You're listening to “The School of Client Attraction.” Marquel Russell is the founder of Client Attraction University, a marketing consultancy helping you attract clients on autopilot and scale your business while working 50% less.
Quick disclaimer: a side effect of listening to the show is more clients, more profits, more freedom, and it's more impact in your business. Now, here's your host, Marquel Russell.
Marquel: Hey, what's up, my friend? Marquel Russell here. Welcome to this brand new episode of the School of Client Attraction. Today I have my good friend, my sister from another mister, Cierra Seay, and she's actually going to break down. Like I said, she's one of the top. She’s “the” top copywriting and messaging coach in the world and she has helped add millions to the bottom lines of a lot of top coaches, consultants, speakers in the world. She doesn't really brag about it, but she's the GOAT, right? And she's going to break down how to add millions to your bottom line and how she's helped other clients do it as well, using the power of copywriting and messaging. Let's jump into the interview, so she can lay it all out for you right now. [01:05.1]
…
Michelle: Hey, everybody. It's Michelle Shaw and I am the senior director of communications here at CAU, and it is my pleasure to be able to not only talk to our students, but today is a really special day because I get to talk to both a student and then a partner and somebody who's crushing it in the game and really crushing it for our clients, and we're just so excited to have Cierra with us. She gets mad when I do that. I don't care. It's like I can't help it. At least I don't sing the whole song anymore.
Cierra: Right.
Michelle: I sing it in my head. I don't sing it out loud to you anymore. Hey, Cierra, introduce yourself to everybody.
Cierra: All right, guys, I'm Cierra Seay, copywriter messaging expert, resident copywriter and copy coach here at Client Attraction University from Detroit, Michigan, proud college dropout and marketing nerd at heart and, yeah, I'm excited. I didn't even know I was going to do one of these, but I'm excited. [02:09.4]
Michelle: You see, we just pulled you out from everywhere. We don't let you hide anymore. That's kind of the rule. I have been the queen of hiding and Drae and Marquel were like, Yeah, nobody gets to hide anymore. Nobody gets to.
Cierra: Yeah.
Michelle: I think one thing that's so fun and unique about your story is the fact that you were a client first and then we recruited you and said, “Man, you did so well and you're so good at what you do that our clients can really be blessed by you.” Tell us a little bit about what your business looked like before CAU, before you Marquel.
Cierra: It wasn't a business before, before CAU. Just to give you a little backstory, I always knew that I was really good at what I did, but I still was in employee mindset mode. In 2018, I left my job and I unexpectedly became a full-time entrepreneur and then middle of, no, early-2019, I realized the way that I'm doing this, it's working, but it's not working. [03:13.3]
Naturally, I found Marquel, had a call, didn't enroll. Then had another call and started thinking about it. Then it was the third one. I don't even think it was the third call. I think it was that something happened on social media and Marquel hit me like, Yeah, let's jump on a call. Let's try this again, and I'm like, Shoot. We ended up jumping on the call and then I wrote.
But let me back it up. Before I didn't have a business. I was someone who was a copywriter, literally just hustling from client to client. I had two clients on retainer at the time, and the thing was, I was getting projects and clients, but I was grossly undercharging, so I was wearing myself out, completely wearing myself out. My clients were getting crazy results, but for whatever reason, mentally, because in my mind it was like, It's only taking me this amount of time. I was still doing the “how long is it going to take me?” times how much I want to get paid by the hour, not realizing that that was completely backwards. [04:16.6]
Fast forward to now, I still have a business, still growing, still learning, and, yeah, I think it was last December, Marquel actually made a post asking if anybody was interested and I'm like, Yeah, me, and we had a conversation. I remember it was a late night conversation because he was on his way to a Christmas party and he was like, If you’ve got some time, we can just jump on the phone. We jumped on the phone. He asked me about some marketing books and I feel like they were just random questions. It wasn't even like a real interview. He was like, Who's your favorite copywriter? He was like, What marketing books have you read? And what's your plans? and all that other stuff. [04:59.0]
New Year’s Eve last year, I had my first meeting with … It's so crazy because I don't even think, some of the people, I can't remember their names, but first meeting and, yeah, it's, it's been a wonderful, wonderful almost full year on the team. I've worked with a lot of high-profile people. Marquel is by far the best leader, best partner that I ever worked with, ever -
Michelle: Yes.
Cierra: - on this entire journey, and I tell him all the time, y'all are going to have to kick me out. I ain't going nowhere.
Michelle: I agree. I told them that I am a lone ranger, right? I tease that partners are for dancing, things for getting in business with, not for marrying. I feel the same way about Marquel. But one of the things that you said that I'd love for you to expound on is you said that you were charging for how long it took you to do things, right? [06:01.7]
Cierra: Yeah.
Michelle: What was that shift that needed to happen? I know that that people watching don't. They think that that's the way that you're first to charge. How do you charge now and what had to shift in your brain?
Cierra: The first thing that I had to realize was I had to understand the true transformation I was providing for these clients, and a lot of the clients that I’d got initially, they, they had courses and programs that they were launching, but they weren't converting well. They were sending out emails that people weren't opening and then I got my hands onto things and stuff just started popping. When stuff pops, that means you make more money.
Initially, I didn't realize like, Wait a minute. I think the light bulb really went off when I had one client literally made $27,000 in 24 hours from one email and over the weekend that turned into six figures, and I was like, Okay, wait a minute. Something's not right. [06:57.8]
I did raise my prices after that, but I still didn't implement what I learned when I got into it, which was this is the value of it. This is the real transformation you're providing. They’ve hired you because of this, which means their copy, their messaging isn't working. Once you get it to work and they're charging what they're charging, it should be a no brainer.
Michelle: Right, what is that worth to them?
Cierra: Yeah, definitely.
Michelle: I think so many people get caught up in, I always say, following people who are following people who are lost, right? You’re following people who are lost, but you think that, oh, that's the way it's supposed to go. I need to have a seven at the end. It needs to be 2.97 and 5.97 and all this, instead of really thinking about what is the transformation that I provide.
Cierra: Right.
Michelle: What is it? And what is that worth to them and how much would they invest to get that transformation to take place? That’s it. Very simple, right? We think that, Oh, because it took me 10 minutes to do it, but it didn't take you 10 minutes, right? [08:10.0]
It took me a long time to figure out messaging, even to get in the heads of your clients and to get really into the heads of their prospects. To be able to think like them is the hardest piece of messaging. I think we jumped right into what we do, but if you were explaining copy and messaging to a five-year-old, how would you do that?
Cierra: You said to a five-year-old?
Michelle: Yeah, to one of your kids. If you were explaining to one of your boys, your youngest, what you do, how would you explain it?
Cierra: And so you said to one of my kids, okay. I'll never have this question. I know how I explain it to the average adult. Oh, so to my kids, what I would say is, I wrote. Ooh, that's a good question, because now I'm like, how do I make it four or five-year-old? [09:03.7]
I could say I write words that make people buy stuff. That's what I say, that's exactly what I say and actually did say that to my 10-year-old because he actually wrote, created this little flyer and put my name and then he put copy, and I was like, Do you know I'm a copywriter? He was like, Yeah, but I don't know what it is, and I was like, I write words to make people buy stuff, and he was like, Really? Yeah, and I remember when I first joined CAU, our help statement was I help you create words that make you money or something like that and it's terrible now that I'm thinking about it.
But, yeah, that's how I would explain it to my kids. I write words that make people buy stuff. Then the messaging piece, I just always tell people, that's your angle. That's how you're separating yourself from the pack.
Michelle: Kind of like your opinion, would you say?
Cierra: Kind of like, you said kind of like your opinion? [10:02.2]
Michelle: Yes.
Cierra: I think some. In the marketing world, people call it your unique proposition, what makes you different. Yeah.
Michelle: Yeah, sure. Absolutely, right? Because Marquel breaks it down so succinctly, I think that people think that they can do that, right, because he makes it look so easy.
Cierra: Yeah.
Michelle: And they have no idea and I giggle because he'll say target market and they think they know what our target is. I was on a panel one time with this gal and so I was asking questions and I asked her, “Okay, give me an example of a target market?” Right and she was stuck. I'm like, Okay, you cannot be a marketing expert telling people that you are, yeah, and not being able to explain that like we explained it to a five-year-old exactly like you just did. You can't do that. You can't be out there. [11:01.0]
But there are so many pretenders or folks that take one course and feel like now they're the experts and that they know if that's why they're struggling, too, because they haven't really … That's also why they charge low fees, yeah, because they really don't know they are the expert in it, but that's awesome.
You meet Marquel. You jump on the team. You said your business now looks totally different. What's your favorite part of CAU? I know the messaging part, but other than that, what's your favorite part?
Cierra: Legit seeing people's lives being transformed. I love it, especially because when I came in, obviously there were already some clients, but to see clients go like that. I had my first one-on-one where to now drop a testimonial saying I’ve made 70,000 this month, I made 40,000. That's my favorite part, my absolute favorite part. [11:59.0]
Even over the weekend, Nicole, one of our clients, Nicole Ambrose, made 100,000, and I remember going through her lead magnet video and I kept telling her like, This is fine, and she was freaking out, and I'm like, This is fine. Let's just let it go. She's like, You're sure? You're sure? I'm like, Let's let it go.
That's my favorite part. Meeting the clients right after Module 1 because that's normally when they have to talk to me for the first time, and then seeing them stick to the process and literally change their whole life, that is my absolute favorite, favorite part.
Michelle: Because messaging really does change. It changes the game.
Cierra: Yeah, it does.
Michelle: It changes the game. I always say it describes your two whos, right? Who you're looking for and then who you are, so that you're showing your side in your unique selling proposition if we want to be marketing those. But also on their side, it makes them say, Oh, my gosh, you are exactly who I was looking for. You are who I need. You are yes. So, it just kind of takes those two whos and puts them together, that messaging piece. [13:12.6]
Cierra: If I just could enter, I think the coolest part is, for so many of our clients, they come to us having years of experience in what they're doing and never getting anywhere near the results that they get once they join CAU, and it's like that's why we're the X factor. That's when we stand on the table like nobody is better than us at this. We have so many clients. I’ve been in this program and that program and I’ve been trying this and trying that. And then they come here and apply what we teach them, and it's game over.
Michelle: Right, and the best thing that I hear them say, especially since I’ve been doing these clients interviews, is they go, I couldn't believe how easy it was. I had complicated so much.
Cierra: Yeah.
Michelle: It’s like yeah because I don't think that anybody gives them all of the pieces like we do. [14:05.8]
Cierra: No.
Michelle: The other programs, they give you this piece because their goal is to upsell you to the next piece and then upsell you to the next piece, whereas we give you everything, so that you can be successful and now start really generating cash, and then the next piece for us is to get you to that seven figures and then make it hands-off for you, so that you no longer just have a job, but you have a real, amazing business. I absolutely love it, love talking to you and we are just getting started. Let's see. Even from the clients that … even Kevin that's in the group that just posted today, right?
Cierra: Yep, I saw it.
Michelle: I vetted his app. His app came to me. I talked to him. I introduced him to the program, so, I think this would be great for you. He was like, Really? I was like, Yes. Then he’s all done, but he was very nervous. He was very nervous about this messaging piece. He was like, How can he convey this message? [15:09.5]
He’s an expert speaker. He's an expert at what he does. He supports so many other experts in the industry. He was really nervous. I know you can't tell us exactly what you told him, but what was it that you think helped him change the game? He said there are too many. His video in the group said there are too many zeros coming in and making him nervous.
Cierra: I think it's pretty much what I tell a lot of them, less. First of all, all of our clients are super smart and top-notch experts at what they do, and this is even for me sometimes, sometimes when you're too close to it, you see it differently. One of the things specifically with Kevin, I was like, Kevin, we’ve got to simplify it. I know you know exactly who you want to go after. You know these people like the back of your hand. You work with them, you talk to them daily, but we have to simplify it. [16:10.2]
This is a question that from anybody who joins the program that you get all the time. You have to be able to answer the question. What do they really, really want? And then, what are they afraid of? Because if you can answer both of those questions in one hook or in one sentence, people are going to be like, I want to see exactly how you can help me because you answered a question that I didn't even ask you with this one particular phrase. Now let's see what's the next step. That to me, that's really simplifying it. That's it, simplifying it.
Michelle: Cierra, you make it sound so easy.
Cierra: No, and it's so funny because I always tell our class on the Wednesday call like, Y'all are probably going to think I'm lying when I say this, but this is the truth and we tend to use terms and industry words and we think that the people we want to work with understand those words. They don't. [17:06.0]
I’ve had clients, coaches and speakers, who have made millions of dollars who didn't know what copy was. They weren't using terms like verbiage and wording. When I said the word “copy”, they were like, What is that? And then I'm like, The words on the page, and they're like, Oh, the verbiage or the wording. You have to get in the habit of really paying attention to who you're targeting and using the exact same language and then just simplify it.
Michelle: Sure. That’s a truth bomb nugget, bam, because so many I think they like to sound smart. Is that it? I don't know. Maybe I'm being a hater when I say that, but it's like, look, we know you're smart. We know you're smart and I work with doctors and it's the same thing with them. It's like, I know you're smart, but you have MD after your name or the Dr. before it or the rest of the letters. I know you're smart. I know that you can take an exam, you can take information and transform it. Here's what I need you to do. I need you to tell me like you're talking to my dog or a five-year-old or a 10-year-old. I just love that your son said he knew you did copy, but he just didn't know what that is. Devin tells everybody, I don't know, my mom is famous, though. [18:24.3]
Cierra: Yeah, you are.
Michelle: It's so funny. His friend would go, What does your mom do? and he’s like, I don't know, she’s just famous.
Cierra: You know what? It’s so funny, because my sister is 25 and a lot of her friends are like everybody wants to be an entrepreneur in their generation, and they'll follow you and they'll be like, Destiny, what does your sister do? She'd be like, I still don't know. I just know she pays me. Whatever she's doing is working. I don't know. I don't know what to call it.
Michelle: I don't know. I don't know. It’s like all I know is that you always have your laptop and you've always got it open. It’s like, yeah, this is how we make buddies. That's always super fun. What do you think the next five years are going to look like for you? [19:08.4]
Cierra: That's a great question. I'm not going to lie. I would definitely like to make my first million within the next 12 to 24 months. I've learned that I really, really enjoy coaching. I never saw myself as a coach before being a coach in this program, and I'm starting to like it more than I like writing copy. So, I think definitely teaching and training, I'm starting to get a tug to maybe start teaching other struggling copywriters how to properly build their copywriting business.
Obviously, I'm intertwined with CAU, somehow, someway, but I'm in a lot of black copywriting Facebook groups and these people are really, really struggling. It's kind of sad. It's kind of sad. That may be a project that I work on in the future, but I think I’ve definitely got to still be coaching and teaching on this subject, still be a part of CAU. By that time, I don't know what CAU is going to look like. [20:12.0]
Michelle: Right.
Cierra: But I definitely think, no, I’ll still be a part of the team and, yeah, that's the short version. By that time, I’ll be a for real “GOAT” GOAT.
Michelle: By that time, you already are a full real GOAT, the greatest of all time, of course. Your ability to look at something and see it, see it for what it is and what it can be, is outstanding and we are honored to have you.
Cierra: Thank you.
Michelle: And definitely honored to have our clients at CAU get to meet you. Tell me this. Once you’ve got into the program and before you became, how long did it take you to get your first sale?
Cierra: Ooh, so my first sale using the CAU formula? [21:01.8]
Michelle: Yes.
Cierra: That's a great question. How long did it take me? I know I enrolled in July 2018. You know what? It actually was within the first 30 days because one of the things is Marquel gives so much valuable information and tips that you can implement, either while you're actually running or before you get to that point, and he gave us a 30-day content challenge. We had to post one piece of video content every day for 30 days. By Day 7, I had closed three people just from that. And this was when I was still in a phase of getting my ad kind of stuff running, but that it literally took me, yeah, it was within the first 30 days.
Micelle: Yeah, I think it’s great.
Cierra: I tell them all the time, that's kind of what opened up the floodgates for me, that challenge, and then it's like the money is coming, the clients are coming, so it's like, Maybe our clients, well maybe I don't need to pay for ads. It is like, Oh, no, you do. That was what opened the floodgates of it for me. [22:06.0]
Michelle: Sure. They work together and they work together to unlock your organic content, right?
Cierra: Yeah, definitely.
Michelle: The organic content is there and then the algorithm kills it because they see where it says, Oh, okay, these 17 people that have been watching it are the only 17 people that want to see it. Then when you open up your ads, then that side, it even allows your organic stuff to go further. We give them this way two minutes.
Cierra: We are.
Michelle: Enroll and come on in the program and see how everything works from there. But we are absolutely really excited and even what do you want to tell Marquel? He doesn't know I'm asking this question.
Cierra: What do I want? You know what? I can honestly say, I want to tell Marquel thank you for, number one, being the fearless, selfless, most amazing leader I’ve ever had in the history of working with anybody. [23:11.4]
I tell people all the time, and I don't even know if I can say this, but I'm going to say it, Marquel put more money in my pocket in 30 days than people that I have worked with in the past with. I'm talking about we’re supposed to or these people we're supposed to be partners with, so I just want to say thank you. He’s very giving, very whatever you need. Yeah, it’s just thank you.
He's really walking in his calling and changing the lives of a lot of black entrepreneurs and will continue to, like I could definitely and Marquel is probably going to be like the Zig Ziglar or something of that, like his work is going to live on forever. Forever. I just can't wait to see what we do here at CAU in 2021 and beyond. [24:01.2]
Michelle: Oh, that's so funny. He's going to bless you when he hears that. He’s going to go, What do you mean by that? Where are we?
Cierra: Right, he’s going to send me a message, Hey, Ci, I saw that. Can you expand on that for me a little bit? I told him and Drae this before and I'm still trying to figure it out. I legit want to fire all my clients and just like … it’s got to make sense, though, or be allowed to or I put myself in a position where if I'm writing copy for anybody, it's because I choose to, especially if I get to the mode where I want to start training copywriters, yeah. I'm locked in for life, though.
Michelle: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I told them that, too. I said I'm going to stop telling y’all that.
Cierra: I mean, especially if I start working with … it’s a wrap. I don't need any more clients because what are y'all going to teach me that I already don't know? And sometimes I start working when people and I'm like, Y'all need to be at CAU. I don't even want to do this, and then start working with them. [24:01.2]
Michelle: When I see them, I go, Okay, so show me this. Show me this. They don’t and I’m like, Oh … We do it so well that it’s like, Go, do that and then come back to me, because you are so far from the seven-figure spot, we can’t even have the same conversation. That’s super exciting.
I want to thank you so much for your time. I know I took you away from an event that you were supposed to be at, just so that we could hurry and jump on this. I am going to send it to him, so that he can see this special message from you, and I know that everybody out there watching, not only if you need your verbiage or your wording right, but just take the three tips she gave you and you should make enough money to be able to afford her now, because she’s-- [26:02.3]
Cierra: Significantly.
Michelle: She’s up there. She’s up there because she’s changing the game for everybody. Thank you, my friend. It’s my honor to serve and to interview you today and [crosstalk].
Cierra: It was so much fun.
Michelle: Yeah.
…
Marquel: Thank you so much for checking out this episode. Have a phenomenal day because you absolutely deserve it. Talk to you soon.
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