Posts Tagged: Entrepreneur Skills
http://youtu.be/Cj94_9YZygM
Finding your voice
As an entrepreneur, you have wisdom and experience. Even if you are new, the fact that you have stepped out on your dreams puts you miles ahead of most people. That is why it is important to get your voice into the world. Today, let’s talk about how to find your voice.
How to find your writing voice
- Be real, raw and scary. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Don’t worry about what you think others want to hear. Say what you truly believe.
- Write in first person. Use “I” and “me.” It is not being selfish, it is being you. Your brain will literally be more ‘real’ when you write with the first person pronouns. (I can’t believe I remembered that from High School.)
- Use words you use every day. Granted, you may not want to be dropping the ‘f-bomb’ every other word, but be the real you. Get fired up about something, record yourself ranting about it and you will see the words you use and the way you communicate.
- Get feedback. Write a few things. Keep them short, like a paragraph or two. Ask someone close to you to read them. Ask them to tell you if that really sounds like you. If not, ask them why not.
- Don’t hold back. Being real is about letting go and being passionate about what you are passionate about. I am passionate about helping entrepreneurs be real in their business and marketing. I am tired of finding out how fake businesses are . . . I had better stop before I get on one of my rants. I think you get the point.
- Interject your personality. Did you see what I did on the last note? I shared, I showed passion and stopped myself to let you know that I have more to say. That is my personality. I share my videos in 2-3 minutes, but I could talk on almost each of them for at least fifteen minutes. I choose to limit what I say to the most succinct way possible. I am a pragmatist, so that is who I am. If you are a humorous person, be humorous. If you are a deep thinker, be deep.
- Don’t be afraid to experiment with your writing. If you are deep, you don’t have to be deep every time. You are more than a one sided person. Show the others sides to yourself and others will appreciate the wonderful complexity that is you. You can even have fun and take a creative writing course or find one online.
Free writing Exercise
In the video I mentioned free writing. Basically, it is just a way to get information out of your head and into another form. You can use a notebook, like I did. Or you can use a word processor. The important thing to realize in free writing is that it is about your flow. Don’t try to edit, just let the words ‘flow’ onto the page. If you don’t type as quick as you think, record an audio or video and transcribe it. It is a good exercise. Or you can pay to have it transcribed. (I suggest finding a transcriber on fiverr.com.)
Manifesto
In the video, I also mentioned a manifesto. A manifesto was used in revolutions to state the terms and values a group had and why they thought they were right. A personal or business manifesto is about your values and beliefs. When you free write, think about what is important to you. Think about why you do your business and the impact you want to make. That can become your manifesto, even if you are the only one who sees it. (I have my own manifest and no one has seen it. I have thought about posting it, what do you think?)
I would love to hear about your words of wisdom on writing in your voice. What is ONE thing you would tell a person trying to find their voice? Share it on our Youtube or GooglePlus.
Note: Some of these notes came from Jeff Goins. Check out his info if you really want to become a writer. I don’t get paid for this, I just thought it would be helpful.)
http://youtu.be/_CtSCfpkG9U
Your words have power.
When you use words to tell your story or share your wisdom, they impact others. The catch is, you have to put your words somewhere others can see them. You have to become a writer.
You don’t have to write the next greatest novel, but you may write the words that impacts one little person who goes on to impact thousands.
Could you imagine if the person who inspired you never took time to share? Your life would be entirely different.
You may be the only person, someone will listen to. Think about that. Someone may never reach their full potential, if you don’t take time to let your voice be heard. It is so important to get your words out into the world so that others can find them.
How to get your voice into the world
Create a Blog
There are many free resources about creating a blog. There are even some free formats like WordPress or Blogger. These are easy to start. If you have a webpage, you can probably add a blog pretty easy. Most hosting services offer blogging as an install to your page.
This is not a ‘how to’ guide for blogging. If you want to get started, I suggest: Problogger as a good place to start. Like I always say, if you need specific help, just ask. I offer coaching and training for those who are ready to take their writing to the next level.
Write a Book
Don’t be intimidated by writing a book. With today’s technology, you can virtually talk a book into existence. You can use a program, get someone to transcribe, or you can even get someone to write it for you. I suggest writing it yourself and there are many easy ways to get this done. (Again, contact me, I can help you get there quicker.)
If you just write 10 pages a day, you will have a 300 page book in a month! If you just write 5 pages a day, you will have 150 pages in a month. The key is consistent writing each and every day.
Engage on Social Media
Social media like Twitter, Facebook and GooglePlus may not feel like writing, but that is exactly what it is. People are always putting little snippets of their lives for the world to see. What if we had a revolution of people putting content out into the world that impacted others for good. No more sharing cat pics and what they ate for breakfast, the world would be challenged and sharpened. People’s lives would be touched and someone may just have their life changed.
It is important that you engage on social media in order to connect with others. In our world today, connections are the new commodity. You have something to say, so say it. Pick a side and let your voice be heard.
I would love to hear about your words of wisdom. What is ONE piece of advice that you heard that impacted your life? Share it on our Youtube or GooglePlus.
http://youtu.be/FRrudYTV710
Ask these questions to really get into the head of your customers.
Sharing your story as a business owner is about connecting with others. The more customers feel like they can trust you the more likely they are to do business with you. You want to make sure you have every tool in your arsenal that you can have to connect with them. Your story is one of the most powerful tools you can have.
When someone watches your story or reads it, in their mind they are asking four basic questions. Each learning style (personality) is looking to answer a question that is relevant or important to them. Let’s talk about these questions in light of learning styles.
Why
The why thinker wants to know the outcomes. They want to know why you did what you did as well as why you didn’t choose another path. They are looking to define the motivation behind your story.
Example: I chose to become an entrepreneur because I was not happy with the way my boss was running his company.
What
The ‘what’ thinker is the kind of person who likes to move from abstract to concrete thinking. They want to know the history and how that plays into the story as a whole. These are they sequential thinkers and they want a story where each section builds on the previous section. They are looking to find out how your story fits together with who you are.
Example: I was a construction worker who wanted to make things more sturdy but my boss was only concerned with the bottom line. It was this quality thinking that drove me to start my own company.
How
“How’ thinkers want to know the steps it takes. Where the ‘what’ people want to hear the history, the ‘how’ thinkers want to know what you did. They want to hear the action steps. They are looking to find the truth behind what you did because they want to see the results.
Example: I started my own company by researching the other companies and deciding what I could do better. I chose high quality suppliers and began advertising.
What if
“What if’ thinkers are the most dangerous…just kidding. These people want to see the action. They want to know what you thought before you took action. They want to know that you considered all option. They want to know what decision you made that caused you to take your specific action.
Example: I asked my boss if he considered buying supplies in bulk and cutting the cost that way. He would not listen to me. I had to make a decision to stay here and be part of a low quality company or strike out on my own to be part of something I could be proud of.
Continuing the Conversation
You want your story to impact as many people as possible. When you are creating your story, make sure you are talking to ONE PERSON. Imagine in your head that one person and make sure you answer some of the questions they may be thinking in their head. I guess you could say these are motivation questions.
People hear a story based on who they are. Use these four simple questions and consider the personalities or learning styles behind them and you will have a powerful story. When you create your story like this, it will impact people and they will want to do business with you.
If you did not read our previous blog, we talked about three keys to making your story powerful. Put those keys together these questions and share your powerful entrepreneur story.
If (when) you do a video share it with us on my Youtube page or on my GooglePlus page. I would love to hear your story.
Remember, leaders take action and you are a leader. Share your story this week!