Step and Stone Blog Articles Danielle Anderson

Do you communicate with confidence when you talk about yourself and your business?

Over the years, I’ve seen some common traits amongst business owners when it comes to communication:

• They’re missing out on customers because of poor brand visibility
• They’re not sure what to say or how to say it

But they also see communication as a necessary and important skill to improve at, in order to grow their business.

5 steps to communicate with confidence

If this sounds like you, be rest-assured!

With the right attitude and steps, you can also communicate with confidence and clarity.

Ultimately, this is an essential component to attract more customers and grow your business!

1. by being authentic

Being authentic in who you are, in what you stand for and why it matters, helps you build a business that fulfills you. It helps you embody confidence because you aren’t hiding who you are: your personality, your values, your beliefs etc.

It’s therefore important to know:

• What you want out of life and from your business.
• The things that are important to you.
• Why you do what you do.
• Your favorite thing to do in your business.
• Your vision for your business.

If you can answer these statements, then your authenticity and that of your business can slowly take shape.

2. by owning your story

New experiences are encountered daily, whether through meeting new people, acquiring new and relevant information, or doing something that makes someone else feel good. It’s an endless list honestly.

These are our stories.

But stories aren’t just the facts and events of our lives; they are how we choose to integrate both to make meaning. When we do this, our story tells them what happened and why the event was important.

The challenge for some working professionals is what they are presently doing is far removed from what they previously did in employment or what they studied in school.

How do you integrate two or more different fields?

Even if what you’re doing now in business seems so far removed from what you’ve done before, I promise you that there are pieces of your story which are still relevant.

I started working in a corporate environment straight out of university. So when I left the industry and started a business 10 years later, I had NO IDEA how to integrate the work I used to do with the entrepreneur I was then trying to be. The two worlds seemed so different from each other.

But over time, I started to pick out the pieces that were still relevant. The things I loved doing in my past career were similar to things I loved doing in my business – executing new ideas, building networks & connections, and supporting people to grow.

Your story is important because stories are how we connect and relate with others.  They also help you to build up trust & rapport, and to differentiate you from your competitors.

3. by choosing your customer

One thing to know and accept right off the bat is that you cannot be in business for everyone! It’s a hard fact but one that helps you focus when you accept it.

Start with one customer in mind: your ideal customer. Know a few things about them, such as their demographic, their lifestyle, the kind of work they do… Once you’ve listed these things, create a communication strategy that speaks to this customer.

Choosing one customer to begin with helps you become more focused on the opportunities you seek, and guides you to work with the people you truly want to work with.

If your business has more than one customer it can cater to, the same process applies in knowing your other potential customers.

4. by refining your words

Confidence and communication are intertwined. Effective communication ensures that the intended message is relayed clearly.

It’s about choosing the right words when talking about yourself and your business. Not just what you do, but the problem your work solves.

Knowing your customer does wonders in helping you refine your words, because you know who your business exists to serve, how it serves them and even the results they get from working with you.

5. by building a connection

Building connections requires us to be ourselves. Embracing an unapologetic demeanour will lead you to make connections with the right people who resonate with your message and your values.

Creating valuable content also plays a role in connecting with people and attracting customers.

Continuously remind your potential customers that you exist by producing content of value that is relevant to them. This content can come in any form you feel is ideal, whether its social media posts, facilitating workshops, hosting free webinars, or writing blog posts.

And as you create content, it’s important to be consistent. How you show up and how you communicate with your audience is the determining factor whether your audience will convert to clients. When they do, be consistent in how you work with them; you want to create an experience that they can expect every time.

The more you repeat this experience, the more confident you become at delivering and communicating with your audience and your clients.

increase you confidence in communication, with Simplicity

If you’re struggling to talk about yourself and your business, it’s likely you’re also struggling to bring in customers.

Don’t let poor communication be the thing that holds you from making a living, doing what you love. Join the next cohort of Simplicity and get focused, get confider, and get customers.

Learn more and enrol here.