| by Schuyler Kaye, edited for length You’ve got your website up, the home page is done… and now it’s time to create your “About Me” page. It should be easy . . . But it isn’t, is it? “How professional should I be?” “Where should I start?” “Are my customers going to care?” or “What if they don’t like what I write?” The answer is simple … you tell your story. |
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Why would your story be so effective?
“If you want to be remembered share your story. The Northern Native Americans have a proverb that says, ‘Tell me a fact and I’ll learn. Tell me a truth and I’ll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.’”
“Native American history was passed down to each generation, not by writing a book, but by telling stories. Human brains are hard-wired to quickly understand and remember stories.”
“Stories are a powerful way to reach an audience, no matter how different they are from you. I’ve been helping parents teach important lessons to their children through stories for decades. Stories help us to connect emotions to teachings, and this makes them far more effective than the teachings would be alone.”
Stories are persuasive. At the core of many religions is a desire to persuade people to live a better life. That’s why spiritual leaders of the major religions including Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, and Muslim all teach in parables (short stories with a lesson)… They are effective in the moment, and centuries later.”
“The origins of your ‘superpowers’ will help people see your character, and that will be more memorable than your credentials. I’m not much of a storyteller myself (too busy fighting crime), but I’m a superhero, so naturally someone told my story!
Four steps to finding the right story
You want to share a story that speaks to your customers.
1. What problem are you trying to solve for your customer?
Take a moment to write it down.
2. What is it like for your customer?
Imagine how it feels for your customer to experience that problem. Now write it down.
Example: It feels overwhelming. You’re working harder every day, yet you’re still struggling to attract enough customers. What’s worse is you’re spending so much more time on selling to people than actually helping them. You’re frustrated, and maybe even depressed.
3. When in your life did you have to overcome a similar challenge?
It might have been about the same problem as your customer, or one that feels similar.
Write down what happened.
Example: Starting my first company was overwhelming and frustrating. My happiness was governed by the whims of my customers. I overcame this by gaining clarity about my purpose and my audience. I realized what they really needed from me, and then I became able to provide it with my marketing and branding. Eventually I figured out how to create systems that helped me attract more customers without being overwhelmed.
4. Share it on your “About Me” page.
You’ve got a compelling story, and it’s time to share it with your customers.
Have fun! Let it sound and feel like you, as if you were having a conversation with your customer.
Example from my “About Me” page: Starting a company was a humbling experience. Maybe you can relate? It felt overwhelming trying to find and keep customers. In the beginning I wanted to help people, but eventually it just felt like I was selling them. This led to one of the lowest points in my life… the depression, the lack of self-esteem, the feeling all alone. The engineer in me recognized this as just another problem to solve. The program manager in me turned my business into an experiment to create practical systems that would help me successfully attract clients through my online brand while maintaining my original desire to help people.
With the help of some amazing mentors, some spiritual practices, and a willingness to look inward for my answers, I found a heart-centered branding solution that worked for me… and more importantly, I found a process that can work for you.
When you’re writing your “About Me” page, remember that your story has the power to reach your audience. If you keep their problems in mind, you’ll be able to tell a story deserving of a superhero.
“If you want to be remembered share your story. The Northern Native Americans have a proverb that says, ‘Tell me a fact and I’ll learn. Tell me a truth and I’ll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.’”
“Native American history was passed down to each generation, not by writing a book, but by telling stories. Human brains are hard-wired to quickly understand and remember stories.”
“Stories are a powerful way to reach an audience, no matter how different they are from you. I’ve been helping parents teach important lessons to their children through stories for decades. Stories help us to connect emotions to teachings, and this makes them far more effective than the teachings would be alone.”
Stories are persuasive. At the core of many religions is a desire to persuade people to live a better life. That’s why spiritual leaders of the major religions including Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, and Muslim all teach in parables (short stories with a lesson)… They are effective in the moment, and centuries later.”
“The origins of your ‘superpowers’ will help people see your character, and that will be more memorable than your credentials. I’m not much of a storyteller myself (too busy fighting crime), but I’m a superhero, so naturally someone told my story!
Four steps to finding the right story
You want to share a story that speaks to your customers.
1. What problem are you trying to solve for your customer?
Take a moment to write it down.
2. What is it like for your customer?
Imagine how it feels for your customer to experience that problem. Now write it down.
Example: It feels overwhelming. You’re working harder every day, yet you’re still struggling to attract enough customers. What’s worse is you’re spending so much more time on selling to people than actually helping them. You’re frustrated, and maybe even depressed.
3. When in your life did you have to overcome a similar challenge?
It might have been about the same problem as your customer, or one that feels similar.
Write down what happened.
Example: Starting my first company was overwhelming and frustrating. My happiness was governed by the whims of my customers. I overcame this by gaining clarity about my purpose and my audience. I realized what they really needed from me, and then I became able to provide it with my marketing and branding. Eventually I figured out how to create systems that helped me attract more customers without being overwhelmed.
4. Share it on your “About Me” page.
You’ve got a compelling story, and it’s time to share it with your customers.
Have fun! Let it sound and feel like you, as if you were having a conversation with your customer.
Example from my “About Me” page: Starting a company was a humbling experience. Maybe you can relate? It felt overwhelming trying to find and keep customers. In the beginning I wanted to help people, but eventually it just felt like I was selling them. This led to one of the lowest points in my life… the depression, the lack of self-esteem, the feeling all alone. The engineer in me recognized this as just another problem to solve. The program manager in me turned my business into an experiment to create practical systems that would help me successfully attract clients through my online brand while maintaining my original desire to help people.
With the help of some amazing mentors, some spiritual practices, and a willingness to look inward for my answers, I found a heart-centered branding solution that worked for me… and more importantly, I found a process that can work for you.
When you’re writing your “About Me” page, remember that your story has the power to reach your audience. If you keep their problems in mind, you’ll be able to tell a story deserving of a superhero.
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