Create content that sets you apart – even when you're 'the same' as everyone else.

If you offer a service of some kind – accounting, IT, legal, financial – you’ll have similar qualifications to other professionals in your niche. You might also be members of the same chartered institute or trade body. And you might have the same letters after your name.

So, how do you create content that makes you stand out?

The story of Jane Brook (centre left) and Claire Bannister (centre right) ?might help you.

They, along with 300 other House of Colour Image Consultants have gone through rigorous training in colour analysis and style.

In this sense they are 'the same'. But delve deeper and you’ll see that they aren’t the same at all.

How your human side differentiates you

When a potential customer comes across you for the first time, they want to know you are qualified to do what you say you can do.

That’s the ‘head’ bit of any relationship you develop with them. The paperwork that proves you have the right skills to solve your client’s problem.

But for that person to like, trust and buy into you, they must get to know you as a human being.

That’s the ‘heart’ bit.

It goes beyond what you do and the qualifications that enable you to do it.

It’s about why you care about doing your job well. Money is important – particularly at the moment – but it’s not all about the money.

Be human: head and heart

You'll express your human side in different ways. They differentiate you clearly from other people doing the same thing as you. Your human side might include: ??

• stories about why you were drawn to the work you do and why you want to make a difference to your clients
• how you see the world, what you stand for and the ways in which your work makes life better – for your clients, colleagues and/or the wider community
• sources of inspiration that keep you going when things get tough and spur you on to grow your business in a particular way.

These themes cropped up in my conversations with Claire and Jane. They are close friends and they’ve both built very successful House of Colour franchises, based on the same training and qualifications. But when we explored what each of them finds most rewarding about their work, there was an obvious difference:

• Jane loves one-to-one sessions with clients.
• Claire loves group classes, with three or four clients.

As we talked, several strands emerged. The same will happen to you, once you delve into how you’ve got to where you are today and why your work rewards you. Try starting with:

Your childhood stories ?

Claire’s love of groups has several elements to it. One element is her vivid memories of family gatherings:

“My mum and dad were really fun people. They created a very caring environment. They had a group of friends that I called my ‘aunties’ and ‘uncles’, although they weren't physically my aunts and uncles. They were always round each other's houses and all the kids were together.

“When we grew up as teenagers, my mum would say, 'Off you go clubbing then all your friends can come round to yours’. When we got back, there'd be tea and toast and mum saying, 'There are beds on the dining room floor. Come and sleep'. It was always, 'Come to us'.?The more the merrier. I definitely think that is in my 'being.”

Perhaps it’s not surprising that Claire is at her happiest when she’s recreating that sense of togetherness, in a group class: ?

“I do these massive of shopping events. For the last one, I had about 120 clients through the door. I feel pleasure when I see everyone. It is like welcoming friends. There's nothing I like more than them being all in the kitchen talking."???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Your view of the world??

Other people, and Jane Brook is one of them, look to the future rather than the past.

Maybe your business isn’t shaped by your childhood or previous careers. Perhaps you’re like Jane and part of your human side is about your values and how you see the world. Perhaps you use your work to correct what you feel is an imbalance or injustice. Jane:

"I know that ‘community’ is really important to me. I can't really trace this back, but ‘community’ comes from the fact that I need to feel that I belong. ?So I'm helping others feel that they belong and can be themselves. That's really important to me, because for years I felt I needed to conform to society norms of what a woman should be like. And that's not me. ?Gradually I've been shedding my protective layers. I'm becoming more and more ‘me’ and showing my vulnerability. ?That's incredibly powerful.”

In this context, one-to-one sessions are ideal for Jane:

?“My business is all about connecting with people on a deeper level. ?I love being part of their life. Building this community where we're all moving forward together and growing together.”

?Sources of inspiration

Another way to understand how your work rewards (and differentiates) you, is to think about what inspires you. Maybe it’s a person – an industry thought leader or someone in your business network. Maybe it’s a book, article or TED Talk.?Or maybe it’s something that – on the surface – has nothing to do with your business.?Like a trip to the cinema, and for Claire, the final part of The Showman:

“The bit that I love is at the end where they are in the middle of the arena and he's orchestrating that. I just love the fact he's got a tribe of people who love what he does and who are all individuals, all doing their own thing as well. I'm happiest when I'm surrounded by people. Jane says she likes to do one-on-one clients. I like three or four. I like that buzz, connecting different people and seeing them interact together, even though they're strangers. I love that.”

?Once you start bringing your stories and sources of inspiration to the front of your mind, you’ll start to see how they shape your approach to your work.?Your approach will be unique to you.?It will differentiate you. Claire:

“When a client walks into my studio, it is like putting on a show. It's warm. It's enthusiastic. It's safe. And then I orchestrate the drapes...’?

You can see the drapes in this photo, in front of Claire: squares of cloth that consultants put around your face, so you can see for yourself which colours make you go ‘wow!’ because they light you up:

“I've only just thought of it, but it is like that – orchestrating! And then all of a sudden, you – the client - you're ‘in’. You're in my group and I will help you and say that you look and feel amazing.??Because it’s not so much about the clothes, it's about the feeling and the transformation that you have. I get so excited because I think, ‘You're going to get it! You’re going to love it!’”????????????????????????????????????????????????

These themes underpin what you do, and what you will do

A few months after these conversations, Claire became Head of Training for House of Colour in the UK.?As she explained to me later, it was a natural next step for her, extending her ‘tribe’ to include colleagues as well as clients:

“What I hadn't realised was that I am someone who needs to lead people and create a buzz and a party. We call it The Showman, don’t we? That's where I get my energy from. My energy is having people who are part of my 'tribe' and them all getting what I do, understanding it and valuing it.?

In May 2021, Claire’s tribe got even bigger, when she became the UK Managing Director at House of Colour.?As she put it, ‘Loving the job… got my own Showman thing going on!’

Find the things that make you stand out from everyone else. Quick recap.

As Claire and Jane show, the human side of your business – the thing that helps potential clients to get to know you as an individual – will have different elements to it.??These elements make you unique, setting you apart from all those other professionals who do the same thing as you.?

Here’s a reminder of some of the things that make up your human side: ??

• Your back stories: ?why you joined your sector; why you love your work now; why you want to make a difference to your clients.
• What you stand for: your views on where you feel the world falls short and where you want your work to make life better.
• Sources of inspiration: the people, places, events or objects that give you the energy and ideas to help you grow your business.

The bonus of being your (human) self

Sharing your human side – your stories, your views, your values – not only helps you to stand out from competitors. It also enables you to attract exactly the right clients to you. By ‘right’ I mean people who reward you financially, professionally and personally because they:

• appreciate the value of what you do and are prepared to pay you what you are worth. No negotiating over prices. They get it.
• are enjoyable to work with. You look forward to seeing them, rather than feeling your heart sink when their latest email lands in your inbox.

Jane puts it better than I do:

“It's doing what I've always said we should do as House of Colour Stylists: that is, to attract the right people to us. The stronger you are in yourself, the more you will draw the correct people to you, because people will identify with you.

“I'm becoming more and more ‘me’ as the time goes on – and that is attracting more and more of the right people. In fact, one of my clients has just emailed me and asked me to go and work in Europe for a week with her clients. All of these opportunities are starting to come now that I am becoming more Jane Brook - if the world's ready!”

Would you love to be more yourself at work???

Contact Jane Brook on her House of Colour page.?Jane works with clients in Worcester, Droitwich and Birmingham.?If you live somewhere else in the UK, you’ll be able to find a stylist near you here.

If you’re in the States, you can contact a stylist here.

Would you love a career change that gives you more??

If you’re interested in becoming a stylist, House of Colour UK runs regular Discovery Days and information about the next one is here.?If you just can’t wait (??) then you can contact them direct right now.

If you’re in the US and want to join their growing community of image consultants, you can reach out to House of Colour USA here.

?About Miranda:

I’m converting 35 years of interviewing and programme making into lots of useful online things. They’re for you if you’re in marketing, copywriting or content production.?Or perhaps you are a founder who does all three.

If you’re serious about comms and want to find easier ways to get content from your colleagues and clients, get in touch with me on LinkedIn.?I’ll be sharing tips and ideas on how to do just that: creating the space where people (like Jane and Claire) open up because you’ve prompted them with the right questions. ?

#TheRichestConversations. Learn to lead them and create content that leaves a deeper impression.??