As many of you know already I was selected as one of the Top 100 Women in Ecommerce for 2014. (page 60 of WE Magazine).
I’m in great company including Ava Diamond who I’ve followed for a long time. This week she wrote a thought provoking article on What Do You Stand For? Fortunately she’s happy for her articles to be reproduced verbatim so long as we acknowledge her at the end. So read on…
You are not the only one who speaks on your topic. Whether it’s wellness, leadership, social media, or any other topic, there are other people talking about it, too.
So how do you stand out?
How do you differentiate yourself?
How do you not get lost in all the noise that is out there in today’s marketplace?
- Have a strong Point of View (POV).
- Have a strong opinion.
- Be willing to be out on the edge.
- You have to be interesting.
- Your message has to be compelling. It has to evoke a strong reaction
Your strong point of view will draw in those for whom your work is perfect, and will repel people who are not perfect for you. Now that scares some people. Some of you want everyone to like you. So you water down your message in an attempt to appeal to the masses. It hurts you and it hurts your business.
You need to take a stand and to have that point of view show up in everything you produce: your talks, your blog posts, your social media posts, your webinars, your programs, etc.
Two questions Larry Winget asked us last week in the Hell Yeah Star event are “What is the idea you’re owning?” and “What makes your idea different from everyone else?” He’s an excellent example of someone who owns a space. He says that you can hire anyone to speak on leadership, customer service, teamwork, sales, or personal development, but “there’s only one Larry Winget.”His book titles are provocative. “Grow a Pair” “Shut Up, Stop Whining and Get a Life.” “People are Idiots and I Can Prove It.” He wears jeans, cowboy boots, and cowboy shirts. Always. He has very strong “personal responsibility” POV, and is consistent in everything he does. He does not create fans, he creates fanatics. There are people who hate him, too, which is totally okay with him.
It’s critical to know who you are—who you really are.
It’s critical to know what you stand for.
And it’s critical to know what your uniqueness is.
Here’s a four question process that was shared in Hell Yeah Star to help get to your own uniqueness, your own POV, your own stand. If there’s one thing in the world I know based on my life and my research, it is…
- What is the one thing you want to tell the world?
- Why do you want the world to know that?
- Why are you the one to tell them? (this goes back to your story, your experiences, and your research).
Here are some additional questions that I use with my clients:
- What about your topic ticks you off?
- If you could change one thing about business or the world, what would it be?
- What do you stand for? What can people count on you for?
- What are you afraid to say because you’re afraid you’ll turn people off?
You should be able to articulate your point of view in a sentence or two.
Don’t be afraid to be controversial.
Don’t be afraid of turning some people off.
Be fearless.
Take a stand.
Share your POV.
© 2014 Big Impact Speaking
My question to YOU – what do YOU think ? Share your feedback in the comments section below!
Ava Diamond is a speaking mentor and messaging strategist, and is the founder of Big Impact Speaking. She has created such programs as Speak Your Way to Clients and Cash, and the Rock Your Speaking Academy. A professional speaker for seventeen years, she helps entrepreneurs rock their speaking so they expand their influence and reach, become known as the “go-to” expert in their field, and get all the clients they want.
Download the complementary Rock Your Speaking Power Pack at http://BigImpactSpeaking.com Contact Ava at ava@bigimpactspeaking.com or at 970-224-3015.
