This Is How Engaging With Peers Can Help Your Business

This evening I was dropped off at the airport by my husband and three young kids - they are 7, 5, and 3. All three kids protested my departure.

“Why do you have to go, Mommy?” asked my 7-year-old.

Total knife to the heart. But I explained to her that, “Growing my business is important and it’s something I love to do. I don’t have to go, but I choose to go.”

I took my Polaroid photo of me and the three youngsters and entered the airport, headed for Orlando.

The truth is, intensive work on my business has to be a priority if I want it to thrive, and the same is true of any business. As entrepreneurs, if we focus all of our time and attention on our clients, we aren’t nurturing the business that is, in turn, servicing those clients.

The last time I went to an event like this was in October when I attended BizChix Live, Natalie Eckdahl’s event. The content was spectacular, but the biggest takeaway for me was perspective, something every entrepreneur should strive for.

As much as we know our own businesses inside and out, there is a difference between what we believe people should want and what they actually want. The former can be idealistic; the latter is a true look at behavior.

I will work the next few days with Maggie Patterson, Brittany Becher, and the rest of the mastermind to gain as much perspective as I can on two specific things:

1. What does my audience need to hear?

I learned this early in my career when talking to my peers. They wanted to know more about LinkedIn. When I asked what they wanted to know about LinkedIn, they simply said, “What should I put in my profile?”

I walked them through my process in a 2-3-minute video to rave reviews. They told me what I said was incredibly valuable, which surprised me. Sure, I had good things to say, but I didn’t think it was that good.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is the phenomenon called being an expert. When we know more than the average person about a particular subject, we can lose what the average person wants to hear about that subject because we are knee-deep in it.

2. What makes me valuable?

This isn’t a question rooted in insecurity but, again, in perspective. Just as our expertise can blind us to the simple things our audience wants to hear, the things that come naturally to us are probably what our clients love about us the most.

My ability to look at someone’s business and create short- and long-term marketing strategies is unique to me, but it’s tough to recognize that because I spend time with me all the time! In other words, it is difficult for us to recognize our own strengths for what they are because they come natural to us.

Allowing others to reflect this skill back to me is critical to really seeing my value and marketing business. Knowing this value is critical to marketing my business and generating leads. 

A Fresh Perspective

Even if you have adorable kiddos begging to to stay home, it’s important to get out and explore your own business strategy with your peers. 

Allow others to take a look at you and your business and reflect back to you what’s working, what’s not, and how you can move forward to grow your business in the best way possible.

About Chrissie Wywrot

Chrissie Wywrot is a B2B lead generator and personal brand strategist who works with passionate entrepreneurs and professional athletes. To learn more about her services, visit her LinkedIn profile or email her at [email protected].