I’m not going to lie; it’s hard to claim your vulnerability. BUT, since I’m being honest, it is the key to connecting to prospects in a way that makes them believe with their entire being that you are the solution to their problem.
I remember when I first left my corporate career. It was such a hard environment and I had to play a role of strength and utter confidence at all times. I couldn’t afford to let my guard down. Any sign of weakness would be the end of my professional career. Can those of you who’ve been in Corporate relate?
Fast forward to being an entrepreneur. I’ll just start with Mary Kay – a touchy feely environment where everyone hugs and cries and shares of themselves for the betterment of others. What?! That was so foreign to me. But, I quickly realized its importance. I noticed the way that women participated when they felt safe. And now in my own business, I am completely open and vulnerable because I know that when you work with women, you have to connect with them on many levels.
Remember, magnetic marketing is educational, experiential, problem-centric and yup, you guessed it, emotional. So, what that means is that you have to always exude these components in your interaction with others. I know it’s not always easy. Remember this: when you share of yourself, you will get met not with judgment but love because people are looking for a place to belong and feel connected.
I know many people who are great at what they do but they aren’t connecting with their prospects and clients because they are too guarded. You have to let your guard down and share the part of the story that wasn’t so pretty or warm and fuzzy. I recently opened up even more about my life struggles and I was met with so much love, appreciation and people who wanted access to working with me. And of course I also think of Dr. Brené Brown who did the TED Talk about vulnerability that got 8 million views. Talking about who you are REALLY is liberating for you and others. So you need to find a way to tell THAT part of the story.
Yup, you do.
This brings me to Monica’s question:
“Hi Darnyelle, let me first just express how much I appreciate you and Incredible Factor TV. I have learned so much just from your weekly videos. I am a speaker and life coach and I am often accused of being unapproachable and sometimes even mean. I admit, I do struggle with immediately opening up to people; it usually takes time for me to warm up. And when I am onstage, I am not connecting effectively with people so my business is struggling to attract new clients. And as a result, I don’t network or do anything that will require me to spend time around people in an open setting and I have to be honest, it’s affecting my confidence. I have heard about the importance of being vulnerable because of the work that I do but how will that really help me as a businessperson? And how vulnerable is too vulnerable so that it might work against me?”
To hear my response to Monica’s question, watch this week’s episode of Incredible Factor TV:
Truth be told, when I found my sweet spot of being vulnerable, I started to attract more clients when I was out speaking and through my weekly television show… It has made a huge difference because I learned to tell the part of my story that is pertinent to their journey.
And here’s the thing: the more you grow, the more vulnerable you need to become. When you are a part of the small percentage of small business owners who are profitable, you can been seen as elusive to others unless there’s something real and relevant about you. Vulnerability is the way to demonstrate that for your audience. Remember after all, we buy from people we know, like and trust.
So I have a question for you: What of yourself can you share that will remove some of the space between you and your audience so that they can feel connected but you don’t feel like you’re putting all of your business in the street?
Your Assignment: Determine which part of your story/history/struggle is pertinent to the journey of your prospects and clients. Then, figure out how you can share that. Remember, everyone is looking for a place to belong and those you will serve are the before to your after so you have to tell them you were who they are today through your story.
What say you? How have you handled moments of unapproachability to become more real to your clients and prospects? What did you do that you can share with Monica and the Incredible Factor community so that they can gain more confidence in this area?
Please take a moment and share your comments below.
©2016 by Darnyelle A. Jervey. All Rights Reserved. Darnyelle A. Jervey, MBA, The Incredible Factor Business Optimization Coach and Mentor, is the founder of Incredible One Enterprises®, Incredible Factor University® and the Leverage Your Incredible Factor System®, a proven step-by-step program so you experience financial and spiritual abundance in your life because of your business. For more information and a FREE audio CD “7 Critical Mistakes Even Smart Entrepreneurs Must Avoid for Clients, Connection and Cash Flow!” just fill out the form below.
