Who am I and what am I
selling? What specific benefits do I
offer my clients? What makes my offering
unique and valuable to my clients?

Some people can walk out
of the corporate lobby into their own business and know exactly who they are
and what they’re selling. I was not one
of those people! 

Here are a few things I’ve
learned the hard way.

Developing a Message

Don’t worry if you make a
mistake – you can always adjust! 

Don’t worry if your
message isn’t perfect – it will evolve as you do.

Ask people that know you
for their opinions of where you add value. 

Don’t worry that your
message will exclude you from some work. That’s the point. It should. Make sure it doesn’t exclude you from the work
you really want and are best suited to do.

Be honest. Is the work you really want work you are suited
to do? If it isn’t then you need a
plan. How will you develop your skills
and experience to get the work you want while still eating and maintaining a
roof over your head? 

Is what you want to do
valuable to a potential customer? If it
isn’t it doesn’t really matter that you want to do it.

Test market your
story. Once you have a message try it
out on people – the toughest people you can find! Can you describe it to them in less than 30
seconds? What do they say? Do they understand what you’re offering?

I’m sure there’s
more.  

What’s YOUR story and how
did you develop it? We’d all love to
know!