Can’t stop talking about yourself? Or can’t start?
6 steps to finding the balance in professional communications
We all know someone who loves talking about themselves. It’s not usually a good thing. Most of us try to avoid giving the impression of being self-absorbed… and do our best to avoid getting stuck in conversation (or monologue!) with those who are!
But sometimes we really do need to talk about ourselves. I’m facing exactly that challenge right now, as I develop content for The Wordsmithy’s new website.
In the five years since its last refresh, the digital design world has moved on. I don’t want to look old-fashioned – I write for digital media for others all the time and this is my shop window – so I need to bring my online presence up to date.
That means revisiting the copy. And that means talking about myself, because The Wordsmithy’s capabilities are essentially my capabilities.
It’s hard to keep it brief
My new website will have much less text than the original version. Because that’s how digital design has evolved. You’d think this would make life easier. But actually it’s more challenging.
Every time I write a statement, I feel an unbearable compulsion to say more. Because we all want to explain ourselves thoroughly, to put ourselves across as well as possible, not to miss any opportunity to demonstrate our skill and desirability.
The closer you are to the topic, the harder it is to know what’s relevant
I’m pretty good at helping clients prioritise their key messages and persuading them that less is more. It’s very difficult to apply it to myself! I’ll share the website when it’s finished and you can let me know how well I’ve managed it.
In the meantime, wrestling with this very personal copy challenge has made me think hard about the best approach. In case it’s useful to you, here are my 6 steps to talking about yourself in a good way. It could be for a resume, a conference speaker profile or for your business credentials or “elevator pitch”.
1) What do I do?
List all the things. Feel satisfied that you have identified them all, but recognise that you might not need to describe each one in detail in this particular piece of communication.
2) Who’s the audience I’m telling about it?
Be specific. Is it customers and prospects, people who’ve already decided to work with you, people who have never heard of you, people with a deep academic knowledge of your field or those with no understanding of it?
3) How much of what I do is relevant to them?
Compare the first list against the audience profile and be honest with yourself. What’s actually relevant at this point? You may get other opportunities later to get into detail about your skills and services. If you try and say everything, you’ll bore people. Focus it to their needs and interests.
4) What do I do that’s different or better compared to peers, competitors or audience expectations?
Once you’ve decided on the basic information, consider what is interesting, differentiated or memorable about your approach or experience. It will make your copy more likely to be fully read and remembered.
5) What are the proof points?
No-one wants to sound boastful. The key to avoiding it is to give examples of how you’ve successfully applied your strong skills or great approach. It’s fine to be confident about your abilities, but put it in context of how they have been useful or valued for someone else. It feels a lot more comfortable that way.
6) How will they find out more?
There will be things you haven’t included. And some people will want more. You can provide further information about yourself on request, in more detailed or specialist communications (product flyers or service descriptions) or in contextual or news-related ways using social media. Give your audience the opportunity to ask you what more they’d like to know, and show you’re responsive and engaging by answering directly and personally.