Find your voice

Every day, especially if you’re in business, you have to tell people what you do.

It's the question people ask …all the time.

So what do you do?

Sometimes we're all just being polite and trying to pass the time.

Sometimes we are actually curious, we want to find out what we share.

Sometimes it’s a set up, like a networking event or a client meeting. Then we want to know where we all fit into the project or for future connections.

How do you respond to that question? What do you do?

You need a good, solid quick response. From your elevator pitch to your website, newsletters or CV you need to communicate quickly and clearly:

• who you are
• what you do and
• why it matters.

I used to hate that question…and my answer. I knew people were pegging me on some kind of ladder where what mattered was how much money I made. I was also moving out of one career into another. I took jobs that didn’t fit right with me. I was searching, trying out new things, learning new skills. But still I didn’t want my job to define who I was. I didn’t want my answer to be the end. So let’s just say I avoided answering that question as much as possible (or spoke really fast and hoped no one else noticed!)

Talk about the easiest and quickest way to sabotage yourself.

But if you’re in business, you can’t do that. It’s also just a reality of business that you have to be ready to answer that question, and with a smile on your face.

For introverts in business answering the question can be a real problem. It can be difficult to start talking about what you do to acquaintances, and even to friends who are less than supportive or on a different path. The natural reluctance for introverts to be the centre of attention can mean you don’t speak up, even when someone asks you.

And in a noisy world with lots of people talking, it can be just plain hard to get a word in.

Talking about yourself may not have been the ‘done thing’ when you were growing up. Especially for women. I don’t know about you but I some how came out the other end of childhood knowing that women who talk about themselves are selfish and not polite. There is still the belief, in some places, that women defer to others – often men but also other ‘alpha women’ who for whatever reason dominate a situation.

In some countries, we’re also a bit reluctant to talk about ourselves in case we stand out from the pack too much. Others might criticise or attack with negative comments to cut those ‘tall poppies’ down to size.

Being humble is not about being silent. Nor should fear of others being critical or negative stop you.

Today, I’m a whole lot more comfortable with answering that question ‘what do you do?’ I’m doing something I want to do, that sits right with me. And I’ve learnt strategies for answering the question in a way that works for me.

So what are we looking at here?

There are so many places where you need to have a great answer. The way you answer will also change too depending on where you are.

A short tagline is all you need on Facebook where its more about being social and friendly but if I’m checking out who you are on LinkedIn I’m going to want to see the professional you, your experience and skills in a bit more detail.

An elevator pitch is perfect for networking events but a proposal, pitch or tender is going to need a lot more detail.

Your 'About page' on your website needs to read quickly for the casual visitor but also everything the serious shopper wants.

What doesn’t change is the story of who you are and why what you do matters.

That’s what we will do in this course. This course gets you prepared so you have ready your elevator pitch, tagline, CV, about page and even a set of standard words you can pop into emails or pitches.

Then next time you at that networking event your elevator pitch is clear and confident.

That visitor to your website knows exactly what you do.

Your CV or media release is the one that gets picked up.

The right words help you connect with the right people.

Who is this course for?

• Business owners
• Start-ups
• Consultants in the professions – finance, IT, healthcare and education
• Designers – graphic, interior, exhibition and architects
• Communicators – writers, filmmakers, editors and media.

In this course you will:

• Get clear on why what you do matters and work out what your story is.
• Find the ways that work for you to be confident in person and print.
• Create a remarkable elevator pitch.
• Write an 'About' page for your website that is 100% you.

Module 1: Who are you?

• Be clear on what you do and why you do it.
• Shortlist your skills that matter.

Module 2: Who are your customers?

• Know who your customers are.
• Find the words that match your brand and tell your story.

Module 3: Strategies for confident delivery

• Strategies for confident delivery in person and print.
• Flip it: fostering a growth mindset.

Module 4: Creating effective pitches

• The five step creative process for creating a great elevator pitch.
• Taking that into tag lines, business cards, online profiles, signage and business names.

Module 5: Writing your 'About' page

• The five step creative process for writing meaningful 'About' pages that connect.
• Taking that into sales, products or service pages.