4 Ways to Build A Compelling Profile For Your Business Or Organization

Last week I had a walk-in client who wanted me to create a compelling profile for her business. As we got chatting, it became clear that there were many unknowns about her business idea.

What made the task increasingly complex was her defensive attitude to my promptings for more information on the nature of her business. She could not understand why she could not just leave me with the “headache” of writing a 4-5 page document about her Real Estate Company with content borrowed from a leading realtor’s website.

Not having the full picture about your business (.e.g. whom you serve, how you serve them etc.)  may not necessarily be a bad thing. Self-denial about how little you know about your own business is; especially when you expect others to paint a fabricated proposition that you may not be willing to stand by. Your business may make it through the first hurdle of attracting interest but it will certainly not survive the scrutiny of serious clientele; which is what we all want at the end of the day, Serious Customers.

Any business or organization needs visibility. Company/organization/business profiles are a great tool for letting people know you exist, the reason why you exist and why they need to take note of your existence.

Developing a compelling profile is vital. Not only will a good profile serve you  as a “biblical” guide for defining and refining your business strategy, but it also forms a basis from which all your marketing communication can take its cue.

 Here are 4 truths that help make for strong compelling content in creating a profile for your company.

Be Honest

The natural temptation when starting out in crafting a profile is to over-everything...Over-sell, over-state, over-price, over-think, over-analyze and over-emphasize. This tends to hurt your company in the long run because your integrity and credibility can and will be called into question at some point. The fallacy we often fall into is that marketing and PR are more like ‘spin-doctoring’ or creating “illusions”. Nothing can be further from the truth.

Any false hood communicated to potential clients has a way of coming back in ugly forms that make it very hard for your brand or organization to recover from. What’s worse, you squander the goodwill that first attracted the interest of the potential client. Honesty on the other hand, has a refreshing quality to it and provides a novelty for potential clients that may just give that extra nudge to their hand to sign on the deal.

 Be Bold & Assertive:

Being honest by no means being sloppy. Just because you are starting out and trying to get noticed on an untried portfolio doesn’t mean that you short-change your business or organization. There are strong suits that gave you the confidence and courage to launch out and believe in the possibility of your idea. Highlight those strong points. Lead with them in your profile. Make sure everyone notices, “This is the reason why I have the guts to stand up and sell you this product or Service”

Be un-apologetic and uncompromising in stating your ability to deliver value to your potential clients. This is the most important thing your business profile must not only capture but also communicate.

Be Different

There are many instances, where a client’s expectation of a profile is a multi-page write-up detailing who the management, staff teams are, how impeccable their career history and experience is…etc. For some reason, established organizations seem to prefer profiles that conform to old-school website content. Few are courageous enough to deviate from this script, especially when there is a long history of success and an equally impressive portfolio to pad the profile.

Nobody wants to thumb through wordy resumes, when they can glance at a short, succinct statements of capability that tell why you are the best person to get the job done. There is no longer safety in long sentences and many words when we are so pressed for time. Visually compelling profiles can give a better sense of who you are and what we can achieve together. The challenge then is to build a profile that will feel right at home on social media as it will in the board room. Think like Twitter, (140 characters that communicate concisely), execute like Facebook (capturing human imagination through compelling statement visuals) and deliver LinkedIn (ability to professionally connect with like-minded audience)

 Be Modest

In as much as it is your company profile, the tone it strikes should not be all about you. Think about the consumer of the content on your profile. It’s important that they know how great you are and how grand your organization is. But deep down, remember that they are really flesh and blood human beings. There is a reason why they are seeking information about your business or organization.

From the curious consumer who just stumbled across your website, to the genuinely seeking soul who perhaps is pursuing a supplier or employment engagement, respect for your audience must be the reverential tone of your organizational profile. One way to achieve this is to tease out their needs; offer an interactive space or quest for your audience and allow them to seek you out with their questions and introspections about your offering.