4 visual models to sell your services

In this article, we’re going to unpack the 4 visual models that can help you sell your services by standing out in a crowded market.

Visual models to sell your services: capturing your intellectual property

As a business owner, you have your own way of working with clients. You might have a 12-step system. 

But visual models, or infographics, for your business can turn those bullet points into a diagram that makes your content striking, memorable and easy to digest. 

Visual models take something complex and make it clear and succinct. They visually simplify and summarise.

So, what visual models are key to capturing the core Intellectual Property in your business? 

At Think RAPT, we have found there are 4 key visual models you need to capture your intellectual property:

1. Results Model
2. Answers Model
3. Process Model
4. Target Model

And that spells the ‘RAPT’ in Think RAPT.

Below, we’ll go through each of these models with examples.

Results Model 

The first model is the Results Model. The Results Model allows the audience to identify the gap between where they are currently and where they want to be.

When they see there is a gap between where they are and where they want to be, they’re motivated to do something about it. 

We want to use evocative and emotive language in a Results Model. We want to be telling a story in a way that really captivates the audience’s attention and inspires them into taking action. 

There are actually 3 subtypes of Results Models – Results Matrix, Results Spectrum, and Hero’s Journey. 

For brevity, we’ll go over the Hero’s Journey style, but a hero’s journey style might not be the best for your business.

Example: the Hero’s Journey-style of Results Model Infographic

The Hero’s Journey-style of Results Model follows the classic storyline that we see in movies and books. We use a simplified version of the Hero’s Journey to create this style of Results Model. 

When to Use

The following situations can indicate that a Hero’s Journey-style of Results Model is right for you:

• Where your audience is an individual or small business owner.
• Where you are a role model for your audience, so that your story can be an inspiration for your ideal client’s journey.
• Where one of your clients is a role model for your audience, so that a case study can be an inspiration for your ideal client’s journey.

Results Model Example – Helen McIntosh

Helen McIntosh is the Operations Genie. She works with small business owners, specialising in strategy and systems. Notice the metaphor and choice of

language, plus the use of icons to represent KPIs.

Results Model Example – Sally Stabler

Sally Stabler is the founder of Get Out There Marketing.

She is a marketing consultant who works in the tourism industry. Sally is personally very passionate about adventure. She loves to hike and so we’ve used the analogy of climbing a mountain when it comes to achieving success in a tourism business. 

Answers Model 

The ANSWERS MODEL demonstrates the answers to your audience’s challenges. It outlines what they NEED in order to achieve their desired results.

The sweet spot for an Answers Model is between three and seven elements. More than seven can feel unwieldy. Less than three will feel unsubstantial.

An Answers Model contains nouns, because these are the things that your audience needs to be successful. The icons in an Answers Model are for aesthetic purposes. It’s not like with the Results Model where the icons usually represent KPIs. 

Answers Model Example – Melanie Colling

This is Melanie Colling’s Answers Model. You can see we’ve got some nice alliteration with all the C words. Notice that all these C words actually make sense and communicate clearly what Melanie is trying to get across. The icons are there for aesthetic purposes, but they’re not providing any more information.

Process Model 

The PROCESS MODEL outlines your proven methodology, your unique way of getting your clients from A to B. It outlines your unique process for delivering results for your clients. It is the basis of your service delivery. The Process Model is all about ACTION. The things that need to be done. So make sure you use verbs. And just like in the Answers Model, the icons in a Process Model are there for aesthetic purposes.

The sweet spot for a Process Model is between three and seven steps. 

A Process Model should be linear (a straight line, usually left-to-right). There may be some tiny exceptions to this rule, but there’s a really important reason behind the linear shape for a Process Model.

Have you ever been in a taxi in a foreign city and wondered if your driver was taking you the ‘long way’ or ‘round and round in circles’? You DO NOT want your clients to feel like that is happening with your solutions.

Remember, the Process Model is showing your audience how you’re going to get them out of the pain that they’re in. If they’re in enough pain that they’re willing to pay you for a solution, then they want to get out of that pain as fast as possible.  The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. A circular shape for a Process Model feels like you’re going round and round in circles inside the pain.

That’s not going to be easy to sell! Use a linear shape for your Process Model to reassure your audience that you will get them out of their pain ASAP!

Process Model Example – Think RAPT®

This is the Think RAPT® Process Model. Here you can see a linear shape, a numbered five-step process, verbs and icons for aesthetics.

Target Model 

The TARGET MODEL highlights the benefits or KPIs that your solution is targeting. It shows your clients what they ‘get’ and answers the important ‘What’s in it for me?’ question.

As per the Answers and Process Models, the icons in a Target Model are for aesthetics.

The ideal number of elements in a Target Model is three. This is something that we have learned over time, with years of experience creating these models for clients. What we’ve found is, if you have a Target Model with six benefits in it, by the time you get to it in your presentation, it starts to feel awkward. It feels like you’re going on and on and on and throwing in a set of steak knives.  Three elements in a Target Model works best in terms of the rhythm of a presentation. You get this, this and this. Boom. Drop the mic. Short, sharp and punchy.

Appropriate Target Model shapes are nonlinear. We want something that looks like parts of a whole. If your audience is individuals, the benefits they are interested in are generally some variation or form of the following:

• Certainty
• Variety
• Significance
• Love/Connection
• Growth
• Contribution
• Clarity
• Relationships
• Purpose
• Results
• Passion
• Fun

If your audience is businesses, if you’re B2B, the benefits they are interested in are generally some variation or form of the following:

• Time
• Money
• Stress
• Legacy
• Clients
• Leads
• Profile 

Make sure you do your market research and use your audience’s own words and language to label the benefits.

Target Model Example – Think RAPT®

The Think RAPT® Target Model shows that when you put the Think RAPT® system at the core of your business, you’re able to streamline the way you deliver your services, stand out in your industry and scale and grow your business. Boom, boom, boom. Done. 

Target Model Example – Melanie Colling

Melanie Colling’s Target Model shows that when you follow her step-by-step process, you get influence, impact and income.

Don’t snooze on creating visual models to sell your services

If you create these 4, you’ll have endless ways to use them in proposals, on your website, on social media, to write your book and probably many more!