This is a secret my Life Coach shared with me...

When I was starting my own business, I was looking for ways to sign up as many clients as possible. I was hoping that there is a technique out there which will allow me to make an easy transition from prospect to paying clients. I have been reading tons of publications, listening to podcasts, and investing in multiple courses. Needless to say, once the word was spread and my email appeared in few (too many) places I was enjoying the overflow of email marketers pitching their services to me.

I was trying to be smart, stay in my financial lane and not end up paying more than I was earning on further training. The more I learned the more alteration I was making to my “perfect sale pitch” technique. After some time, I was struggling to remember my own script. It felt I am confused and surely it was not doing any good to myself and my potential clients.

At that point I have spoken to my coach about it and he mentioned four words which changed my perspective for ever. All he said was: “BE CLEAR NOT CLEVER”.

It hit me right there and then. I looked at my own writing, my own papers, the words which I have so carefully pre-selected for my discovery sessions. I realized that in between of phrases which sounded so professional and top notch, I was completely losing sense and missing my points. How could I be transparent in front of the people I spoke to if I was “fluffing and puffing” each sentence? I was trying so hard to sound professional and eloquent that I actually sounded ridiculous because I was not making much sense at all. I have checked my emails and social media posts just to realize that the person writing them wasn’t the true me at all. I have become, yet another, marketer. What the hell?!

From that day on I decided to stay CLEAR on what I want to communicate. There is no need for all this CLEVER marketing speech, catches and loop holes. The best business deals, conversations and disputes can be held by using a simple language which will be understood by all participants equally. I still prefer to use full sentences or words and I will always opt for grammatical correctness (even though English is not my first language) but these days I will voluntarily remove from my speaking or writing all additional and not necessary words. I am no longer trying to “outsmart” my client or give them the impression I am “more” in any way. I am who I am and I am not ashamed of it.

This has changed completely the way I am conducting business. I stay CLEAR not only on my communication but also on my strategy, goals, and expectations. I truly believe that removing “CLEVERNESS” from your language might be the first and most correct step on achieving overall CLARITY. This unblocks all potential you hold hidden and will allow you fulfill your goals faster and with better quality of the result. Don’t just take it from me – take it from my own coach and check for yourself.

Izabela Khan

Strategic Executive Coaching (SEC)