What’s Your Point of View?

As the cashier handed me my change, I asked about the name tattooed across her knuckles. “That’s my daughter’s name. She’s the center of my life and I want everyone to know,” she told me.

My first thought was how painful it must’ve been to have each of those letters tattooed on sensitive fingers. Then I was struck by the power of that tattoo to clearly communicate the cashier’s perspective and commitment.

I wouldn’t suggest that consultants start tattooing themselves to show the world what’s important to them. But you can almost always find ways to sharpen the clarity of what you do, believe, and offer to clients. And that clarity of purpose will help differentiate you in the market.

Clarify Your Purpose

We live in a world of short cuts. That’s especially true when we process new information. When visitors look at a web site, for example, they instantly categorize what they see to decide if there’s anything worth reading.

In fact, one study shows that site visitors will read only about 20 percent of the text on a web page before moving on. In response to this reality, many consultants load up their home pages with descriptions of their “unique” qualifications and “superb track record of results.”

If you get that information onto the first page–or so the reasoning goes–you have a shot at holding a client’s attention. It’s common to see consultants apply this same logic to the design of sales proposals, presentations, and client meetings.

But if you really want them to stop on your site, read your proposal, or listen to what you have to say, make your purpose and commitment to clients as clear as if you had tattooed it on your knuckles.

You’ll have more success in all your marketing and selling efforts if you state boldly and confidently what your practice stands for. Instead of serving up boring claims about how you help organizations “manage change,” grab and hold clients’ attention by showing them your compelling sense of purpose.

Offer thought-provoking perspectives on the issues clients face, and they’ll read far more than 20 percent of what you’ve worked so hard to write.

read more: http://mindshareconsulting.com/whats-your-point-of-view/