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When people hear “experience-based marketing,” they instantly think of events. We must do facebook lives, host live events, live webinars, etc. To them, experiences equal action. And though this is true, it isn’t the full truth. Our mind is a very powerful tool that many small marketers discount. By reading a few words or watching a video clip our mind can transport us into that specific time and space while attaching all of the sights, sounds, smells, feelings, and emotions that our subconscious mind has stored away in our memories. Trashy romance novels are the best proof of the power of words to move readers. So before you start filling your schedule with tons of live events, consider adding a bit of experience to your existing marketing efforts by adding adjectives and verbs. Adjectives and verbs are the word’s world of experience-based marketing. From priming your audience to take action to bring their minds, emotions, and biological reactions to a marketing story you created. Adjectives and verbs are the easiest way any brand can make their marketing efforts better. Now before you get carried away with just adding words for adding sake, consider this. What do I want my audience to experience in the moment: the desire to take action or feeling about the situation? If you desire action, focus on the verbs at play. If you desire feeling, make sure your adjectives truly describe the heart of the situation. What memory does my audience have with regard to this? Are they scared? Happy? At peace? Do I want to heighten this or lessen these feelings? What senses, environments, smells, sounds, etc are tied to the marketing story you created? Is there a universal memory like a hot apple pie sitting on Grandma’s windowsill on a bright summer day, or is there a social reference such as a popular TV show or movie that you can reference to add power and depth to your marketing? Experiences begin in the minds of your audience. Never discount the power of verbs and adjectives to help add depth to your marketing efforts.

We have all been there. We get to a speaking event, show up for a client meeting, and “WTF” we have entered the Twilight Zone of Debbie Downers. You know no good will come from this situation, but you must continue and honor your commitment. Here are 3 ways to raise that energy by being the best version of yourself; Move. Yes, physically get you and them up and moving. Shake it off. Bounce it out. Put some music on and get the blood pumping. By moving the body, you are moving the negative mojo away and reawakening your client’s brain. Environment. Ideally, changing the space you meet in altogether is great. If this is not an option, move how you relate to each other. For example, remove the table that divides you from them, invite people to sit on the floor, open the windows, turn up or down the lights, light a candle, or let the cat or dog in the room for a bit of pet therapy. Changing your environment changes the energy, the stories at play, and the subconscious expectations. All making your audience more open to hearing your wisdom. Heart Breath with them. If appropriate, have your group stop and lead them through a round of heart-centered breathing. You can learn more details about this at The Heart Math Institute, but in short-focus on your heart. Have them feel it beat. Then as you breathe out through your heart and breathe in through your heart. As you breathe out, your love spreads across everyone in the room/ city/ world, and as you breathe in, you receive all the love coming to you. Being able to raise the energy of a room is a gift. And when you step into a room as the best version of you, you are fully capable of changing every heart there.

Can I be real? This politically correct world is a big bunch of bull shit. Consciously or not, we minimize our thoughts, feelings, and perspectives in fear of offending others. We apologize for things that have nothing to do with us. We play small, weak, and unauthentic. So stop. You are not a shy, scared, abused “puppy,” so stop acting like one. Stop telling the world that that is who you are. You are a powerful, strong, articulate, passionate woman. Your intent isn’t to offend. So stop worrying about it. If you are going to be out in the real world. Then be real.

Have you noticed the new social trend to be real, like truly no edits real? Everyone says that they want the real deal. No filters. No production. Just raw and real. And honestly, that isn’t what people want really. Yes, there is a side to our human nature that loves the odd, the gross, and the grim, but as a brand and a professional- you don’t want to be associated with such drama. You aren’t a sideshow after all. Outside of the innate human fascination with weird, the truth is we don’t want the real in all its raw, unedited glory. Because think about it this way, if we saw everything in its real, unedited state, we wouldn’t be very happy campers. What if on the package of the hot dogs, instead of seeing the label, you saw a video play of how the animal lived, died, and everything else that happened in between? I can promise we would have a heck of a lot of new vegetarians in our mists. The truth is that we don’t want to know how the sausage is made in all its true guts and glory. We just want to know the basics and enjoy the sausage. So when it comes to the impressions you make, online and offline, remember that your audience- aka the people who want to give you money - truly want to see the “pretty” version of your real life. Not the real, real version of life- only weird gawkers and lookie lou want that, but they don't want to give you the money, So I vote for the “show me the money” peeps.

Picture it. You are at an event this person is going on and on telling you about their problem, and you know you are the answer to their prayers. Like seriously, you have the skills they need. But instead of jumping in and owning that “I am the girl for you (superhero cape flying magically in the wind behind you),” you meagerly say some passive-aggressive wimp like, “If you would like to discuss your situation further, I am sure that together we can come up with a solution.” Let’s send this meager person to the curb and stand by the fact that you are the perfect professional for your audience (not all people). Here are 3 ways to claim your expert status in any situation, all the while being the best version of yourself. Know your “Whys.” Why you? Why them? Why this? Why now? Know how to answer both sounds to these questions. “Why now?” in the positive and the negative aka take action and don’t take action scenarios. Play out all outcomes in your head. Practice so you can articulate it concisely. Read at least one “thank you” card or post a day. Besides the fact that positive love will do you good. Many times these notes tell you how you helped your clients in ways you don’t think of. By being cued on these deeper levels, you are allowing your subconscious mind to speak to the deeper need of this potential client- not just the practical. And we all know that if we can use the words our ideal clients give to us, we will attract more ideal clients. Stand grounded. And yes, I mean that literally. Two firm feet are planted on the floor. Tall, straight spine, and keep your head clear and focused on the moment at hand. And breathe… always breathe. Being clear and direct that you are the right professional for a potential client is enlightening, not ego-driven. Own who you are, don’t back down and don’t downplay the successes you have achieved. People are looking for TRUE professionals, not Google experts. Be a true professional and stand in true power.

Blame it on being a startup or the simple fact that you don’t have a ton of letters behind your name. It can be a challenge for an entrepreneur to truly own the fact that they know their stuff. The easiest way to overcome such a mindset game (and yes, that is all it is, a mental game at hand) is to put facts on your side. Make a list of everything that makes you an expert. It can be formal things like certifications or training. And it can be informal elements such as that you have always been damn good at reading people or constantly redecorating your room as a kid. All the elements and instances in your life before this moment led you to this exact moment. And you have to believe that on some level, you are fully prepared for it on a Divine and down-home level.

Often people will say “yes” just because they don’t want the perceived confrontation and drama of saying “no.” And though it can feel like this is the less painful approach, it isn’t for you or them. Here is how you say “no” and not feel like an ass. Know your opinion. Half the time, we say “yes” because we don’t know how we truly feel about the situation, so we say “yes” at the moment and then regret our choice later. Know your boundaries. Know how you feel about situations and how far you can bend with people. Do you hate waking up early, then don’t say “yes” to a friend’s request to host a 5k race that starts at dawn. Make your boundaries nonnegotiable to you and everyone else. Know your end goals. Know what you are looking for out of every situation- know your intentions. When you know this, you instinctually begin to know when you need to say “no.” And if you ever find yourself in a situation where you have applied the above steps and still want to say “no.” Here is how you do it. “No. Thank you.” No explanation. No “because.” No, “I’m sorry.” All you need to say is “No. Thank you.” and move on.

Let’s just cut to the chase. A crisis will come. If it is to your industry, your life, your business, or your community- to think that the impressions you make will always be drama free and never under attack is a bit foolish. Like with every other disaster that comes your way, preparation is a girl’s best friend. So when prepping your brand and the impressions you make for crisis management, consider these Olivia Pope “esec” techniques. Know where you stand. Know the hows and whys of what you do. Know where you stand against or with the social and industry norms. Know the real enemy. Is it a personal accusation? An industry-wide shakedown? Of an industry influencer trying to make themselves look better? Choose your mode. If the crisis doesn't have anything to do with you, directly take the educational approach. Educate people on why this happened and how it can be fixed. If it is an accusation directly about you, take the opaque approach instantly. The opaque approach is somewhat transparent, but the details are fuzzy. By being opaque about the situation, you can ease concerns but not allow people to get caught up on the finer details that don’t truly matter. For example, she used a red pen to sign her name. That is a sign she was out for blood. Or it could be that she just liked writing in red ink or that it was the only pen around. Being opaque vs. transparent helps to keep the audience’s focus on the resolution and not go down the rabbit hole of details. Be prepared for when a crisis comes. Create practice scenarios that are business or industry-specific that you can run through to keep your mind sharp and your skill ready. Because one day, this won’t be a drill.

No matter what your life looks like, someone somewhere will find it fascinating. Far too often, we are so caught up in our own lives that we can’t see why anyone would find any of this interesting. Yet do not use our lives to our advantage is a waste of, well, our life. So if you are wondering what to post or share to truly build the impressions you are making to your ultimate success, consider these questions. Does this person or activity influence my life? Does this bring me joy or happiness? Do I have a unique perspective? Do most people never experience this? Is there a lot of misconception? Would others find it a luxury? Do others envy it? And once you have answered those questions. Always answers with a “Yes?” Does this truly reflect my intentions both short and long-term wise? If the impression you are making shows one of these questions in action, then guess what you are using in your life to your brand’s and impressions advantage.

A modern marketplace is a content machine. Copy, videos, pictures, stories, graphics, and so much more are everywhere. We consider the meaning at the moment, yet few of us stop to think about the overall visual footprint we are creating. Besides the idea of just junking up the professional landscape, we must stop to consider the impressions that all of these pieces are saying. Do they show growth and professionalism? Or do they show that we get bored easily and jump from topic to topic? Before we can correct the situation, we must understand what our existing footprints show. Here is the skinny on how to see what your digital footprint looks like. Clear your cookies Open a new internet browser Search yourself. Run through the first 3 pages on all the major search engines. Categorize the posts by topic Once you are done with your research, step back and see what your digital footprint says. Does it say that you use to be a big deal but have been MIA for the last 5 years? Does it say that you do 100 things that don’t make sense together? Or do you not show up at all? Once you know what your digital footprint says, you can be intentional with both a short-term and long-term perspective of the type of content you create and share. To correct and enhance the story your impressions tell.

In business and your personal life, it is easy to have moments where you don’t feel love. Baring that the issue isn’t with you- aka, you are personally grounded- it can be hard to broach the topic that a relationship isn’t living up to what you want it to be. Here are a few ways to ensure this intimate conversation goes exceptionally well. Location matters. Do a little reconnaissance and choose a neutral location that is new to you and your client. Timing matters. Neither party should be rushed to arrive or to leave. Inquire about them 85% of the time. You are feeling hurt. But most likely, your pain is stemming from their pain. Do NOT jump into it's all about your conversation because it isn’t. It is all about them. Listen. Not with your ears, but with your heart. Stay focused and grounded at the moment. No matter what they say, no matter if they get accusatory, stay in the moment and listen openly. Don’t stop asking questions or start replying till they have nothing else to say. Repeat. Once they are completely done talking, repeat what you heard, acknowledge it, and then state how you feel- factually, not dramatically. Don’t leave until there is a resolution. Even if the resolution is to agree to disagree, it still is a resolution. What does any of this have to do with how you feel? Relationships are a two-way street. And most likely, if you aren’t happy, they aren’t happy either. By taking the steps to create a supportive and neutral environment for both of you- true resolution can occur. By allowing the other party to speak first and fully you allow them to be heard. The simple act of truly hearing someone is the greatest gift and most honoring act you give to someone. This act of respect gives you a full picture of what is going on and shows your heart for the relationship. Plus, by the time you get to the end, your pain doesn’t feel so bad anymore. Perspective is a very good thing.

Video meetings may be all the rage, but phones are not dead. And though video meetings convert better because you get to read a fuller picture of each other’s nonverbal communication, there are a few things you can do to increase your influence even when you are on the phone. Stand Up. The simple act of standing up will have you feeling more confident and sounding more confident. Use A Mirror. We naturally mirror other people, even ourselves. So yes, watching yourself talk will increase your energy and enthusiasm. Be handsfree. Allow yourself to be as free-flowing with your conversation as if the two of you were in person. Free your hands and let them talk too. Actively hear. Active listening is about hearing unspoken words and picking up on the tone and vibe. Many times this leads to the truth about what is holding them back from saying yes or moving forward. The pause. When you are on the phone, you can’t see when the other person has stopped talking. Use this to your advantage. Society has trained us not to like the silence within a conversation, so if you make sure to pause between each person talking, one of two things will happen. (1) the other person will keep talking, giving you a better insight into what is going on, and (2) you come across as owning the conversation because of your cool, calm, and collected way. Though the telephone may not be in vogue, sometimes it can be your best friend.