Let’s start at the top:
What is a Program Promise?
Your program promise is a clear, compelling statement that articulates the outcome someone can expect from your offer – should they show up and do the work.
It’s not a guarantee. It’s the average, expected result your program is designed to support someone in achieving.
It’s called a promise not because you’re making a wild claim, but because you’re providing a sense of confidence, direction, and clarity to the person considering buying from you.
A great promise bridges what your ideal client thinks they need and what you know they actually need. It taps into their language while guiding them toward the transformation your expertise facilitates.
Why It Matters More Than You Think
You don’t need to overthink this or make it high-pressure. Your program promise is a tool – a foundational message that:
- Guides your curriculum and deliverables
- Informs your pricing
- Anchors your content strategy
- Sets expectations for your client
It’s the north star for your offer. And when it’s solid? The rest gets a lot easier.
A Great Program Promise Is:
- Specific (No vague outcomes like “clarity” or “feel better” on their own)
- Outcome-Driven (Focus on the before and after they’ll experience)
- Confident (Say it with your chest!)
- Short but Strong (Ideally one sentence, punchy and powerful)
Let’s compare a few:
- ❌ I help people show up online.
- ✅ I help purpose-driven entrepreneurs show up online with unshakable confidence and a message that magnetizes dream clients.
- ❌ We talk about perfectionism and self-worth.
- ✅ A 12-week group coaching program for high-achieving women ready to turn their perfectionism into their superpower and finally pursue their Next Big Thing™.
What About Intangible Outcomes?
If your program helps people with mindset, embodiment, visibility fears, or nervous system work – it’s still critical (and totally doable) to write a strong promise.
Instead of “feel better,” try:
- Naming a felt result: “Feel safe setting boundaries and speaking your truth – even when it’s uncomfortable.”
- Or a visible shift in behavior: “Go from hesitating to post to confidently sharing your message every week without second-guessing.”
Even identity-level transformations can be translated into meaningful, client-understandable outcomes. Think of it as helping them visualize who they’ll become.
A 3-Part Formula to Start With
Here’s a simple structure to help you build your own:
[Audience] + [Transformation] + [Mechanism or Timeline (optional)]
Example: I help female creatives land $5K clients in 8 weeks using a story-driven visibility strategy.
Another: A 6-week program for new business owners ready to replace their 9-5 income through a one-signature-offer model.
Case Study: Charlotte’s “The Audacity Lab”
Charlotte Grimmel @TheMindFriend, a psychologist and coach for female founders, created a program for women who want to stop hiding and start showing up online.
Where it started:
I help coaches & consultants master the mental game of entrepreneurship.
Where we took it:
A group coaching experience that helps thoughtful women train audacity like a skill, trust their voice, and show up online with unshakable authority – without faking it or burning out.
This promise works because:
- It names the internal transformation (audacity, self-trust)
- It links to a visible behavior shift (showing up online)
- It handles common objections (not burning out or faking it)
Case Study: Domonique’s “Exceptionally Aligned® Accelerator”
Domonique Worship @Coach_Domonique, a leadership and career coach, helps high-achieving women untangle their success from perfectionism and build aligned, deeply fulfilling careers.
Where it evolved to:
A 12-week group program for high-achieving women ready to break free from perfectionism and confidently claim the career (and life) they were meant for.
This promise is effective because:
- It speaks directly to the perfectionist archetype and how it manifests in career misalignment
- It pairs internal clarity with external momentum (career + life)
- It calls out a specific type of buyer who is ready for change – but stuck in their own cycles
Case Study: Jennifer Hanway’s “Lean and Clean”
Jennifer Hanway @JenniferHanway, a health expert with a deep background in holistic nutrition, was offering a little bit of everything – gut health, weight loss, hormones, skin, energy. Her content was great, but there was some confusion. Most leads were asking for 1:1 coaching because her program didn’t feel like the thing.
Once we focused her genius on metabolic resets for women 40+, everything changed.
Final program promise:
A 10-week weight loss program designed especially for women 40+ to optimize their fat-burning hormones and reset their metabolism to lose 10–30 pounds and keep it off.
Why it worked:
- It’s laser-focused on a specific demographic (women 40+)
- It centers a tangible and time-bound outcome (10–30 lbs lost in 10 weeks)
- It builds in her method (fat-burning hormones + metabolic reset)
From there, everything clicked—her content, her sales messaging, her client fit, and her ability to scale. That’s the power of a strong program promise.
What Happens Once You Nail the Promise?
- Your content becomes sharper because it’s focused on one transformation
- Your sales conversations feel more natural
- Your clients self-identify and see themselves in the outcome
- Your curriculum becomes easier to build because everything points back to the promise
A strong promise doesn’t just sell your offer. It builds it.
Final Thought:
You don’t need a wildly clever tagline or a 10-point elevator pitch. Just one strong, clear, compelling promise that centers your work and calls in the right people.
If your offer isn’t selling the way you want, check the promise.
Are you selling what your client wants to buy? Or are you describing what you’re excited to teach?
If you want help crafting your own program promise – and the signature offer it anchors – this is exactly what we do inside Make It Online, our flagship group program.
Need something to chew on while you decide? Watch Define Your Unique Sales Edge, my free on-demand masterclass that helps you pinpoint what makes your message magnetic—so your program promise practically writes itself.
The right promise builds belief. And belief sells.
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