It’s a noisy world out there.
There is a perpetual stream of propaganda and a barrage of distractions all battling for our attention. Having your business or personal brand noticed is more difficult than ever these days.
That’s not to mention the fact that you (for the most part) live in a globally connected, instantaneously accessible network of competitors who all do something very similar to what you do.
So, how do you stand out? How do you “stop the scroll” and get your mission, your message or your method noticed?
It’s simpler than you might think, but you must first understand why it’s so easy to get absorbed into the masses and drowned out.
The reason businesses and people and marketing messages become indistinguishable is because most of us give very ambiguous, indistinct and vague descriptions of what we do. We speak in high-level terms, with lots of ambiguity and little emotion or connection. We literally sound like everyone else.
The key to breaking through to your audience is to instead convey your message from a place of power, vulnerability and authenticity. You need to speak in a way that makes them realize instantly that you understand them and their struggles and that you are there to help.
How do you do that?
The first step happens when you are able to identify your ideal client. And you shift your entire mindset from communicating to people to instead focusing on addressing one person. Whether it’s on video, in writing, on social media or in large presentations, you should resist the natural urge of addressing a large sea of people and instead treat it as if you are talking to one single individual person.
It’s very hard to assess and empathize with how an entire audience is feeling because they are so diverse and have so many different things going on in their respective lives. But it is very easy to understand and relate to how one individual might feel. After all, you are an individual and you have been there yourself.
That brings us to Step 2: Not only should you talk to a specific, individual person. You also should communicate from a profound emotional place that you personally have experienced and understand. They key is to market your product or service or brand or message in a way that is deeply personal.
You don’t want to communicate from a loosely associated connection to some faceless corporate entity or purpose. You will be far more successful and influential if you write and speak from your personal connection to the issue or topic or company or question at hand.
We tell our Brand Builders Group personal brand clients to remember, you are always most powerfully positioned to serve the person you once were. The reason you are powerfully positioned is because you understand what it feels like to be that person. You know the emotions and the struggles and the pain that someone in that situation is going through.
You can immediately relate with the challenges and frustrations they are experiencing right now as they try to navigate their way to finding the knowledge and processes they need to help them get past their current stage.
You are most powerfully positioned to serve the person you once were.
Speak to, write to, communicate to, and create products and services for the person you used to be. Reach back and help someone solve the problem that you once had. Provide for another the answers to questions you previously had to answer. Share your story of how you conquered the challenge that they are currently facing.
It’s incredibly difficult to connect with a large audience of people. But it’s profoundly simple—even spiritual—to speak directly to one other person about the shared trials and emotions of our human experience.
The great irony is that if you try to communicate to many, you will influence none. But if you focus on communicating to one, you will influence many.
This article originally appeared in the November/December 2021 Issue of SUCCESS magazine. Photo by @Globetrotter/Twenty20