TL;DR: A signature piece is the one thing that could only have come from you, built on what resonated, what people keep asking and who's actually paying attention. It usually comes after months of showing up… and it's how you go from posting about your expertise to becoming known for what you know.
This month marks a milestone I'm really proud of.
Three of my founder clients have been with me for a year now. When we started, I honestly thought my work would be short-term. Three or four months together, then I'd teach them how to do it on their own and they'd roll off. Instead, they stayed. And I've become something more like a business partner, someone who walks beside them, celebrates their wins and cheers them on.
They've done the work. They've shown up consistently, found a voice that sounds like them, and built distribution through email, outreach, conversations and partnerships.
Now we're taking everything we've learned together and building something that's uniquely theirs. I call it their signature piece.
What a signature piece is
A signature piece is the one thing that could only have come from you. It takes what you know, what you've been saying for months and what people keep responding to, and turns it into something the right people can raise their hands for.
It might look like a lead magnet on the surface. But a first freebie is usually a best guess, made before you've learned much about your audience. A signature piece comes later, and it's built on evidence.
Why it comes after a year of showing up
When my clients start, they're figuring out how to talk about what they do. That's exactly where they should be. You can't build a signature piece on day one, because you don't have the information yet.
Somewhere around month four, real clarity starts to show up. You notice the messages you keep coming back to. Certain posts land and others don't. The same questions come up on calls again and again. That doesn't mean anything was wrong with where you started. Launching a business is a fluid thing, and your messaging naturally shifts as you learn.
By the end of a year, you've got something valuable: proof. You know what resonates with your industry, what everyone keeps asking about, and who's actually paying attention. That's the foundation of a signature piece.
"That's how you go from posting about your expertise to really becoming known for what you know."
Same idea, three very different results
My three clients and I have been brainstorming these for months. The concept behind each is the same. What each one turned into is completely different.
An industry benchmark survey. One advisor works in a corner of his industry that doesn't have a benchmark yet. Leaders there want to know how they compare to their peers: how big their marketing teams are, what they invest, what tools they use, where new business comes from. So we're building the survey that answers those questions. It gives him original research to share, a reason to start conversations and a platform for webinars and speaking.
A downloadable thought leadership piece. Another consultant kept answering the same questions over and over, on calls and in emails. She'd already hosted two webinars where people showed up and asked her questions, and she was getting messages from people asking about her work. When we talked it through, it felt so obvious:
"People are clearly interested in it. So let's create the thing that helps to answer these questions."
So that's what we're doing. We're turning her answers into a piece people can download, which means the right people find them before they ever get on a call. We even talked about whether it should be free, or whether people should put a little skin in the game to get it. (Both are valid! It depends on how much value it holds and what you want it to do for you.)
A workshop. The third founder shines so bright in person that we're building her a workshop, a format where people get to experience her the way her clients do.
How to find yours
If you've been showing up for a while, your signature piece is probably already hiding in plain sight. Look back at the last six to twelve months and ask:
- What resonated? Which posts, stories or ideas got the most response, or the most thoughtful comments and messages?
- What does everyone keep asking? The questions you answer on every call are a map of what your audience needs.
- Who's actually paying attention? Skip the vanity numbers and look at the people who reach out, comment, refer you and come back. That's who your signature piece is for.
- Where do you shine? Some people come alive in writing, some in research, some in a room full of people. Let the format match how you're at your best.
Put those answers side by side, and the shape of your signature piece usually starts to show itself.
And here's the good news if the actual making of it feels daunting. You've probably already said most of it out loud. Whatever your piece turns out to be, a good content interview can usually give us enough material to build it… and then break it back up into posts, emails and videos.
Why it matters
Posting consistently builds familiarity. An email list gives you a relationship you own. A signature piece gives the right people a clear reason to step forward and say, yes, this is for me.
It's the difference between people recognizing your name and people knowing exactly what you're the expert in.
Frequently asked questions
What is a signature piece?
A signature piece is a resource or experience that could only have come from you, like original research, a downloadable guide or a workshop. It's built on what your audience has already shown you they care about, and it gives the right people a clear reason to raise their hands.
How is a signature piece different from a lead magnet?
A first lead magnet is usually a best guess, made early. A signature piece comes later and is built on evidence: the posts that resonated, the questions people keep asking and the people who are actually paying attention.
When should I create a signature piece?
After you've been showing up consistently long enough to see patterns. For my clients, real clarity usually starts around month four, and the signature piece takes shape around the one-year mark.
What formats can a signature piece take?
Almost any format: an industry benchmark survey, a downloadable thought leadership piece, a workshop, a webinar series. Choose the one that matches where you shine, whether that's writing, research or being in the room.
Just getting started? You don't need a signature piece yet. You need to start talking about what you know. My free Out Loud challenge walks you through the first five steps. Start the challenge →
Been showing up for a while and ready for what's next? See how I work with clients →