21 Jul Switching to a Whisper
PR Rebrand, Online Dating and Lowering The Volume
Have you ever noticed, in a crowded bar or room, that it’s easier to hear what someone says if they whisper it in your ear rather than attempt to shout over the din of everyone else?
You may have noticed that my articles tend to be quite tip focused…10 ways to do this, steps to getting this…but today I’m going to show you a side that’s bit more personal, and a little less bullet pointy.
I’m doing some online dating at the moment. Despite hearing lots of horror stories, I’m actually really enjoying it. I’m taking it more as an opportunity to meet lots of people, find out what makes them tick, and if they like me, well, that’s a good start. To be honest, I started off feeling slightly uncomfortable with this new identity as an online dater. There was a steep learning curve too. I’m not talking about the (decidedly dodgy) rules as one friend put them (“just don’t go online over the weekend, it looks like you have no life”), but that gradual process of learning to trust your gut and your powers of discernment (just because someone has “liked” you, it doesn’t mean that you’re going to end up walking Machu Picchu together).
I’ve always compared raising your profile to dating. You can’t rush at a potential customer or journalist without seeming scary. You have to get to know them and allow things to blossom in the same way as you would a potential suitor. You’re both experimenting to see if this is the right fit. You’ll be asking yourself questions like “Is that publication right for your business image?” or “Will the article serve your interests?” They will be considering if you fit into their target age range (many mags won’t mention you if you’re not in the same age group as their readers), or if you are the right expert for the job.
Like me and my current dating activity, you can have a lot of fun contacting journalists, playing around with ideas and angles that may appeal, and when they bite…ooh the excitement and adrenaline rush. However, being too desperate, or rather showing that you’re desperate and will appear anywhere,commenting on any old thing, starts to make you look less appealing.
This is partly the inspiration for my rebrand. I feel like I want to whisper softly: this is me and what I do, rather than shout it from the rooftops as I might have done in the past. All that seems, well, just like more clutter in this age of overwhelm. I am confident that the people who need me, will find me. It’s the same way that I feel about this dating lark.
Business and dating-wise, I’m having proper, real conversations with people, not just witty social media comments, and already it’s making a difference. It’s a lot more fun that all this shouting and pushing too. And whispering is so much more pleasant.
If you’d like a day with me, working on your message and the ways you are going to get it out there (and it may not be softly for you, who knows?), I have spaces this summer for a PR Makeover from the week beginning 10th August. We”ll take a leisurely day together to craft and hone your PR, marketing and social media, together with plenty of follow up support to make it happen. Like my approach to dating, I’m honest (I won’t say brutally). If I think something needs extra work, I’ll point it out. I’m very good at zooming in on what’s going to work for you in the time you have available, and all my PR and marketing strategies are bespoke, built around you, your time, your skills and what you enjoy doing. After all, if I prescribe a load of activities you hate, you’ll never get around to doing them. You can find out more more here, or drop me line if you’d like to have a chat over how it works.
And finally…
Well, you’ve heard some of what I’ve been up to already. My new kittens, Bamboo and Simba, decide to rearrange my office on a regular basis, so I’ve taken their lead and completely moved everything around. I’m trying out a Feng Sui belief about not having your back to your office door so, now I’m facing the door but with the window behind me. It does feel less closed in, which is good, but I miss not looking out of the window, even if all I could see was next door’s wasp nest. Anyway this new position is meant to bring in prosperity so that’s the big test. Otherwise it’s back to the window and against the radiator for the winter!
My lovely client Lisa Orban has put together some advice on expanding your comfort zone – a must if you’re in the process of raising your profile. She’s got some interesting things to say, so please do take a look at her article here.
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