Make Business Simple – My Four-Word Rules For Success. #8 in a Series.
We've spent the last few weeks talking about my four-word rules for business success. My goal remains simple: I want to give you easy to implement tools, tactics, and techniques to make your business better.
Each rule is only four words long because often that's all it takes to make a huge difference when you build your brand and your business.
If you missed any of the rules, just click on each link: Rule #1 is HERE. Rule #2 is HERE. Rule #3 is HERE. Rule #4 is HERE. Rule #5 is right HERE. Rule #6 is right HERE. Rule #7 is HERE.
A few years ago, I was invited to make a presentation on the TEDx stage. I was very excited about this opportunity and spent a lot of time writing my speech, editing my speech and — most of all — rehearsing my speech.
I left nothing to chance. I timed myself over and over to make sure I wouldn't speak for too long. I worked with a wonderful speaking coach (Hayley Foster) to make sure that my stories, points, and jokes were as good as possible. I selected what I was going to wear, scheduled a haircut a week before, and did everything I could think of to make the best impression possible. I even got to the location a day early and walked the route to the stage to make sure nothing could keep me from being there.
The night before the event the organizers held an organizational briefing. They told us that one of the videographers wasn't able to attend so they were going to use a locked-down camera. They told us that when we walked on stage we should take the four steps to the white tape X on the ground and stand there without moving. Otherwise, we would wander out of the camera's range. A small problem for someone who moves as much as I do, perhaps, but not insurmountable.
Finally, it was the morning of the event. I got up early for my run, showered, got dressed, and went down to have a cup of coffee and a quick bite of breakfast before I walked across the street to the venue. I was bending over to grab my bread from the toaster when I felt a little click in my lower back. Instantly I knew I had thrown my back out.
Two hours later, when it was my turn to speak, my lower back had locked up in total spasm. I could barely move. But because the organizers had told us to stay on the white tape X, I knew that all I had to do was take the four steps to the mark and then I could give my speech.
And that's what I did. I slowly counted to four as I painfully walked onto the stage. Then I turned, smiled at the audience, and began my speech.
You can watch it HERE if you'd like. And now that you know what was going on, you'll realize that throughout the full eight minutes I was talking I did not move a muscle from the waist down.
About this time, I was lucky enough to meet Julie Donnelly. Julie is a massage therapist who specializes in eliminating back pain. In fact, Julie has written a number of books on the subject. Her most recent is titled The 15 Minute Back Pain Solution. Julie's book is only $4.99, an incredible bargain for anyone who has pain in their low back, hip, groin, knee, or suffers from sciatica.
Needless to say, I was in so much pain that I would have paid any amount Julie asked me to pay. And I would have done anything Julie told me to do. Lucky for me, what she told me actually worked.
But this post is not about my TED talk and it's not about Julie's book. It's about how you can find the perfect moment when you matter the most to your prospect. That's when your brand value intersects with your potential consumer's aspirations. Because that's when the magic happens. Case in point? There was no better time for me to meet Julie than at the very moment when I needed what she's so very good at.
That's why my Four-Word Rule for Success #8 is to Understand Why You Matter.
There are a lot of ways you can set you and your business apart: You can be cheaper, you can be faster, you can be better looking, you can be closer, you can be smarter, you can be better, you can be higher quality, you can be better known. You can be all of the above.
But the best way to build you brand value and demonstrate why you matter to your customers and your potential customers is to Understand Why You Matter TO THEM!
Julie Donnelly did it. You can too.