by Carol Pearson | Featured Contributor
As an entrepreneur, you usually want to get noticed, to build your profile and get recognized and acknowledged by customers, employees, investors and media. You can’t rely on your marketing campaign to do this alone, especially in the start-up phase of a business. It’s down to you to build your own reputation and personal presence in your market. Below are 3 tips to help you command attention and inspire others.
1.Be authentic
One of the great things about working for yourself is that you can be the real you. But not just any old you, you need to deliver the very best version of you.
If you’ve worked in larger organizations you may have experienced trying to fit in with corporate culture, dress codes, ways of working etc. For some, having to comply with a company culture that doesn’t match your own values, style and preferences can drain your energy and dull your edge. Running your own business allows you to be more of yourself, fully embrace and reveal your unique personality and style. Running your business in a way that’s true to you and reflects your values will in turn attract people who genuinely appreciate you for who you are.
Being authentic isn’t an excuse for not doing things well, you still need to deliver a quality product or service, run a professional business but you can do it in your own unique way which differentiates you from competitors and builds your personal presence.
2.Be present with those around you
To have personal presence you need to be present. No matter how busy you may be, slow down and be fully present when interacting with others. This shows real commitment to the people you are with: your team members, your customers, suppliers, investors. By focusing, listening, truly understanding where people are coming from and being of service to others, you create a special space where you can connect on a deeper and more meaningful level and significantly increase your presence and influence.
3. Be confident
Many people running their own business will experience ups and downs in confidence levels. However, to have personal presence and for others to feel confident about you and your business, you need to display confidence in yourself and the products/services your business provides. Confidence can be developed and there are many tips and techniques available for doing this. These include:
- Visualization. Repeatedly picture a confident version of yourself completing something successfully (a speech, a presentation, a product launch). Visualizing yourself doing something in the future is like a “rehearsal” for that activity and can build optimism and positivity.
- Focus on your strengths. Identify what you are good at. Use your strengths more often. When you use your strengths, you feel stronger and more confident.
- Tackle limiting beliefs. If we believe deep down that we are not good enough, clever enough, etc. this will impact the decisions we make and how we choose to live our life. Identifying, challenging and replacing limiting beliefs can free you up to live your life more authentically. Use positive and uplifting affirmations to do this or work with a coach or therapist to tackle deep rooted beliefs.
- Growth Mindset. Having a growth mindset is knowing that you can improve, you’re a work in progress. Thinking of challenges and failure as opportunities to grow and learn will build resilience, self-esteem and confidence. So, have a go at things, keep trying until you succeed. Believing that you can build confidence will help you to develop it.
- Develop a confident posture. By practicing powerful, positive body language, you’re sending messages to your brain to reinforce positive, confident feelings. Stand up straight, make eye contact, smile, strong handshake, walk tall
Personal presence is difficult to clearly define but for me it’s the ability to project an authentic self-confidence, quietly command attention, inspire others, make them feel valued and as a result they build confidence in you and your business.
Carol is a coach, workshop facilitator, speaker and the founder of Midlife Women, a coaching practice dedicated to helping women embrace change, build confidence, and experience a happy and meaningful second half of life.
Carol believes that having a positive approach and an inspiring vision is essential, especially if you’re an entrepreneur. However, to be successful, you must also take action. She coaches clients to develop the right mind-set and do the inner work to break through the obstacles that get in the way of achieving true success.
Carol enjoys coaching all clients, but she is particularly committed to working with women in midlife, helping them follow their passions towards meaningful, rewarding and happy lives. She works face-to-face or remotely using Skype, Zoom etc.
Having enjoyed an international corporate career in London, Sydney, San Francisco and New York for more than 20 years, Carol is now based in London, from where she juggles her passion for international travel and exploring different cultures with work, meeting clients and catching up with friends.
