State Your Perspective As If It Were a Tattoo on Your Knuckles

As the cashier handed over my change, I commented on the name tattooed across her knuckles. "That's my daughter's name. She's the center of my life, and I want everyone to know," she told me.

My first thought was how painful it must've been to have each of those letters tattooed on sensitive fingers. Then I was struck by the power of that tattoo to clearly communicate the cashier's perspective and commitment.

I wouldn't suggest that you tattoo yourself to show clients what's important to you. But you can almost always find ways to sharpen the clarity of what you do, believe, and offer to clients. And that clarity of purpose will help differentiate you in the market.

Clarify Your Purpose

We live in a world of shortcuts. That's especially true when we process new information. When visitors look at a website, for example, they instantly categorize what they see to decide if there's anything worth reading.

In fact, one study showed that site visitors read only about 20% of the text on a web page before moving on. In response to this reality, many consultants load up their home pages with descriptions of their "unique" qualifications and "superb track record of results."