There you are minding your own business on a beautiful sunny day when all of a sudden your phone rings. You pick it up and the voice on the other end is asking THAT question. Ugh, the one that you get phone calls for all the time.
So what is that question? What do you do when people call you and want to “pick your brain”?
The answer to politely excusing yourself from these “pick your brain” conversations is to create your own Signature Entrée. This is where you feature your authority on a topic and make it a highlight on your web site. Your entrée can be as simple as a page on your site that covers the basics or it can be an in-depth report, video or mini-course you offer for sale. You can choose how you want to set it up and how detailed you want it to be.
My what?
If you don’t immediately know what your dish is, don’t worry. You’ve probably been using the recipe for so long that it comes naturally to you. Take some time to go through the following suggestions to help narrow down your Signature Entrée.
Phone a friend
First of all, start by asking your friends and fellow colleagues for some outside perspective. Ask them what they know they can call you for and how that may relate to their business. For instance, maybe you have people calling you for tips on budgets or stock advice. You have had your own budget since you were in Jr. High doing your first lawn mowing job so you don’t realize that others struggle in this area. Stop and think through your last few months, what have people called for advice about? Can you make that available on your site or in a product that you sell?
Choose your favorites
The next question to ask to determine your dish is… “what is your favorite part of what you do each day?”. What brings you the most joy and sense of fulfillment? Is that connecting with customers? Is that offering advice about a particular topic Is that navigating through a difficult problem? The answer to these questions will help narrow down your entrée because when we do what we love, we can’t help but share it with others. Not to mention you will want to do more of it because you enjoy it. A perfect dish to serve right?
Now examine the opposite: what is your least favorite part of what you do each day? What makes you feel frustrated or stuck? Stay away from offering these things as much as possible. These items will keep you running in circles instead of focusing on what you do best.
Your turn
Now it’s time to brag! What do you do that attracts people to you over someone else? Is it the way you can explain things easily? Is it the way you work quickly through a complicated problem? Is it your creativity on the spot? Get detailed and look at this with a business eye, this is something you need to leverage. Once you figure out the topic that you are known for and how you do it differently – you have nailed down your entrée! Go after ways to promote this entrée with gusto. You will enjoy what you love and your clients will enjoy your expertise.
So what is it? Share your Signature Entrée with us in the comments below. There’s nothing like a crowd to cheer you on!
