You had me at hello.
I’m here to help you sail over the communications obstacles that arise in your work as a wellness biz owner, or practitioner.
Last week, I distilled my approach to 12 lean words. Sweet!
Be:
Aware of the moment.
Clear on your objective.
Fully present, and honest.
I then encouraged you to take concept #1 into the field. Hunt for “shimmery” moments: those instances when you see an idea first catch a listener’s or audience’s attention.
Paying attention to everyday conversation in this way gets you clear on the shimmer (or vibrancy) that makes it come alive.
This awareness is the first foundational step (or practice) in being able to connect and compel. Become attuned to “shimmer" in the wild and you can learn to create it for yourself.
Today, I expand this foundation, by highlighting your Objective. And how it needs to be C-L-E-A-R.
Let’s go "show and tell” style.
How about some Headspace?
Headspace is a winning meditation app and subscription service for creating calm in a stressful world. [And I say that as a user enjoying her 10-day free trial and without any professional connection to the company.]
Headspace had me from hello. How so?
Headspace nails it with a company name, tagline, and objective—simply declared.
What's so exquisite about each? And how do you make use of Headspace’s clarity (no pun intended) for your own wellness biz?
Up first. The name.
Headspace. Concise. Two plainspoken syllables. Concrete (notice it’s “head” not mind) and aspirational.
Headspace. It’s all about the benefits or result: a welcome expansiveness or sense of possibility that's built in from the get-go.
Then the tagline: "Treat your head right."
So much goodness here. Treat.
It’s active. And behavior-focused: “how you treat someone or something.”
A command (an imperative) that manages to bake in kindness and self-care.
While “treat" functions here as a verb, it calls to mind a pick-me-up present. You know the kind you get yourself when you feel deserving.
And third: the company’s Objective, capital O.
Again expressed as a plainspoken truth.
“Headspace is meditation made simple. Learn online, when you want, wherever you are, in just 10 minutes a day.”
Never heard of mindfulness training? Let alone an on-the-go app concept? No worries. It’s pared to the essentials so that you get it with ease.
To make that promise come alive, headspace then invites you to “watch our animation.”
What happens next is brilliant.
In a heartbeat, Headspace transforms a heady, esoteric concept (“meditation” or “mindfulness training") into the everyday.
You’re immediately greeted by a friendly voiceover:
“Say hello to Headspace. Think of it as a gym membership for the mind.”
Now Your Turn:
How do you introduce your work?
What kind of “greeting” do you extend?
I’m not recommending you copy Headspace. But it’s a worthwhile exercise to try to clarify your thinking.
Think about your company or practice. How would you fill in the blanks?
“[X] is [Y] made simple. Learn/Experience it [when], [where], in [amount of time.]
or
“Say hello to [A]. Think of it as [B] for your [C].
You could even play “rename your biz” just for fun. (I know you tried on new aspirational names as a kid. Anastasia, I’m looking at you.)
Give yourself 5 minutes and generate a quick list of 10 one to two word “headspace”-like, benefit-focused, names for your work.
I’m not saying file new paperwork, but you might unearth a gem of an insight.
Most important: in filling in the blanks above or trying on new company names, ask yourself:
Is your business objective clear to you?
What do you want to accomplish?
Share your “aha”s with me and I’ll respond with a question or two to help you clarify your thinking.
Because clarity carries a shimmer of its own.
We each have experienced that alive feeling of hearing the truth plainspoken, in a way both obvious and utterly refreshing. Bam. Something cracks open. And light seeps in.
When that happens, another question may bubble up:
What story do you need to stop telling yourself and others about your work?
Your business “objective” evolves (much like you do) and is refined over time. Nonetheless, in each iteration, it must be clear to you before your prospects can get it with “headspace” ease.
Next week I’ll be back to show you how defining your objective can uncover your motivation. Your why. This is key to allow you to be “Fully present, and honest.” Principle #3.