One of my favorite TV shows is So You Think You Can Dance. The young dancers who try out for the show have a very limited time to walk onto the stage and dance an audition that tells the panel of professional dancers who they are and what they do. Each aspiring top ten dancer has about a two minute audition that has to:
- Inform the judges of their particular dance genre
- Show the judges their technical skill as a dancer
- Let the judges see their personality
- Show the judges that they can pick up different styles of dance quickly and perform them well
- Make the judges think they are star-worthy.
That’s a lot to show in just a few minutes, but as I watch the dancers come out and do their thing I notice right away that some leave you with a sense of who they are and what they can do instantly. It struck me as I was sitting there watching that in order to keep in the competition, these dancers must say without words who they are and what they do.
In the Book Yourself Solid system your “who and do what” statement is the core of how you begin to attract new clients or customers. Just like the dancers who audition for SYTYCD, those of us who are self-employed have about two minutes to let potential clients know who we are and what we can do that will be in service to others. We use words rather than our bodies. I wonder, if you had to use only the body, how would you move, act, or dance that would give others a sense of what you have inside you that can benefit them? A wordless “who and do what” statement might be interesting – almost like charades – are you so clear about what you offer that you could do it without words?
If a dancer showed up on the SYTYCD stage, slumped their shoulders, hung their head, folded their arms and stood silently for two minutes do you think he would get dropped from the competition? Of course, he would – in fact, Nigel Lythgoe would probably cut the audition before two minutes was up! It’s the same for us as self-employed entrepreneurs – we have to be noteworthy, informative, and intriguing when we talk to people about who we are and what we do.
Let’s look at these two statements from two different coaches.
- “I’m a coach who works with self-employed people to help them market better.”
- “I work with self-employed entrepreneurs who need increase their income in the next six months, even if they haven’t been very profitable in their business so far.”
Of the two, which would you pick to work with? I’d guess the second person. From a SYTYCD perspective, the second person auditioned better – strutted their stuff with fancier dance steps, showed more personality. The second statement is far more noteworthy, informative, and intriguing to a prospective customer. Book Yourself Solid’s system helps you build a strong “who and do what” statement by taking you through a mini-course called 7 Essential Strategies To Getting More Clients Now. You can get the totally free mini-course through my website by going to https://confidentmarketer.com/7-essential-strategies-for-getting-more-clients-now/. When you’ve completed all seven lessons you’ll be just like the top 10 dancers on So You Think You Can Dance – everyone will know who you are, what you do, and believe in your expertise and ability to be a star. You can click here to get started.
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Great post, Sue! I LOVE So You Think You Can Dance. It inspires me in SO MANY ways — now you’ve added another. XOXO, Katherine
Katherine,
We are going to Memphis to see the SYTYCDance tour in October. Since my favorite dancer won, I am so psyched to go see her!
Sue
Sue
Excellent analogy even though I don’t watch this show – but I do watch America’s Got Talent so I can relate. It’s got me thinking how I would describe what I do without words…and how important those few few minutes are when you first meet someone.
PS I like your new site and new tag line!
Trudy
Thanks about the website, Trudy!
Sue,
I guess I will need to remove the rock. Really do not have a clue about this show. Seems to be popular with all of you though? Good analogy – enjoyed reading it.
Glad you enjoyed the article, Mitch – and you’ll have to check out the show when it starts up again. 🙂
Now my brain is focused on how I would deliver my message through high energy animation and creative dance::)) I love your analogy Sue!! 1st impressions can be powerful and lead people to action or boring and risk potential clients losing interest. Thanks!
Glad this made sense to you, Renee. I’m amazed how many people love SYTYCDance.
Sue – This is one of my favorite shows too! My daughter and I watch it every week! It is such a great comparison to match up an audition for the show with your “audition” when networking and meeting people at conferences – Like an audition, first impressions, how you present yourself, and what you say in that short amount of time make a big difference in the outcome of the meeting.
Jennifer Bourn, Bourn Creative Branding and Website Design
It’s amazing how many people tell me they love this show. Thanks, Jennifer, for your comment.
Sue
Thanks for sharing Sue. I too like the second description. Reminds me of a solid elevator speech.
You’re welcome, Mary Ellen.
Love this, Sue! Hadn’t thought of the SYTYCD as paralleling what we do in the biz world but you are so right! The image we present nonverbally, what we say about who we are and what we do, the rapport we generate all determine whether we get the business or not. It isn’t enough to be just proficient in what you do, you need to be able to communicate it.
Linda,
I love that you say “is isn’t enough to be proficient at what you do.” Truer words were never spoken!
Sue
What a perfect analogy. First impressions are so important. Can’t wait to go through your mini-course. Thanks for your generosity.
You are most welcome, Kristina. Glad you liked the post.
Sue
People seem to be so afraid to tell the world “what” they do. They don’t have any problem boring us with how they do it .. and that is not so interesting unless we first know what it is. Truly answering the question, “What do you do?” is interesting; now you have my attention!
Thanks, Jeff.
What a great analogy to use Sue – we all need to occasionally practice our business dance and tighten up our moves! I think one of the keys for the dancers AND business owners is being clear on their purpose and communicating what they do with heart and soul!
I like the “heart and soul” part, Heidi!
Sue, I love this post. First off, I love SYTYCD, so I really do love the analogy. Secondly, it is so very critical to be able to communicate who you are and what you do–in a memorable way. You know what they say about first impressions.
Thanks, Tiffany. Yes, first impressions are hard to correct if they get off on the wrong foot (pun intended).
Sue
What a great way to apply my very favorite reality show to our biz endeavors. Sue, you really conveyed with a great analogy how clear, concise and captivating our words have to be about the biz messages we put out there! Thanks!
Sheila,
I didn’t realize you loved this show, too. Thanks for your comment.
Sue