Your Signature Talk On Stage and Off
I’m a firm believer that if you’re not awesome at a task in your business – copy-writing, graphic design, bookkeeping, scheduling, etc, – then you should outsource it immediately.
But there’s one thing in in your business that you absolutely, 100% cannot outsource and that is:
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How you communicate about your business
No one can replace you when you need to talk about your business.The signature talks that I help entrepreneurs and small business owners create and not just for the stage, though.
Your signature talk happens when you:
- go live on a webinar
- get behind the mic for the podcast interview that exposes you to a new audience
- hold a sales conversations with a client you’d love to work with
- create a launch video series for your next big thing
- give your elevator pitch at a networking event
Your signature talk is a representation of you and your business. It’s not only for your next speaking gig but for every time you open your mouth to speak.
You need to nail your signature talk on stage and off
If you haven’t noticed the world we live in is a noisy place. People are distracted and their attention is scattered. No matter how good your business does, or how much you make life better or how your business solves a big problem if your signature talk is not blowing their hair back, you’ll get drowned out in the noise. Even if your talk is remarkable – your audience may still miss out on your message the first, fourth and even the 28th time you give it.
So what can you do? Here are 3 questions to ask yourself to nail your signature talk whether it’s on the stage of your dream speaking gig or on your next webinar filled with dreamy new peeps.
#1. What do you want to be known for?
You business and your signature talk need to be 100% aligned. You as a speaker and you as an entrepreneur need to have a solid, tweetable answer to the question “what do you want to be known for?”
When I work with my clients in Speak for Impact, the first message we tackle is the BIG IDEA. At it’s essence, it answers the burning question of what do you want to be know for.
Here’s what my clients and I came up with for their signature talk:
- Mindy Crary wants you to “expect more from your money.”
- Erica Loren believes “Happiness is not a luxury it’s a mission critical work ethic.”
- Tara Gentile demands that you “Stop squeezing your business into someone else’s formula.”
All of these BIG IDEA statements are 100% aligned with the person’s business and what they want to be known for. It’s the THING they talk about whether they are on the stage or off.
Once you figure out what you want to be known for – it’s time to start crafting all of your messages to support it.
Speaking of crafting your supporting messages…
#2. What’s your story morning glory?
You’ve got to get your story straight. That’s right – there needs to be stories, case studies, and even research that you talk about over and over again.
These should be finely crafted, succinct, and tested in front of an audience. Then refined MORE based on feedback.
Each story should support your BIG IDEA and what you want to be known for.
What’s awesome is once you have these stories, you’ll be telling them everywhere – networking events, sales conversations, interviews, guest blog posts – everywhere you want your BIG IDEA to be.
One of my signature stories is about my own first horrific public speaking experience where I was so nervous I kept spitting on the boy I liked during my talk. (Poor guy was in the splash zone of my speech).
I’ve told that story 100 times now. I’ll tell it 10000000000000000 more before I’m done.
I’m still tweaking it and making it better each time.
And this leads me to the last question to ask about your signature talk:
#3. How consistent are you in your message?
Once you know your BIG IDEA and the stories you want to be telling, then…
…I want you to be bored. Not with this blog post but with your message. You need to say it so many times that you say to yourself “Heck, doesn’t everyone already know this already.”
When you get to that point, keep telling that story, making your point, getting the message across. When you’re bored, you’re finally getting traction, so don’t stop now.
It’s never too late to nail down your BIG IDEA, to get your story straight, and to be remarkably consistent with your message each time you speak whether it’s on stage to 500 people or over the phone to one person that’s eager to work with you.
It’s time to be known for what you do and how your business serves.
So what are you going to do, keep stumbling over your words in an interview or start getting crystal clear on what you want to be known for and getting your message into the hands of the people who need you and your business?
[Tweet “It’s time to be known for what you do and how your business serves.”]
Introducing Speak for Impact
If you’re down for creating a signature a talk for both on stage and off, but whoa you’re not sure how to start or how to figure out what you want to be known for, don’t worry I’ve got your back.
The Speak for Impact program helps you uncover your BIG IDEA, craft stories that you can use every time you speak, and feel 100% confident that you’re nailing your message. Imagine teaming up with a Ph.D. in Communication (that’s me) that helps you understand what your audience is craving to hear from you, giving you clarity on what you want to be known for, and not only getting your audience to “buy now” but buy-in to what you do.
