Ill Communication Podcast, Episode 182
Viral launches. Yapping videos. Viral carousels. Quote card accounts. Trial reels.
The internet is OBSESSED with all of it right now. And I've even seen some creators spouting off about creating 100 pieces of content a day.
Here's the thing. If you're looking to sell high-ticket offers to premium buyers, none of it matters.
You don't have to post five times a day. You don't have to hack the algorithm. You don't have to find trending audio or viral hooks.
Now, if you enjoy that kind of content creation and it lights you up, keep doing it, by all means. But I know for a lot of entrepreneurs, especially those of us in midlife, we ain't got the time or interest to show up like that.
So in this episode, I'm telling you why you don't have to. And I'm sharing four things you might be doing in your content that are actually scaring away the premium buyers who are looking for someone with your services and expertise.
This episode is based on a talk I'm giving at the Midlife Momentum Summit, happening November 16 to 18. It's a three-day virtual summit for midlife women who are building and scaling their businesses while navigating everything else that comes with this stage of life. My pal Brenda Rigney is hosting it inside her Skool community, and I'm thrilled to be one of the speakers.
How premium buyers actually buy
Before we get into what to create (or what NOT to create), you need to understand how premium buyers buy. Because it's very different from what we're taught about content creation.
Spoiler alert: premium buyers are not following you.
They're not watching your content on a day-to-day basis. They may be aware of you. They may technically be following you. But they're not watching your every move, and they're certainly not reading all your content.
They're lurking in the background. Not liking your posts. Not commenting on your reels. You may not even know they exist.
But when they have a need, they ask their network for referrals. Premium buyers deeply trust referrals and recommendations. So when your name comes up, they head over to your profiles and your website to check out your body of work.
They'll go to your website.
They'll search your Skool community.
They'll binge your podcast or YouTube channel.
They'll check out your Instagram or LinkedIn.
They do a deep dive to get to know you and get a real sense of your expertise.
And once they have the information they need and feel confident in you? They move FAST.
Premium buyers have a high sense of discernment and judgment, and they make decisions pretty quickly. If they like and trust what they see, they decide you're likely the one they're ready to work with, and they book a call. That call is generally to close the deal, because they're already ready to buy.
This should be a huge relief
So think about that moment. Someone is referred to you, and they're sitting down to binge your body of work.
Everything you've published is going to help them decide if you're the expert they want to work with.
That's why being strategic about your content matters more than trending audio or going viral. The goal is content that shows your wisdom, your mastery and your authority at the exact moment a premium buyer is looking for someone like you.
Which means you don't need to go viral. You don't need that trending audio.
You just need a few pieces of high-quality, bingeable content that builds know, like and trust, and demonstrates your premium authority.
And this, unfortunately, is where a lot of us make mistakes. When I say "us," I mean me. I've made all of these mistakes too.
So let's talk about the four things that might be blocking premium buyers in your content.
Premium content blocker #1: Sharing too much how-to content
When I first launched this podcast as the Ill Communication Podcast, I filled it with quick tips and how-to strategies to make copywriting easier and more fun.
And I'm really proud of that body of work. Over the last three years, I've been very generous, and I feel like it's been very helpful.
But about 18 months to two years ago, I discovered something.
When you share beginner DIY content, you attract beginner DIY clients.
Premium buyers don't want to be taught how to do it themselves. Especially now, when how-to content is absolutely everywhere. You can find it on YouTube. In Claude. In ChatGPT.
What premium buyers are actually buying is discernment, problem-solving, advanced strategy and a bold point of view.
Premium buyers want a THOUGHT PARTNER.
How-to content definitely shows that you know what you're talking about. But it doesn't show a higher level of mastery, and it doesn't build a strong case for hiring you.
Back in 2024 and early 2025, I shifted away from sharing exclusively how-to tips and formulas, and I started sharing more thought leadership and authority-building content.
And guess what? It outperformed my how-to episodes. With a couple of minor exceptions, my most downloaded episodes are the ones I designed to build authority and showcase my unique point of view.
Premium content blocker #2: Talking about beginner problems and beginner desires
This one sits right next to how-to content. The difference is in the message: which problems and desires you're naming.
If your content speaks to someone who's just starting out, a more seasoned, more sophisticated buyer reads it and thinks, "Well, that's not for me. They don't work with someone with my level of problems."
Here's an example.
A beginner problem: "How do I find my first coaching clients?"
An advanced problem: "How do I launch and sell a high-ticket mastermind to attract top-tier coaches?"
Or say you're a somatic healer. A beginner piece of content might be "What is somatic healing?" Advanced content would be advanced somatic techniques to shift your chronic anxiety.
When you can articulate the advanced problem (the CHAMPAGNE problem) or that champagne desire, a premium buyer thinks, "Ugh, this person. She knows exactly where I'm at, and she knows what I want."
Premium content blocker #3: Focusing too much on the problem
Many of us were taught to lead with the pain and stay there. Articulate the problem. Agitate the problem. Then present the solution.
But here's the thing about premium buyers. They already KNOW they have a problem.
They're already looking for the solution. That's why they're asking for referrals. That's why they're searching their networks.
When most of your content is articulating the problem, it feels heavy. And it leaves out the transformation your ideal premium buyer is looking for.
If you're not showing how you create transformation or the outcome they want, and you're not demonstrating proof of it, they won't know you're capable of providing that solution.
So yes, name the problem and show that you understand it. Then move quickly, and spend more of your content on the solution and the outcome you create for your clients.
Premium content blocker #4: Being a generalist with a wishy-washy niche
Think about the last time you looked for a therapist, a fitness coach or a realtor.
You probably asked for referrals. And you wanted someone with experience in your particular problem, or someone who could help you reach a certain goal.
If you need a heart surgeon, you want the BEST heart surgeon. Not someone who specializes in wrists and ankles.
If you're in the luxury real estate market, you're not going to hire a brand new realtor who's only worked with first-time homebuyers.
Premium buyers want specialists.
If your content doesn't spell out exactly who you work with and how you help them, they'll have a hard time figuring out whether you're actually for them. And many of them will bounce.
Create content that appeals to everyone, and you'll actually appeal to no one. And you'll have a much harder time selling premium services.
So what SHOULD you create instead?
If how-to content, beginner problems, problem-heavy content and a wishy-washy niche are getting in the way, what do you create instead?
Well, my friend, that is exactly what I'm teaching at the Midlife Momentum Summit.
In my 30-minute deeper dive, Premium Content for High-Ticket Buyers, I walk you through the five premium content pillars you need to sell high-ticket offers. Each pillar shows a premium buyer something they need to see so they're ready to invest with you.
I'm sharing real-life examples. Plus, you get a simple audit you can run on the content you share on any platform, so you can see if you're sharing the right mix of content to signal the expertise and mastery a high-ticket buyer is looking for.
If you've ever wished you knew what kind of content to create, or you've wanted someone to hand you a premium content plan, this session will do that for you.
Join me at the Midlife Momentum Summit
The Midlife Momentum Summit runs November 16 to 18, hosted by Brenda Rigney over on Skool.
Along with sessions on business, marketing and entrepreneurship, there are resources to help with your personal life, your household, nutrition, your wealth building and having an amazing season of midlife.
Brenda hosts great events. I think this is the third one I've participated in with her, because she always delivers such great value.
Get your free ticket to the Midlife Momentum Summit to access Kim's full training on Premium Content for High-Ticket Buyers: https://www.skool.com/skool-scale-camp/about?ref=5e0354c078584362a305f7c9460f9d37
And make sure you message me to let me know you're coming! I can't wait to share a deeper dive into what NOT to do in your content and, more importantly, what you SHOULD do to attract and win premium clients.
See you at the summit.
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[00:00] Kim: What if I told you in a world obsessed with viral launches, yapping videos, viral carousels, quote card accounts, trial reels, that none of it matters to sell high-ticket offers? What if I let you know that you don't have to worry about posting five times a day, or heck, I've even seen some creators spouting off about creating 100 pieces of content a day.
[00:23] Kim: What if I told you you don't need to hack the algorithm or find trending audio, audio or viral hooks? Here's the thing. If you're looking to sell high-ticket offers to premium buyers, you don't have to do any of those things. Now, if you enjoy doing those things, if that kind of content creation lights you up, keep doing it by all means.
[00:46] Kim: But I know for a lot of entrepreneurs, especially those of us in midlife, we ain't got the time or interest to show up like that. And in today's episode, I'm going to tell you why you don't have to. And I'm gonna share a few things you might be doing in your content that's actually scaring away premium buyers who might be looking for someone with your services and expertise.
[01:33] Kim: Hi there, and welcome back to High Ticket Marketing and Sales for Gen X Women in Business. This is episode 182, and today I'm gonna share the four mistakes you might be making with your content that could be blocking high ticket sales. It's based on a talk I'm giving at the Midlife Momentum Summit, which is happening from November 16th to 18th.
[01:57] Kim: It's a three-day virtual summit for midlife women who are building and scaling their businesses while navigating everything else that comes with this stage of life. My pal Brenda Rigney is hosting it inside her Skool community, and I'm thrilled to be one of the speakers. I'll be sharing a full 30-minute training called Premium Content for High Ticket Buyers.
[02:18] Kim: And in this episode, I'm gonna walk you through premium buyer psychology and share the four kinds of content that are blocking high ticket buyers from working with you. Now, before we get into what to create or what not to create, it's important to understand how premium buyers buy, because it's very different from what we're taught about content creation.
[02:46] Kim: Premium buyers, spoiler alert, are not following you. They're not watching your content on a day-to-day basis. They may be aware of you. They may be technically following, but they're not watching your every move and certainly not reading all your content. They're just lurking in the background, not liking your posts or commenting on your reels.
[03:09] Kim: You may not even know they exist. But when they have a need, they will ask their network for referrals. Premium buyers deeply trust referrals and recommendations, so when your name, name come, comes up, then they come over to your profiles and your website to check out your body of work. They'll go to your website.
[03:32] Kim: They'll search your Skool community. They'll binge your podcast or YouTube channel. Or they'll check out your Instagram or LinkedIn. You gotta know that they kinda lurk in the background until they have a problem or a big desire, and then they start binging your content. When they're referred to you or when they finally decide they're ready to work with you to solve their problem, they do a deep dive to get to know you and get a real sense of your expertise.
[04:00] Kim: And once they have the information they need and feel confident you, in you, then they move fast. Premium buyers have a high sense of discernment and judgment, and they actually make decisions pretty quickly. If they like and trust what they see, they make that fast decision that you're likely the one they're ready to work with, and they'll book a call.
[04:22] Kim: And that call is generally to close the deal because they're already ready to buy. So think about that for a moment. Someone is referred to you, and they're sitting down to binge your body of work. Everything you've published is going to help them decide if you're the expert they wanna work with. That's why being strategic about your content matters more than trending audio or going viral.
[04:49] Kim: The goal is that your content shows your wisdom, your mastery, and your authority at the exact moment a premium buyer is looking for someone like you and deciding. Which is a huge relief because you don't need to go viral. You don't need that trending audio. You just need a few pieces of high quality, bingeable content that builds know, like, and trust, and demonstrates your premium authority.
[05:18] Kim: And this, unfortunately, is where a lot of us make mistakes in the kind of content that we're sharing. And I say us, and I mean me, because I've made all of these mistakes too. So let's talk about the four things that might be blocking premium buyers in your content. So premium content blocker number one is sharing too much how-to content.
[05:43] Kim: When I first launched this podcast as the Ill Communication Podcast, I filled it with quick tips and how-to strategies to make copywriting easier and fun. And I'm really proud of that body of work. Over the last three years, I've been very generous, and I feel like it's been very helpful. But I discovered about 18 months ago, two years ago, that when you share beginner DIY content, you attract beginner DIY clients.
[06:15] Kim: Premium buyers don't wanna be taught how to do it themselves, and especially now when how-to content is absolutely everywhere. You can find it on YouTube, in Claude, in ChatGPT. What premium buyers are actually buying is discernment, problem-solving, advanced strategy, and a bold point of view. Premium buyers want a thought partner.
[06:41] Kim: And while how-to content definitely shows that you know what you're talking about, it doesn't show a higher level of mastery. It doesn't build a strong case for hiring you. Now, back in 2024 and early 2025, I shifted from sharing exclusively how-to tips and formulas and stuff like that, and I started sharing more thought leadership content, more authority building content.
[07:08] Kim: And guess what? It outperformed my how-to episodes. With a very couple of minor exceptions, my most downloaded episodes are the ones I've designed to build authority and to showcase my unique point of view. Premium content blocker number two is talking about beginner problems and beginner desires. And this one sits right next to how-to content in the first blocker.
[07:41] Kim: And the difference is in the message. It's which problems and desires you're naming. If your content speaks to someone who's just starting out, a more seasoned, more sophisticated buyer reads it and thinks, "Well, that's not for me. They don't work with someone with my level of problems." Now, just to give you an example, a beginner problem is something like, "How do I find my first coaching clients?"
[08:06] Kim: Whereas an advanced problem would be, "How do I launch and sell a high-ticket mastermind to attract top-tier coaches?" If you're a somatic healer, a beginner piece of content might be, "What is somatic healing?" Whereas advanced content is advanced somatic techniques to shift your chronic anxiety. When you are able to articulate the advanced problem or the champagne problem or the advanced desire or that champagne desire, a premium buyer believes, "Ugh, this person, she knows exactly where I'm at, and she knows what I want."
[08:47] Kim: Premium content blocker number three is focusing too much on the problems. Now, many of us are taught to lead with the pain and problems and to stay there, to really articulate the problem and agitate the problem and then present the solution. And premium buyers, here's the thing, they already know they have a problem.
[09:09] Kim: They are already looking for the solution. That is why they're asking for referrals. That is why they're searching their networks. When most of your content is articulating the problem, it feels heavy, and it leaves out the kind of transformation that your ideal premium buyer is looking for. If you're not showing how you create transformation or the outcome that they want, if you're not demonstrating proof of that, they will not know that you have the capability of providing that solution.
[09:43] Kim: So yes, you need to name the problem and show that you understand it, but you need to move quickly and spend more of your time, uh, in your content on articulating the solution and the outcome that you can create for your clients. Premium content blocker number four is being a generalist with a wishy-washy niche.
[10:05] Kim: Now, think about the last time you looked for a therapist, a fitness coach, or a realtor. You probably asked for referrals and wanted someone with experience in your particular problem or to help you reach a certain goal. If you need a heart surgeon, you wanna work with the best heart surgeon, not someone who specializes in wrists and ankles.
[10:26] Kim: If you're in the luxury real estate market, you're not gonna hire a brand new realtor who's only worked with selling to first-time homebuyers. Premium buyers want specialists, and if your content does not spell out exactly who you work with and how you help them do what you do, they're gonna have a hard time figuring out whether you are actually for them, and many of them will bounce.
[10:50] Kim: You-- if you create content that appeals to everyone, you'll actually appeal to no one, and you'll have a much harder time selling premium services. So if how-to content, beginner problems, and heavy problem content and a wishy-washy niche are getting in the way, what should you create instead? Well, my friend, that is exactly what I'm teaching at the Midlife Momentum Summit.
[11:20] Kim: In my 30-minute deeper dive called Premium Content for High-Ticket Buyers, I walk you through five premium content pillars that you need to sell high-ticket offers. Each pillar shows a premium buyer something they need to see so they'll be ready to invest with you. I'm sharing real-life examples, plus you get a simple audit you can run on the content you share on any platform to see if you're sharing the right mix of content that signals that you have the expertise and mastery a high-ticket buyer is really looking for.
[11:54] Kim: If you've ever wished you knew what kind of content to create, or if you've wanted someone to hand you a premium content plan, this session will do that for you. The Midlife Momentum Summit runs November 16th to 18th, so make sure you visit the show notes to get the link to grab your free ticket. In addition to sessions on business marketing and entrepreneurship, there are also resources to help you with your personal life, your household, nutrition, your wealth building, and overall just helping you have an amazing season of midlife.
[12:26] Kim: Brenda hosts great events, and I think this is maybe the third one I've been participating in with her because she always delivers such great value. So grab the link in the show notes and join the summit, which is hosted over on Skool, and make sure you message me to let me know you're coming. I'll look forward to sharing with you a deeper dive into what not to do in your content, and more importantly, what you should do to attract and win premium clients.
[12:53] Kim: Thank you so much for joining me today. I will see you again next week.
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