What's your approach?

I hope I've been able to convince you and not confuse you....

Was that really needed to conclude a debate lol?

I mean you would have seen it through the expressions, the quality of questions asked in respect to the points you've made and the audiences reaction.

And yeah, the final result will speak for itself.

I used to be that kid in primary school, representing my class in debates and that time we were taught to end our presentation with, 'I hope I've been able to convince you and not confuse you'. Thinking of it now, that was a funny conclusion because if they were confused, you'd see it from their faces. Now I would say 'End with a strong quote, fact or put something strong that gets them thinking, 'I don't want to miss out'.

As creatives we sometimes want to know the final verdict, if the prospect will convert or not but your presentation matters a lot. Did you put your points together with facts, did you present it with confidence, did you relate it to the prospect's life?

Before you asked if they are satisfied, ask yourself if you fed them well.

Most times people still choose based on preference, but a well prepared and presented work wins 99% of the time.

Sometimes you Pitch, other times you Pose

A church member spoke about a man that was an executive in a company and advised that I pitch myself to him. It sounded like a good idea but honestly, I had no offer of value or request for him, if he offered me a job at that company, I wouldn't really want that, so I didn't reach out.

Fast forward to this year. January, I was invited by the teens church to talk to them about goal setting, while I had a presentation, I noticed most of my points had been said by the children's teacher, so I decided to speak from the heart. Mind you the executive my church member had spoken about was also a teacher there. After my talk I proceeded to take a seat, but he signaled me to come. He asked me, 'How come I haven't seen you in this church before'. Then he asked me questions about what I do, and I was able to share my work. He reached for his pocket and gave me his business card and said, 'If you need any help whatsoever, just reach out to me'.

That was a great encounter that got me thinking, 'What if I had reached out to him last year with no value to share or specific need?', he would have tagged me as an unserious person or one of those who ask for a job to survive.

It's somewhat easy to be close to or get the contacts of high value individuals but don't be in a hurry to ask for help if you have no value to offer them or haven't done your research on them. This is important so you don't come off as another beggar or person selling generic solutions.

I didn't have to pitch to him but what I had shared gave him the impression that I had value. When I say pose, I mean showing up to places (online &offline) and sharing what you know how to do best and doing it confidently/naturally.

I Have Something to Offer but, How Do I Show Up?

If you're wondering how to Show up online and offline to attract prospects and make impact, Do this:

• Find out what value/solution you offer
• Search what is generally known about your niche and find your unique proposition, that will direct your message and build your content.
• Create a personal brand online and offline (Let people feel and hear the knowledge when they see your posts and speak with you). Share your message with a bunch of your experience which is unique to you but backs up your solutions (You've lived it and can do same for others)
• Don't wait until last minute to prepare documents or guides to receive your clients (e.g. Onboarding document, workflow, packages, etc.

My name is Joy, and I help pose executives and brands as thought leaders and trusted solutions through strategic content writing and presentation.

Want to show up with more authority and attract without chasing, let's build your content together with value you already have.?https://calendly.com/joyfashagba/30min?

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Want to read better this year and impact young lives? Join Readers lead book club, let’s build a better tomorrow: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf07wogMWyEvZW4MxKEG2JX3NGeJ2oSkS_SOygCZL2qhcO5pA/viewform?usp=sf_link?