushi restaurant in town.

Once you’ve established yourself as an expert in that particular offer, you can add more services.

But, how do you know what service to focus on?

Well, here’s where I go Marie Kondo style: I ask clients to identify what SPARKS JOY for them. What are they excited to do for a client? What services do they spend extra time on because they enjoy them so much? What have they gotten great results with?

Figure out your essential offer, and you’ll be on your way to becoming the go-to, referable expert with a thriving coaching business.

04. Design clean brand visuals

The key with your brand colors, images and fonts is to only keep what you strictly need.

Does your brand work with one key color? Great. That means it will be easier for people to associate you with that particular color and build brand awareness. But maybe your brand is all about bringing joy and fun into your clients lives, and you need several vibrant colors. That’s great too. Just please don’t add in more colors, patterns and fonts for the sake of it.

Also, try to use colors that make sense for your brand personality archetype. For example, red is a great color for lover brands, and black is a great color for rebel brands. Keep in mind what kind of feeling you’re trying to stir up in people, and use colors accordingly. You can nerd out on more information for each brand archetype here.

Finally… White space is your friend! As I mentioned before, clean, uncluttered websites have been shown to be more effective.

There you go! Those are the key steps to start building a clean, elevated brand that connects with dream clients an helps you build a thriving coaching practice.

With +15 years in the industry, I’ve seen it all when it comes to branding. From luxe brands at L’Oréal and global wine companies to mighty solopreneurs, I build brands that cut through the clutter.

If you’d like to learn more about crafting a clean and elevated coaching brand, click here to schedule a call.