How to Get Attention in a Crowded Market

Because nobody cares until you make them care

Your words are probably killing you

I was sitting in another Zoom meeting the other day, and about five minutes in, people started to chat on the side. Someone said something funny, that made someone answer with something funnier. Then a couple more chimed in. Then someone complimented someone else’s glasses, and she replied with a thanks and a link where we could go find some like it. And then somebody said something snarky about how they thought this meeting was going to be different, and somebody else replied with more snark. And then it was a pile-on in the chat room. Some facilitators think that chatting is great engagement in a virtual meeting. Maybe. But in this case, it was just a sign that nobody cared what the person talking was saying. We were more interested in having side conversations. I know you’re nodding because I know you’ve been there.

So why am I bringing this up? Because you might think people are listening, but they’ve really checked out. And in this crazy business setting right now, you can’t afford for your words to be ignored, right? 

Are you trying to sell your service or product?

Are you trying to get appointments with people from LinkedIn outreaches?

Are you scrambling to figure out what your customer needs right now and be there?

Are you chatting with people in your industry to figure out what they’re doing that’s working?

Me too.

And I definitely don’t have the answers. But one thing I know. It was true before, and it’s even more true today. Your words are all you have to get someone’s attention, keep it, get them interested in what you have, and to sell. 

But most of your words are leading them to the chat room.

Your web copy isn’t making them say, “Oh my gosh, we NEED that.”

Your videos are just adding to the noise.

Your letters to strangers are being deleted before they read the first line.

I know because I’ve been there too. I’m still there in some ways. But, hey, awareness is power.

So let’s see if we can help you put a quick fix on that pitch – or whatever you call the short way that you tell people what you do.

Play along with me for a minute.

 If you were at a virtual Chamber event, and given a few minutes to introduce yourself and tell people what you do, what would you say?

If I’m being completely transparent, I would tell you that most times when given the opportunity to do something like this, my answer would be:

I’m Kelly Swanson. I’m a motivational speaker and a comedian, and an author. I was a contributor for the Huffington Post. I’m the author of “Who Hijacked My Fairy Tale?” and “The Story Formula.” I help people tap into the power of story. I can do keynotes, workshops, breakouts, and private coaching. And, yes, I can do virtual if you need it. My website will tell you more about me, and be sure to check out my Youtube channel.

Does it work?

Yeah. Sometimes.

Well. Probably never. I get the business because they had already heard of me.

I have heard hundreds of vendors, when given the opportunity to tell us what they do, say something very similar. They do just that – tell us what they do and what they offer, while we text our friends and look at our watches.

That pitch above does nothing for me. It could have SO much more power.

You be the judge. Which one would YOU prefer? The one above, or this new pitch I wrote after putting it through my Persuasion Principle?

Hi, I’m Kelly Swanson. I’m a motivational speaker and a comedian, which means I tell you that you can do anything, and then I tell you I’m just kidding. People assume that because I’m the one on stage, that I am naturally confident and have the gift of being able to entertain people and tell a good story. It may look that way, but I didn’t start out this way. I am an introvert who grew up incredibly shy. If you looked at me, I would turn beat red. The LAST thing I ever dreamed of, was getting on a stage. But I had something to say. And apparently I had a gift that people told me should be shared with the world. But I didn’t just step up on a stage and do it overnight. I had to learn. I had to study. I had to practice. I wasn’t a natural born storyteller. I had to WORK at it. I still get nervous. I still work at it. But I do have more confidence now because I know the secrets. I now have the formulas for creating a presentation that I know will work. I know how to put the story together so it sells every time. And a happy surprise in my life, was that I would figure out how to teach other people. I’ll never forget the faces of the people who came to me with their own message and gift wrapped in a ton of fear, and buried under words that were hiding their power. In just a few moments, I was able to show them how to spin their words into gold. Every person who came to me, left with something more powerful. Because the Persuasion Principle works. Somebody sitting here today has a very important message to bring to the world – a product or service that will change lives – but it’s buried under the clutter. Let me help you spin your words into gold, and get the business you deserve. It took me fifteen years to figure it out. Let’s make it happen for you in one session. What would it mean to you to have your words generate three times more leads? Come to my booth and I’ll tell you the biggest mistake you’re probably making.

I think it’s a no-brainer that the second pitch is better. But most people do the first. Most pitches fall flat because they are missing three key ingredients.

Three Key Ingredients to Effective Pitches

Just as a cake falls flat unless it has the necessary ingredients, so does a pitch. Three are three things it needs, or rather needs to do:

·     Show me my problem and my pain

·     Show me you can personally relate to my pain

·     Show me your solution solving my pain

Too often we just tell people what we do, without ever convincing them that they need it. People don’t buy what you sell, they buy the problem they think they have, the pain they associate with it, and the transformation you will bring to their lives.

Take a look at your vendor pitch, web copy, sales presentation, speech, lead generator, and any other way that you choose to reach out to your buyer, and see if it’s addressing these three key ingredients.

If you want to go deeper – learn more about how to do this effectively – and how to give your words even MORE power, then hop on my webinar “Ditch the Pitch” happening this month. www.DitchPitch.com or just hop on my website (www.kellyswanson.net) and look for the Coaching tab.

Let me help you spin your words into gold in just minutes.