A lot of people want to get discovered.
They dream of speaking on big stages to tens of thousands of people. They dream of being on Oprah. They dream of having a best selling book.
My frank opinion is that 99% of these people are not ready for that kind of spotlight.
To be even more frank, most people are barely ready for their aquaintances to discover what they do.
To be as frank as I can be, most people, instead of bemoaning their obscurity, should be profoundly and truly grateful for it because they are not ready for the next level yet. They are not ready for the kind of web traffic, attention and the glare of the spotlight yet. If they were to be discovered it could be a minor disaster. Like meeting the person of your dreams a few years too soon. Like getting on a really importance stage without a speech prepared. Going on Oprah with no website set up yet.
I’ve seen a lot of these squandered opportunities in my day.
But if you feel called to step up to the next level of being discovered – it’s hard for me to think of anyone better for the job than Nancy Juetten. Nancy is sweet but no nonsense PR whiz. She will always give it to you straight how ready you are. She’s got a new program coming out soon and so I thought I’d interview her on the topic and ask her a bunch of questions I’ve been meaning to ask for a while.
Her answers don’t disappoint but were incredibly specific and to the point. This is some straight marketing ‘real talk’.
If you’re introverted by nature but still feel called to take the next step in getting out there give this a read. You’ll find encouragement, direction, candor and some immediately actionable things you can do to be ready for when opportunity comes knocking.
And make sure to check out her free call on September 18th if her answers resonate with you. Just click here for more info.
*
Tad: You help people get more high visibility gigs. You help people get discovered. How do you do this?
Nancy: When my clients discover the beautiful intersection between who they are here to serve and what makes them the best available talent to bring about the relief or the benefit, something magical happens. It’s like there is wind infused beneath their wings. Their confidence grows. Their message resonates with more of the right people. Opportunities come knocking, and they have the confidence to seek out more of the perfect opportunities to serve their lead generation efforts.
Tad: Why do you think so many people with a lot to offer languish in obscurity?
Nancy: Oh Tad, I could write a sonnet about the languishing in obscurity bonnet! Part of the challenge for a great many people is that they struggle with what some may refer to as shameless self-promotion. They feel too humble to call attention to their gifts and talents. Some are simply allergic to this effort entirely and would rather hire out the task to someone else.
The trouble with this is that far too few folks have the budget or the resources to do this in a big way, so their messages may not get heard. What I often say is that no one cares more about your success than you do. How much of your success are you truly willing to delegate to someone else, especially when the message matters so much? Ever since the Great Recession, I have been advocating for self-employed business professionals to learn these essential skills so they need never have to be beholden to expensive publicists or copywriters ever again. I still believe that in my bones, now more than ever.
Tad: What are the big blunders people make that keep them from being discovered?
Nancy:
- Not being clear about who their ideal client really is.
- Not being clear about the specific “wow” or benefit they provide.
- Hiding under a bushel basket and hoping the right people will find them.
- Not being ready when opportunity knocks. There is a whole lot of hoping, wishing and praying going on that the right client or person of influence will call tomorrow or one day soon. But if he or she actually did call, would you have clarity around the specific ways you can serve that person? Are your programs and packages ready to share at a moment’s notice? Do you have a signature talk that you are ready to share by teleseminar, webinar, or live when the next coveted invitation comes your way? There are a great many people who are “winging it” and not flying very high as a result. Being ready to welcome opportunity is a huge piece toward being in great position to say YES and step through the doors to opportunity gracefully.
Tad: Imagine you’re a high profile hub, and I’m approaching you to give me a spot on your stage or to get an article written in your magazine. What are you looking for in me to know if you want to support me or not? What do these mega hubs look for?
Nancy: This is a very good question.
Let’s say you want your expertise showcased via an influential podcast that reaches 50,000 people who are precisely the right people who can benefit from your expertise or guidance.
My first recommendation would be to listen to prior podcasts to find out the approach the host takes with the interviews. Have enough interest in the program to pay attention to it so you can frame your own expertise to be a perfect fit for that audience.
When you make your approach to the person who makes those decisions (you can likely find his or her name noted on the “contact us” section of the website), you can say that you have listened to several of their most recent podcasts and know they love to empower their listeners to achieve a specific result. And, you also have a specific area of expertise that can guide them along that journey in a refreshing way that will turn their heads and cause them to think differently about a particular issue or concern they are facing in their businesses.
As a direct result of listening to you, they will learn three essential tips and techniques to do exactly that. Over the last decade, you have finely honed these skills in service to an audience very much like theirs and earned rave reviews. In fact, your most recent (ebook, program, or best-seller) just (won an award, sold out for the 10th time, or some other important, measurable accomplishment) to prove that point.
And, since this (emerging trend, upcoming election, or other timely and relevant situation) is top of mind right now, you were thinking that this topic might be of service to the audience, now more than ever.
Tad, getting your expertise showcased in the media that matter for your message is really about presenting your expertise in such a way that it is timely, newsworthy, relevant, interesting, and worth talking about.
Think first how you can serve the audience, and tailor your comments and approach to be a perfect fit.
It’s really all about service to the audience. And it’s also important to be clear about what you want the listeners to DO as a direct result of hearing your message. This is among the biggest mistakes folks make when they are interviewed that can be addressed with some thoughtful advance planning.
Tad: I often tell clients that when you play it small there’s not much heat on you, but when you enter the big time, all of a sudden there’s so much more scrutiny. What changes as you get more discovered? What do people look at? Look for?
Nancy: When you step onto a bigger stage and get known for what you do, you welcome an entirely new set of opportunities and challenges. On the one hand, folks who are wishing for this level of notoriety are thinking that these are precisely the kinds of challenges they want, and they want them YESTERDAY. As for me, I am gaining some experience with this in my own life and business. I have absolutely gotten known in a much bigger way these last two years in particular. And, because I describe myself as an introvert, I would not be telling the truth if I told you every day is wine and roses for me.
- As your influence grows, people have higher expectations of you.
- They may make harsh judgments without adequate insight or information.
- When you show up at big events, people recognize you before you recognize them. If you pride yourself on remembering names, faces, and details, this can be a bit uncomfortable.
- If you attend a lot of live events and get photographed a lot, your wardrobe gets worn out pretty fast. I have a favorite blue silk dress. And I hesitate to wear it because I fear that folks are going to wonder why I don’t wear something else. I realize this may sound ridiculous, but it does cross my mind.
- More joint venture invitations come your way than you can possibly engage in. Learning to say YES to the right opportunities and NO to those that aren’t a fit is something that takes some practice, trial and error, and experience.
- You absolutely have to remember to take care not to inhale your own fumes. You have to remain humble and keep moving forward in service to your clients and your mission and never get complacent about your brand or reputation. How you do anything is how you do everything.
Tad: One of the things I love about your work is that you have such a focus on helping people not only get discovered but get ready to be discovered. It seems like so many people blow big opportunities because they’re so ill prepared. Where do you see that most want to be experts, and yet they aren’t prepared when they need to be?
Nancy: I know a great many people who want to be professional speakers. And, yet, when I visit their websites, I can’t find their speaker sheets, speaker videos, or raving testimonials from audience members or meeting planners to make it an easy YES decision for the right person to engage. This a among the most common mistakes I notice.
Another is that experts want media attention, but they don’t make it easy for the media to find out their qualifications. Truly, if you want to do a lot of media interviews, you should make it easy for reporters, bloggers, and other people of influence to do their homework about you.
That means offering a variety of bios of varying length in the “about me” or “media section” of your website or blog. For media interviews, I recommend writing these in the “third person” so any host, reporter, or broadcast journalist can read the words as presented without having to transform your “first person” story into one that can be easily read as an introduction.
What is the back story about your journey to success? Make it easy to find so you can have confidence that the story will be correct in the re-telling – no matter who shares it.
Tad: A big focus for you is guiding people to create winning bios. I think your workbook Bye Bye Boring Bio is one of the best marketing workbooks I’ve ever seen. Why does this matter so much? Help draw the connection for us between your ‘about me’ page on your website and your level of success? Why is this so important?
Nancy: When folks land on your home page, they are looking for a solution to a problem them have. Hopefully, they are serious enough about the problem at hand that they are willing to invest into a solution to benefit from the relief. If someone perfect lands on your site and likes what they read enough to lean in and want to know more, chances are they are going to want to know about the person whose name is on the door.
If they land on your “about me” page and can’t find enough juice to make them get to that ‘know-like-trust’ place fast, they may not be inclined to send you an email, pick up the phone, or ask for a meeting.
The story you tell about yourself should relate to the important work you do in service to a specific audience of people who benefit mightily as a direct result of your skills, gifts, and expertise. If you waste the space on your “about me” page by sharing irrelevant information or “blah-blah-blah” boring information that doesn’t engage the reader in the least bit, you are wasting precious real estate that could otherwise be applied toward guiding website visitors to become buyers, fans, followers, and referral sources.
Always ask yourself this important question: What do you want your website or blog visitors TO DO as a direct result of visiting your site?
- Do you want them to call you for a consultation? If so, offer your phone number on the home page.
- Do you want them to opt in to enjoy a free gift that will enhance their lives or businesses and give you the opportunity to stay in touch over time and extend relevant offers as it makes sense? If so, offer a compelling free gift in exchange for an email opt in.
- Do you want people to hire you on the spot as a speaker, consultant, or service provider? If so, say so.
So often, I notice that many website owners forget to ask this question and offer way too many choices that really don’t serve the objective that matters most. Often it is because they never asked that initial and most important question.
Tad: If the average ‘expert’ was put on Oprah’s show tomorrow – my sense is that most of them would totally squander that experience because they weren’t ready. Could you lay out, being real, what you think would happen to an average client before they worked with someone like you in that situation and what might happen after?
Nancy: Someone truly serious about being invited to the Oprah show tomorrow would:
- Have a fabulous outfit that fits like a glove set aside in her closet. There is no waiting to lose that final ten pounds. The clothes fits perfectly and look fabulous right now. And, jewel tones are preferred by Oprah’s producers, so take that to heart as you plan what to wear.
- The website is set up to handle traffic of consequence without shutting down.
- The “about us” page of the site showcases fabulous headshots of professional quality, images of the product or book, and bios of varying length.
- The expert has ten compelling questions that she loves to be asked and to answer to guide any producer to create a fabulous program in service to the Oprah show audience.
- Have practiced her talking points on video to identify any message stumbling blocks and transform them into messaging brilliance.
- “Not go promo” during the interview. Be generous, be real, be you.
- Have watched herself on video to see if she has any nervous habits that show up as visual distractions. Not long ago, Kirsty Ally was on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. She was sitting on her hands. Ellen asked her why. She said, “My friends and family have told me I play with my hair during interviews, and it is very distracting to them.” So, she sat on her hands during this interview, and Ellen was having some fun with her to get her to release her hands during the conversation. She had some fun with this, but not everyone is comfortable in this kind of interview scenario.
- Remember that as soon as she steps foot into the studio, she is ON. Be on time, be gracious, be articulate. Don’t swear. Don’t speak without purpose. Remember how you want to be known, and make sure every word and move you make reinforces that.
There are plenty of other suggestions, but this is a good start.
Tad: You say, ‘it’s your story, tell it well’. Why does this matter? What is the role and importance of our stories in marketing?
Nancy: If you don’t tell your story well, it won’t land and position you to make the impact or difference you are here to make. A confused mind never buys, recommends, or takes action.
If you fail to make a case for why you are the perfect athlete to deliver the impact, you may not earn the engagement to make your difference or the income that is associated with it.
If your ideal clients cannot come to a place of “know-like-trust” so they can whip out their wallets and engage, you are forever stuck at the front door.
In the work you do with guiding clients to declare their niches, you know that out of our deepest wounds calls forth our greatest gifts to share. Jeffrey Van Dyk was first to share this with me, and I’ve never forgotten those words.
Believing this to be truth for just about everyone, when you share the origins of the gifts you are here to share, you let your clients know this journey is not just one that you travel for food, clothing, and shelter. It’s a journey you have been traveling all your life. It’s an important journey with profound rewards and results to offer. That is beautiful, magnetic, and powerful.
Tad: You are sharing a Bye-Bye Boring Bio – Hello Opportunity free call on September 18th at 3 p.m. PST. If folks want to tune in, can you make it easy for them?
Nancy: Absolutely. Here is the link to enjoy this call. www.authenticvisibility.com/
Nancy “Broadcast Your Brilliance” Juetten is a storyteller, workshop leader, and Bye-Bye Boring Bio PLUS! author who shows mission-driven experts how to get seen, heard, celebrated, and COMPEN$ATED for their expert status. Nancy created Bye-Bye Boring Bio PLUS! to guide service professionals, speakers, authors, coaches, and those serious about earning expert status to get ready, get known, and get paid. Leading the Broadcast Your Brilliance Webinar Series and working one-on-one with clients in her Get Known to Get Paid™ Private Mentoring Program are among the most popular ways clients engage to welcome these benefits. An award-winning copywriter with 12 years of success running her own profitable six-figure business, Nancy has been interviewed in connection with her storytelling and publicity expertise by CNN Radio, National Public Radio, the ABC Radio Network and by engaging and talented radio talk show hosts and information gurus from across America and the world. Nancy’s essential advice is this: “It’s your story. Tell it well.” To learn about the upcoming Broadcast Your Brilliance Webinar Series and say bey-bye to YOUR boring bio as soon as possible, visit www.authenticvisibility.com/
Nancy “Broadcast Your Brilliance” Juetten, 425-641-5214, www.AuthenticVisibility.com
Publicity Expert Nancy Juetten is Your Get Known to Get Paid™ Mentorand a Contributing Author to the NEW National Speakers Association Book for Sale at Amazon – Speak More! Marketing Strategies to Get More Speaking Business.
Whether you love the spotlight or are just finding the courage to step out and shine, you will Get Known to Get Paid for your expert status by telling a story all your own. If you are serious about taking big steps forward to Get Ready, Get Known, and Get Paid with Nancy’s expert guidance, check out the Get Known to Get Paid PRIVATE Mentoring Program and apply for your place today.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————
Want Help? If you’d like some more direct guidance and hand holding on figuring out your niche then go and check out my Niching for Hippies coaching program https://marketingforhippies.com/niching-for-hippies/