Category: General

What If Your Pants Were On Backward?

RJ Foster

If you went to a party and saw a friend wearing their pants backward, would you tell them?  What if it were you with the backward pants? Would you want someone to tell you? And if they did, how would you respond? Would you be angry for the criticism or thankful for the observation? Would you tell yourself, “This is how I’ve always worn them,” and move on? Would you change your pants but put them on the same way, or would you consider the input and ask for advice?

Growing your business demands exploring every possible opportunity to introduce yourself. But more chances to share your message create more chances to send the wrong message. Publishing content with misspelled or misused words…stumbling through an elevator speech that’s unprepared or unfocused…giving a presentation with more “um’s,” “like’s,” and “you know’s” than anyone can count…these are all very much like wearing your pants the wrong way. You may not realize it, but everyone else does. And what it says about you and your business will always overshadow your message.

Whatever your business, it’s crucial to evaluate your message and your delivery to make sure you’re standing out like a superstar, and not sticking out like a sore thumb.  Because the last thing you want to be is the person everyone’s talking about for all the wrong reasons.

The Wordsmith Can Help
If you’d like to review your messaging, I’d love to help! Drop me a message or give me a ring (920-540-3551), and let’s see what we can do to shape your story into one people love to hear and can’t wait to share.

Conversion begins with connection

RJ Foster

Who are you trying to speak to?

I used to get upset when my teenage daughter would demonstrate what I referred to as “advantageous interpretation disorder” – a condition that causes questions to take on whatever meaning is easiest to answer. I would ask, “Do you have any homework?” My daughter would hear, “Do you have any homework you can’t finish on the bus or during lunch tomorrow?” and with a brief look up from her phone would reply, “Uhhh, no.”

Turns out, many grown-up business people have a similar condition when it comes to message development. I ask, “Who do you want to speak to?” They hear, “Who is your target market?” and respond with information like gender, age, income, marital status, or maybe a string of job titles, positions, and descriptions. And while marketing & demographic data are important, when we focus only on facts & figures, we lose sight of insights & feelings. We gain information about segments we want to capture but miss the emotions of the individuals with whom we’re trying to connect.  And in a time when people are drowning in noise, it’s meaningful messaging that stops the endless scrolling and starts the mindful questioning.

Increased conversion begins with improved connection. Focus a little less on your “what” and a little more on your “why,” and you’ll make the connection that sparks a conversation.

If you’d like to learn how, contact me to arrange a free message assessment session. Or call me at 920-540-3551, and we can talk about how to get people talking about you!