For Professionals, 3 Ways To Stand Out From Everybody Else In Your Field

You are in a contest to win and hold your prospects’ attention. And it’s not just the din from others in your profession that blocks your message. It’s the estimated 1,724 ads the average American is exposed to every single day.

So what’s an estate attorney, a physician practicing complementary medicine, a financial advisor, a technology consultant, or an accountant to do? How can you break through the uproar? Where’s the proof that you are different from every other professional in your field?

We have identified 8 key positioning strategies with countless variations and combinations that can set you apart. One we call "Tell Your You-nique Story." And it’s not as tough as it sounds because most professionals are so invested in being, well, “professional” that they get lost amidst the marketing clamor, racket, and hubbub.

These 3 simple set-you-apart tactics will give you an advantage in your lead generation marketing and sales messages.

3 Ways To Leave The Pack Behind

1. Reveal The Unique Twists In Your Life

Sometimes amazing stories are hidden because a professional doesn’t know how to bring them to light in a productive way. These stories can build trust and prove your mettle, yet no one knows about them.

Here’s an example. If you’ve read Chris Gardner’s book “The Pursuit of Happyness” or seen the movie starring Will Smith, you have an idea of the odds against the author surviving homelessness to become owner and CEO of Christopher Gardner International Holdings

Gardner’s story reminds me of a client’s life. One day as I talked with him he said, “My peers are either in jail or dead.” This eye-opener came from a successful financial advisor who overcame the mean streets of New York City for Wall Street Success.

Yet his professional bio told a humdrum and lifeless story: He was born and raised in New York City. He graduated from high school and went on to Queens College of The City University Of New York. He is currently licensed and practices in 18 states across the country.

To invigorate his life story - to reveal his unique and powerful truths - we asked questions like these (and these same questions you can ask yourself):

- Why did you rise above the odds?
- How did you become a financial advisor?
- What does your life really mean for your clients?
- What are you most proud of?
- What do you stand for?

We taped his answers and there it was – the story with “soul” that only he could tell.

Where’s your story to engage your prospects? Ask illuminating questions and you’ll be surprised at what you uncover.

2. Watch Your Language

It’s not what you think. The language we are warning you about is "Professionalese." You’ll recognize "Professionalese" because it is as bland as a helping of Minute Rice.

It’s cleaned up and sanitized and distant. It’s almost like a foreign language.

A solution when you’re creating a letter, brochure, or your bio is to jot down a few notes and speak from them into a tape recorder. That way you’ll start to unknot your own voice from the tangle of “taboos” and “musts” from your English teachers and from the examples of rigor mortis writing by professionals in your field.

My favorite place for inspiration is Gary Bencivenga’s website. Gary, called the “world’s greatest copywriter,” offers free monthly “bullets.” You can find him at www.bencivengabullets.com

There’s only one of you. So why sound like everybody else?

3. Win With Questions

Not just any question. Some are losers and duds. A winning question opens a door. It moves the conversation to a new, fascinating place. It unlocks fresh insights. Suppose, when you are in a conversation, you stop yourself from thinking about what you are going to say next. Instead, challenge yourself to come up with an open-the-door question.

Then listen hard to the answer. And your listening will spark your next question.

These door-opening questions aren’t just for conversation. In addition, they’re powerful tools for your marketing communications. They add punch to a headline; entice people to read your message when they appear in the beginning of a letter, brochure or email; and make a results-getting P.S.

Here are a few examples: Why is conventional wisdom wrong? What is the secret to exploding your response? What is the surest way to bond with kindred spirits?

Now you have them. Three simple secrets. By going against the conventional wisdom of being “professional” at all costs and bonding with kindred spirits, you’ll explode your response.