186: 3 Things That Make Clients Choose You
Want to make clients choose you? Brand Strategist Rob Genovesi, shares 3 practical branding shifts to strengthen your positioning and attract better clients to your side hustle. By paying attention to these 3, he 4x'd revenues without a lot more effort.
Branding seems to be important, but at the same time, can be hard to pin down.
So in this episode, we’re making sense of it.
You’ll hear from brand strategist Rob Genovesi about the three things that made the difference in 4X’ing his revenue, without making big changes. We touch on all three, but spend most of our time on what makes you different and how to express that more effectively so people remember you and choose you.
You’ll also hear about a few simple and practical shifts, the kind Rob calls “dumb little things,” that don’t cost anything but can change how people experience your work.
Since recording this conversation, I’ve already implemented two of them and I share what I did in the end of the episode wrap-up.
Let me know your key takeaways, as I always love hearing what resonates with you.
Do you like what you're hearing? Consider giving it a caffeinated thumbs up. We'd really appreciate it!
Need a little (and sometimes big) push to start and stay focused to grow your side hustle? Dive into my online Masterclass: How To Turn Your Thoughts Into Wanted Things.
You can grab a free copy of Rob's entire book, Don't Fear The Brand.
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3 Things That Make Clients Choose You
If you have ever felt unsure about what branding actually is, you are not alone. The word gets used in a lot of different ways, and that can make it hard to know what to focus on when you are building a business on the side.
So I had a conversation with brand strategist Rob Genovesi, author of Don’t Fear The Brand. Rob is clear about what makes small businesses invisible: copying templates, sounding like everyone else, and hoping a logo will do the heavy lifting.
What will make you stand out?
Pay attention to the following three pillars of branding. They are simple, but if you apply them consistently, they can change how people experience your work.
1. Who You Are
Rob defines “who you are” as your mission, your vision, and your values.
Your mission is your purpose. Why does your business exist, and what are you here to solve? Your vision is where you are headed. What does success look like in five or ten years if this works? And your values are the non negotiables, the standards you operate by, and the culture you build around the work.
This is more practical than it sounds. When you know what drives you and what you refuse to compromise on, it becomes easier to make decisions about the business. It also keeps your messaging grounded, because you are not constantly reinventing yourself depending on what you think the market wants.
2. Who You Serve
Next is who you serve, your ideal client. We hear this phrase all the time, but Rob’s point is that most people stop too early. It is not just demographics and job titles. It is behaviour and context.
Where do your people spend their time? What do they buy? Are they looking for luxury, speed, simplicity, or a bargain? What do they care about enough to spend money on? When you understand who you serve at that level, you stop writing generic marketing, and instead you start speaking to a real person with a real problem.
That foundation makes it much easier to make clients choose you because your message becomes more specific and more relevant.
3. What Makes You Different
This is the part we dig into the most in the episode, because it is the piece that creates pricing power and memorability.
Rob makes a useful distinction: differentiation is not “55 years in business” or “100 percent customer satisfaction.” People already expect competence and good service. If your positioning is built on what everyone claims, you end up competing on price or convenience, and sounding like everyone else.
Real differentiation looks like this: you help a specific person with a specific problem in a specific way. It is your approach, your process, and the perspective you bring. When you can articulate that clearly, you stop being interchangeable. You give people a reason to remember you, refer you, and come back to you.
The “Dumb Little Things” That Add Up
Two of my takeaways from this episode, came when Rob talked about, “dumb little things.” These are small details people dismiss because they seem minor, but they create a stronger impression when you apply them consistently.
For me, one immediate action item was checking whether my email signature looked professional on my phone, not just my computer. Rob’s point was simple: people live on their phones, and every touchpoint is a chance to reinforce who you are.
The second action item I implemented was how I spend time on LinkedIn. This applies to any platform, but LinkedIn is one I often turn to. Instead of skimming and scrolling, I am being more intentional about leaving thoughtful comments that reflect my actual perspective and ideally, provide value to the reader. That is a practical way to build visibility and trust without buying ads.
Why This Matters If You Want Better Clients
Rob shares that once he understood what really mattered in branding, he 4X’d his revenue without making huge changes. His focus was increasing value without increasing time. That is a powerful lesson when your time is limited and you want your effort to produce more return.
If you want to make clients choose you, start here. Get your mission, vision, and values on paper. Define who you serve in real detail. Then spend most of your energy on what makes you different, because that is where people decide whether you are worth paying attention to.
And do not overlook the small improvements. The big wins usually show up after consistent execution, over time.
Free Book Offer
Rob is also offering our Side Hustle Hero Community a free digital copy of his book, Don’t Fear The Brand. You can grab your copy here.
If you implement something from this episode, I would love to hear what it is. Send me a note, and tell me what you're working on, or which “dumb little thing” you are going to implement.
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