It’s not CHANGE that stops you…it’s the FEAR of that change.
So many of us are actively going through change or are looking at making changes in our careers, our businesses, services, packages, work environments. There are very few of my clients not going through some sort of pivot whether they choose to or not.
WHAT’S STOPPING YOU?
How many times have you sat back thinking I’d love to position myself for promotion, partnership, launch this new service/package, step up to the next level of reputation management, go back to work after maternity leave but something has stopped you. Take a second now to think, exactly what stopped you doing that thing? Be honest with yourself…
change vs fear
Was it the risk you were about to take, the change you were about to make? Or was it the FEAR of what might happen if you made that speech, sold that package, put that idea out there? What would “they” say? What would happen if you weren’t successful?
Change is never easy. I’ll be the first to agree with that. BUT the FEAR of change is always, always, always so much worse than the change itself.
We have a tendency to fear what MAY happen, what people MAY do, what friends MAY say. “I have this great idea but what if no one buys it”. “I think I’d be great in that new position but what if I go for it and don’t get it”. We become almost paralysed by the fear of what MAY happen.
Control
We can’t control the result of the change we’re about to make. We can’t control people’s reactions, the uptake, the sales levels or the overall outcome but we CAN control our fear of that change and our own reaction to that change.
guarantees
Make the change you want in your career or business. Stop over thinking, stop the negative internal chat, the doubt, the self questioning. I guarantee you, the fear of that change is SO much worse than the change itself!
get help
If you’re struggling with your positioning, your messaging, personal branding or strategies to cope while you’re either looking at making a change or actively going through change, you are not alone. Come and have a chat with me and let’s see where you’re at and how I can get you where you want to be.
Who needs to hear you? Who needs to know the value that you bring to the table – Every . Single . Time
People often think very rigidly about their Audience Segments. “It’s my buyers”, ‘It’s my manager”, “It’s SMEs with <100 seats”… So, let’s shake that up for you now! I always advise clients working with me to be fully creative and wide in their thinking. You can always cull these audiences.
THINK WIDE
Have a look at your career, your business, your future plans, career goals, yourself. Who can move a needle for you right now? There is a key audience segment right there. These people may not be decision makers for you, they may not purchase from you or have a direct role in your development. BUT this is often a segment that is ignored while often being the most effective for the popularisation of your Personal Brand. Think of your promotion plans, there is a project that would give you huge visibility, why would the project head bring you onboard? Because the team already knows they need you.
Key Influencers
Make a list of the people who will advocate for you, or could advocate for you if they realised how remarkable you are and clearly understood the value that you bring. Be clear who are your Key Influencers. Think creatively and think widely.
SPECIFIC CONTENT PILLARS
Next, craft a “Content Pillar” just for these “Influencers”. (No, not Social Media Influencers 😍) List all the things about you that they would find valuable and craft specific and clear messages directly to them. Get their buy-in to your Personal Brand. Create Champions who have you Top of Mind.
GET CREATIVE
A little bit of creativity will get you in front of these people and a little thought will have them actively supporting and engaging with your brand.
Very little effort for massive and hugely valuable rewards…
Here’s an Action Question we’re working on with a busy Strategy client today… “How do I get away from busy un-productivity?” The busier we are the harder it becomes to prioritise and stick to it. We need to get real clarity on the goal and from that, clarity of plan – tune out the distractions, last minute requests and everyone else’s priorities and demands. Know the next step to take, be really clear on what you need to do to get to that goal.
WORK PROJECTS
If it’s a work project, how often do we get “busy in the weeds”, when we really need to ensure the next key steps are 100% clear to you and agreed upon by everyone on your team. Make sure everyone understands the “Why” behind what you’re trying to achieve and knows who is responsible for which elements.
JUST FOR YOU
Just for you – Take Time To Reflect – schedule a couple of minutes at the end of each day and each week, to consider what went well and not so well. Mark yourself for effective use of time, especially billable time. Where did you lose time and why? Where/why/how were you distracted? Were you procrastinating, and if so, what caused you to do this? For me, I know I procrastinate when I don’t know what the next step is or if I do know it, I don’t know how to do it. This now goes straight on my “Fix It” list… I either learn it, or I find an expert (and build my network at the same time!).
Everything’s so loud now and so instantaneous that it’s getting harder and harder to stand out. The level of competition is fierce, it’s global and it’s To be seen, to be heard and to be valued amongst your competitors in the eye of a small number of potential clients.
Branding on a business-level is common, but today branding is becoming just as important on a personal level. After all, you might work for a business that works with other businesses, but it’s people working with people and that’s what makes business relationships valuable. Even if you have your own company, with a great brand, you, yourself need to stand out.
Remember: “People Do Business with People”
So, how can you go about building a great Personal Brand that stands out, is authentic, is valuable, relevant and engaging?
IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU:
What are your drivers? Your Values? Your Key Descriptors? Stay away from all those wonderfully dull, overused words; Professional, Team Player, Good Communicator. Everyone is all of these things surely? You want to stand out.
No – You NEED to stand out!
Aim to discover words that describe you, drive you and are a bit of a stretch for you. These will be your descriptors and will remind you at every touch point what you want people to get from their interactions with you. Find words that are Emotional rather than Functional. You’ll always bond with someone a lot faster over emotional connections.
Try out descriptors/drivers like;
Curious, Exciting, Kind, Welcoming, Empowering. They are all action based emotive descriptors. Before you go into that next Big Deal Meeting – Remind yourself of these words, Be these words and Stretch to Fit these words.
WHO WILL CONNECT WITH YOU?
The next area to really look closely at is who are you dealing with? Who is your Audience? Now, that may seem clearly straight forward. Your Customer – the one you really want to buy from you. But everyone in business (Business Owner, Manager, Entrepreneur, Solopreneur, Blue Chip Sales Director) has numerous audiences, some more critical to the “Yes Decision” than others. But ignore your Influencers, Connectors, Detractors and Advocates at your peril.
Make the effort to delineate those audiences, clearly. What they value, where they have knowledge gaps, what they worry about, what comes between them and a “Yes Decision”, who they need to impress, what’s relevant for them.
Use this information to craft your personal brand that is engaging, valuable, authentic and relevant. Build a series of messages based on your brand for each of these audiences. Show them that you are of interest and of value to them. Prove to them that you are a giver, a helper, a connector. Be authentic to yourself, your beliefs and values in a way that shows you to be the best match for them. In a way that is energising, engaging and clear. Be clear and concise in your Personal Brand. It must be easily understood by you and by those who meet you. It must be consistent, every time I meet you I know what you’ll be like; Don’t let me down, don’t confuse me or disappoint me.
A great authentic Personal Brand is the best calling card you can possibly have. Now all you have to do is get it out there!
Carol is a very hugely respected, award winning, keynote speaker in the areas of Personal Branding, Strategy, Communications, Executive Presence and LinkedIn. She has a huge passion for what she does and for the clients she works with. From C-Suite Personal Branding work to Communications Strategy projects and her Advisory roles, she brings all her energy, enthusiasm and focus to her work.
