Make Yourself Unforgettable

Think about it. What if you could draw the right clients and referral sources to you? What if you could spend less time on proposals that go nowhere and more time serving your best clients? That’s what being unforgettable—for the right things—can bring you.

Admittedly, it’s more art than science, but you can follow a few simple steps to ensure that the best of what you offer is highly visible—and memorable.

Step 1. Know yourself and what makes you distinct.

Look around you. How many technology consultants are there? HR? Financial? Strategy? That’s right, you are most definitely not alone. So avoid the urge to cast a wide net with all the services you COULD provide. Instead, focus on what you do that no one else can. Creating your own market beats battling for someone else’s market.

Start by slicing and dicing your talents against your client experience. Say you’re a training consultant. What special expertise can you claim? Do you design interactive web-based programs? Deliver high-energy sales training live? Are your best clients from a specific function, industry or segment?
Which sounds better—“I’m a training consultant” or “I help telecommunications sales reps double their sales in 6 months?”

Once you’re clear on how you are different, you can focus your efforts (think laser not shotgun) on the people who might hire or refer you.

Step 2. Align your stories, actions and visuals.

We humans are hard-wired to learn by story. And the most successful consultants demonstrate their expertise and results by telling exactly the right story for the circumstance. How compelling are your stories? Do they align with how you uniquely serve your clients? Can you tell them winningly at a moment’s notice?

If not, spend some time recalling—and practicing—your most memorable client experiences.

Your actions prove—over and over—that you are who you say you are. Are you high-touch? Then you better be quick to respond and thoughtful. Are you the subject matter expert? Then you want to be the first out with your take on a new bill or a bold new idea. Known for your integrity? Then don’t take referral fees from those you recommend.

And of course we all know that one great visual is worth at least 1,000 words. So in addition to weaving great visuals into your work, pay attention to how you dress, walk and enter the room. It matters.

The critical piece here is alignment: your stories, actions and visuals must tell a consistent, compelling, unique story.

Step 3. Put yourself out there.

Once you’re clear on how to position yourself—and have the client stories to back it up—put yourself where your targeted clients spend their time. Focus on truly connecting with them. Provide value in your unique way every time you interact so they can experience working with you. When it’s time to discuss a possible project, they will already be sold on you.

Why restrict your circle to those you already know? Use social media—LinkedIn is a natural for most business consultants—and explore other platforms where your potential clients are spending time and open to business connections.

Write a blog—just don’t make it all about you. Give your target clients tips, ideas or your unique take on pending issues. Think hard before launching a newsletter—most are boringly self-promotional and beg for the delete key. Ask yourself, what can I give my clients that they value and don’t receive from anyone else?

The bottom line is this: You can make yourself unforgettable and literally grow your practice exponentially. It requires exceptional clarity on who you are, fine-tuned alignment of all that you do and deep engagement in connecting with the right audience.

You’ll also like these articles:
Attract More Prospects In 30 Seconds Or Less
The Secret Of Personal Branding 2.0