Your voice is a powerful asset in your business. Use it wisely and your business will thrive. People want to:
- see you
- feel you
- hear you
- trust you
- know you
The thing is, none of the above can occur if you aren’t putting your voice out in the world. Not your literal voice, of course This voice is a type of metaphor of your position, stand, brand, and message, as well as your quirks and attributes. It’s the thing that makes people feel like they get you.
You put your voice out in the marketplace by:
1. Being clear about what you want to say.
If you are bland or sound like everyone else, that is what your results will reflect. The goal is to have a tribe of people who love your voice. You know how although dog whistles are indiscernible to human ears and yet dogs come running? You want that for your tribe...they will hear you and their ears will perk up. What is in your heart to share? What do you want shout from a mountaintop to the world? Your messaging will revolve around that one thing once you discover it.
2. Being willing to take risks with your messaging.
Now this is not for the faint of heart. Many business women have been socialized not to speak the full truth or to make waves. This cultural conditioning serves to suppress your deep desire to be heard in the world.
This is why singing has been a remarkable growth journey for me. I started out singing the same handful of songs all over the place. Al of those songs were simple and it worked. I then saw the opportunity to expand and it became clear to me how I was being when it came to trying new things. Although I failed miserably because I was singing out of my range, I had a whole lot of fun.
Using this approach, what can you do in your business to be a bit more revealing in your messaging? For you it may be a blog post that outs something you believe, or a video declaration where you get real about what’s driving you nuts in your industry. The goal is to be on an uncomfortable edge because that is where the growth is.
3. Knowing that there will be people who will love you and people who will not.
If you are a people pleaser, this whole concept is a tough one. In reality, leaders lead. If you are in business and have a platform (as in people following you) you must be tough enough to be in the front, pushing for change and challenging the status quo.
This is where mindset and your past patterns will want you to play small and stay safe. Know that change only happens when courageous folks are out there pushing the edges. If you get “haters”, just keep on stepping because that just means that you are doing something right.
4. Getting comfortable being uncomfortable.
The growth journey is messy. Its path winds and there are usually breakdowns before there are breakthroughs. If you want a successful business and life, you will be taken to your edges. You will face the messiness in you that you thought was already healed. You will be asked to own your value and assert your worth when you may not fully believe it yourself. Get a mentor who will pull you forward and love you right where you are.
5. Celebrating.
Sadly, I have to work very hard to not always look at the next growth opportunity. It’s easy to overlook what is working when I'm in constant pursuit for expansion. My coach advised me to end my days by reflecting/journaling on all the places where I took risks, expressed my voice, managed the uncomfortable feelings and allowed the work I am here to do here to express itself a bit more. How can you make it a practice to acknowledge and focus on your success? When you do, you'll find that it becomes easier.
When you take the above actions, you will make connections with a lot of amazing people!
