Have you ever frozen up when asked what your business does? Do you get awkward and anxious and ramble on for a while, not really saying anything at all? Do your answers to these questions give you an idea of what confident communication entails?
This brain jam isn’t because you’re unsure about what you do (if it is, that’s another conversation altogether). You just haven’t figured out the basics of confident communication when it comes to talking about your business.
connecting through storytelling
Every opportunity to talk about your business is an opportunity to share your business story. Just like every person has a story, so does every business. What details we share and how we frame them is our story.
Sharing parts of who we are is an intimate act and can be scary. However, it helps us grow closer to one another. When we share our business stories with our audience – regardless who they are, they feel more connected to us.
Storytelling is a big part of human interaction and we have been doing it for as long as we have existed. Your story is the communication tool that gives the reason WHY you do what you do: your purpose.
This is what your audience connects with.
the “what” and “how” of our businesses is a lot easier to talk about
But, your purpose or your WHY is the juicy part of your story and is usually what people will remember. It’s the reason you started your business. This goes deeper than just the need to make money.
Your WHY could have been born from a personal experience or from witnessing someone else’s hardship. If you don’t think you have an inspirational story, you still have a WHY.
What issues do you hope to solve through your business? What impact does it have on people’s lives? How and why has your business evolved since it started?
so how exactly should you tell your story?
Confidently telling your story not only holds your audience’s attention, it makes your story more believable. We are drawn to confident people. We trust that they know what they are doing and are inclined to believe whatever they are talking about. This is what you want.
To build trust.
Confidently talking about what you do might seem like such a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. Many times we shy away from speaking opportunities either because we aren’t sure about the subject matter or because we have a number of insecurities like the way our voices sound or a fear of sounding silly.
But remember, YOU created this business and know about it more than anyone else. So, take a deep breath and remind yourself of this each time you feel those butterflies doing back-flips in your belly when you are asked to talk about your business.
be clear and concise
Once you have reminded yourself of this truth, have a clear and concise answer ready to go each time someone asks you some form of the question, “what do you do?” The shorter and more precise your answer, the better.
have a clear message
Having clarity on your message enables you to be more confident when talking about it. If it’s not clear to you, it won’t be clear to your audience. If it helps, write down exactly what it is you are trying to communicate and practice saying it.
Remember, it is also a lot easier to be clear and more articulate when telling the truth than when remembering a fictitious story about your business.
Be clear about what you want your audience to remember and stick to that. When asked what you do, your answer should pique your listener’s interest and give them more questions. When they ask to know more, then you can get into the nitty-gritty details of what you do.
Remember, if you don’t talk about what your business does, no one will know about you. If no one knows about your product or service, no matter how great it is, no one will buy it.
Leave a Reply