Inbox kind of empty lately?
What would your business be like if you were the person who came to mind every time someone said they need x, y, and z services? I bet your inbox would be full of referrals and appointments from qualified leads. I want this for you!
Becoming the go-to person in your industry takes consistent, clear, and laser-focused effort. You must be bold in your beliefs and teachings—and you must be seen as a resource in your community.
Sound difficult? It’s not difficult, but it takes getting a few things nailed down with crystal-clear precision and accuracy, so that people know EXACTLY what you do and who you serve.
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The First Step: Your Go-To-Person Statement
The first step requires you being able to answer this single question without hesitation and in a concise manner: What do you want to known for in business?
I wrote a post about this earlier, which provides clarity and guidance for getting to the bottom of what you want to be known for in business. I suggest that you take some time and read that post and really give this question some thought.
Since then, I’ve also developed this small fill-in-the-blank statement which will help you refine your Go-To-Person focus even more:
If you are a __________________________ (audience you serve), and you struggle with _________________(struggle #1) and ____________________ (struggle #2), you’ve come to the right place.
For my business, here is my Go-To-Person template:
If you are a heart-centered business owner, and you struggle with visibility and becoming the go-to-person in your industry, you’ve come to the right place.
While this may seem quite simple to develop, there is so much power and clarity in getting this statement as clear and concise as possible. No one will be confused about what you do—and you will be remembered for how you help people.
The Second Step: Your Mission Statement
After you have developed your Go-To-Person statement, it’s time to work on your mission statement. Don’t you hate landing on a website and reading and reading and reading—only to find out after several pages and many minutes later that the person isn’t the right person for the job/service you need? Or even worse, you pop right OFF the site because you don’t see what you’re looking for!
Nothing is more infuriating. We ain’t got time for that!
Your mission statement is that singular sentence, posted around your website in various places, that tells people they are in the right place. It is also your personal measuring stick that keeps you on track and helps you develop content that is reaching the right with your mission. (More on content in The Third Step.)
I highly encourage you to read this post which will walk you through how to develop a strong mission statement for your brand. It’s an easy three-step process that will serve as a useful guide in your business and for those who are visiting your site.
The Third Step: Share What You Know
Once you have developed your Go-To-Person Statement and your Mission Statement, it’s time to begin sharing what you know with others. In other words, it’s time to start putting branded content into the world. People need to know what you know and how you can help them before they will ever plunk down money and work with you.
When it comes to content, there are many forms—and it’s crucial that you pick a content form that allows you to be the real you. Check out the content wheel below:
Now, let’s consider for a moment that you really LOVE to write. You hate watching videos. Wouldn’t it make sense that you would find joy in writing blog posts, small social media snippets, and perhaps ebooks and guides that would show off your expertise?
I’ve been working with brands across the country, and I’ve realized something quite powerful. There are a lot of business owners who “jump on the next content bandwagon”, because someone told them they should be doing video, or podcasting, or hosting a Blab show.
It simply isn’t true. If you are great at writing content—stick to the written forms. Don’t jump to podcasting, which is audio-based (and very technical) if it’s not in your content wheel-house. The same with video—some people just aren’t comfortable in front of a camera.
Here’s my big lesson for you today, in terms of content to build your expertise: Don’t force yourself to produce content that doesn’t bring you joy. Life is too short. Your prospects are noticing if you are shaking on video or lousy at podcasting. This will tarnish your brand. [bctt tweet=”Stick to the content you are comfortable with creating and the content that brings you joy.” username=”WritingWhisper”]
