Note from DMW – I am slowly migrating my entire brain to my own online community which you don’t want to miss, you can find it right here www.seriousshift.com. I post two blogs a week in there, along with the other things I am thinking about and sharing. We only work with interesting financial advisors. – See you in there, DMW
And now the blog … Today we’re going to talk about the perils of hiding your personal value. A quick recap and encouragement for you to check out blogs 200 and 201 where I wrote about:
· Narrowing your focus
· persona vs. person,
· social media (Green Circle members I am lining up a pro to come and join us for a monthly gathering,)
· Confusing wants and needs
· Stories and how we relate
· What we are really competing for, time and attention.
At the end of the last blog, I asked you to consider what it was exactly that people would miss about you if you left your industry forever.
Imagine a conversation between one of your former clients and their new advisor who also knows you. How would your former client complete this sentence, “You know what I really miss about Mary? She …..”
Whatever you come up with, that is the only thing your client ever valued. Not what you do, not what you know, but that one thing they miss. That one thing is (hopefully not was) everything.
Let me share mine.
I’m funny.
I make people laugh and feel good. I’m so good at it that I don’t even try. The people who pay attention to me value that I am funny more than they value what I know.
When I realized this, I did something strange. I started acting very seriously. I was offended to be thought of as only a funny person. The tone of my seminars changed from a happy funny guy who has this business figured out, to a smart guy who knows a lot.
I was getting paid handsomely and flying all over because I was funny, so I stopped being funny. That’s not even a joke. Nobody needed another smart guy who knows a lot but try to tell my ego that.
What I should have done was embrace this truth and take it further. If people want a laugh, I should have given them one. I should have taken my shirt off and posted a pic of it. I’m kidding! Remember? I’m funny.
Had I just embraced the fact that having value is amazing, and not take it for granted I would have started to own the subject. For example:
How to create marketing content that tells people who you are, not what you do.
How to get more referrals by being you not the person you dress up as.
How to attract clients vs. chase them.
How to tell people “I’m a financial advisor” and not have them fake stomach cramps to get away from you.
Client Events that people will attend.
Laughter. How to retire happy and rich.
Funny things about people and money that are deadly serious.
The funniest reasons your business will fail.
Terms that are hysterical, Pacific Rim.
How to be a better public speaker.
How to become the star of your own show.
Client events that people attend, talk about and remember.
Instead, I spent about 5 years doing a Joe Pine impersonation. By the way Joe, that’s intended as a compliment. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
The problem was, I’m not Joe Pine. I’m me. I see the world the way I see it, I share my thoughts the way I share them.
That’s called authenticity.
I know who I am, I’m honest with myself and with you about it.
Your value flows from your authentic self. I’m going to stop right here and let you think about it.
What would people miss if you stopped showing up? That’s your value. Nothing else because that one thing is the only thing you have that nobody else has.
What is it?
How can you take it further? I’ll see most of you on Thursday in our community, the rest of you are choosing to wander around in the digital desert.
Which reminds me of a funny story …