You have about 15 seconds to make a compelling impression, and it has to rock the world of your potential audience.  Motivational keynote speakers face this all the time.  You might be selling yourself for a job, your company, your products, services or ideas.  Recently, I asked 10 teachers what they did, and they all responded that they are teachers.  That was an answer, but what does it really tell you?  Absolutely nothing!  Marketing experts and corporate business speakers learned long ago that, to get our attention, the advertisement must be compelling.

What is compelling about you?

In today’s environment, we’ve all become brands.  Social media has pushed us to a state where getting the opportunity to stand out is easy, based on available platforms, but getting noticed is much harder.  To make your message compelling, you should first examine the outcomes of what you do.  Who benefits and how do they benefit?  What are the outcomes for students, families and the communities, if you are a teacher?  The outcomes from your work are what’s compelling, not your position or title.  The same thing applies to companies.  What are the outcomes of the services or products your company provides?  The benefit of this approach is replication.  Once you understand it, others will also.

How should you build your brand?

First things first–and that is to develop a compelling introduction.  It will only be a maximum of 5-15 seconds.  Secondly, write it out and update everything.  All of your social media site presence should incorporate your compelling introduction.  This is the process of making your recognizable differences, recognizable.  Thirdly, practice on everyone.  This means your family, friends and associates.  There are often diamonds in your backyard.  The purpose of practice is to develop your own authenticity.

What should you expect?

Some say “expect the unexpected.”  As a motivational speaker, I say “expect a great deal of new opportunity.”  I’m currently coaching a business owner in Little Rock, Arkansas, named Scott M.  Scott and I rehearsed his compelling intro and the important things in his life.  He began using it immediately over the phone, in person and as an opening for a marketing event to clients.  All I can say is that he is now considered a rock star.  Everyone knew he was a financial planner in his community, but the passion was not present.  His new compelling opening has led to a flood of new business and opportunities that doesn’t appear to be ending any time soon.