Susan Young's
Amplify Blog

 

 

 

Becoming More Approachable and Confident at A/E/C Meetings

You don't have to say anything at shortlisted interviews and networking events.

Others pick up on your body language and subconsciously decide if you are approachable.

Your nonverbal communication says it all. 

Humans are "people-watchers." 

Research has long shown that we observe more than we listen. 

Prospects and clients make snap decisions in under five seconds about whether to engage with you. 

This underscores the importance of your nonverbal cues.

āœ…How do you move and behave?

āœ…What is your face "saying" about your confidence and mood?

āœ…Are your gestures (even if you're standing alone in a luncheon) inviting and welcoming?

Yes, architecture, engineering, and construction firms hire me to teach staff how to confidently and clearly speak and deliver presentations. 

It's easy to get your words tangled. I get it. šŸ‘€

Still, impactful communicators reach beyond their words so they win pursuits. 

They recognize that nonverbal skills are equally critical in this balance.

Usi...

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3 Easy Body Language Tips to Sharpen Your Communication

Are your teeth visible in your profile pictures online? 

This is not a trick question, it's quite important in how people perceive you. And how you communicate.

I share a tip on why...or why not...you should show your teeth in pictures. Especially in professional headshots and branded pix. 

Click the 3-minute video above for the details. 

Plus...I've included something fun for you about why body language is critical in our communication. šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚

Are you smiling with your teeth showing in your pictures? Comment below!

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You Have Ideas ā€“ but You Believe You Have 'No Idea Where to Start'

Entrepreneurs are rarely short on ideas. 

And then we tell ourselves: I have no idea where to start.  šŸ˜¢

Let's ban the phrase, I have no idea where to start. 

Itā€™s a familiar and comfortable narrative that has you brainwashed into believing you're stuck.

Iā€™m calling you out on this BS because your internal story is blocking your business growth.šŸ’° 

You insist you're clueless and instead focus on external messaging like ad copy, SEO, and email automation.

Here's the thing. 

šŸŽ‡Your internal messaging is more important than anything else.

Because marketing rarely works when your internal story keeps hammering that you have no idea what to do.

Our words create our worlds. šŸŒŽ

 And our communication is ā€œan inside jobā€ that no SEO guru can tweak. 

When you start with Step 1 and commit to cleaning up your internal story, you'll have: 

 šŸŽÆQualified leads and decision-makers joining your list and community. 

 šŸŽÆPeople who love engaging and sharing your content, so you have more visibility...

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Your Messaging and Lead Gen Are Still Off Because You're Missing This Key Communication Piece

What do Donald Millerā€™s StoryBrand book, Toastmasters, and Dale Carnegie have in common?
 
Theyā€™ve pretty much missed the boat. šŸ‘€
 
You may have read StoryBrand. I loved itā€”and even interviewed Donald Miller in person in 2018. 
 
Toastmasters helped improve my public speaking in 2002. Big fan.
 
Dale Carnegieā€™s How to Win Friends and Influence People was the first self-development book I read. Timeless.
 
Like me, you've probably invested in top coaches, books, and programs, too.
 
For some reason, though, your lead gen is still lousy, and your copy doesn't convert.
 
šŸŽÆThe crucial prerequisite that's missing ...is YOU!šŸŽÆ
 
All the strategy in the world is useless if you are (silently) doubting yourself.
 
šŸ‘€You see, our communication is an ā€œinside job.ā€
 
To reach new levels of success, youā€™ve got to notice AND do something to stop...
 
ā€¢ Your internal story loop thatā€™s laced with negative self-talk.
 
ā€¢ The harsh and
...
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My Client Was Full of It, and You Probably Are, Too

Humans are born with only 2 fears: the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises.

Science proves it.

Everything else youā€™re afraid of was learned, most likely in your childhood (0-7 years old)

And we carry these fearsā€”and the stories behind themā€”with usā€¦for years.

ā€¢ You talk about being afraid of heights.

ā€¢ You talk about being afraid of dogs, spiders, or snakes.

ā€¢ You talk about your fear of public speaking. Then, you give momentum to your (learned) story by talking about the presentation you messed upā€¦in 2012.

Our words create our worlds. šŸŒŽ

And they usually keep us from growing ourselves and our businesses.

So, what are you afraid of, aside from maybe falling and loud noises?

My client, Don, was reflecting with me about how transformative this fear lesson has been for him.

Donā€™s a super smart techie.

He was studying computer languages long before the rest of us found the Internet.

His programs have been used by the Pentagon and White House; so cool! āš”

But until a few ...

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Donā€™t Forget to Bring Your Audience Along

I canā€™t count the times Iā€™ve stared at a crisp new landing page thatā€™s about to go live, wondering: will this convert?

Will my message land? Will the words resonate so people opt-in, reply, or joinā€¦whateverā€¦?

{BECOME A CLEAR + CONFIDENT COMMUNICATOR SO YOU ATTRACT DREAM CLIENTS. APPLY FOR A FREE 30-MINUTE STORY POWER SESSION HERE}

Your wordsā€”and mineā€”only dance off the page and into the hearts of prospects when we use THEIR exact lingo.

When we talk about

  • THEIR pain
  • THEIR aspirations
  • THEIR desires

This was glaringly obvious in one of the women entrepreneurs Facebook groups Iā€™m in.

A memberā€”letā€™s call her Laurenā€”wanted feedback on a landing page for her new offer. She specifically asked for comments on her 2-minute welcome video.

When I looked and read the few lines of text above the video, I had no clue what Lauren was offering.

Would the video bring clarity?

The page layout was visually appealing, but the words were confusing.

I wanted to give Lauren the benefit of th...

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How Our Internal Stories Slow Sales

I am LOVING my amazing client who brought in more money in Q4 of 2021 than all 3 previous quarters combined! 

Yep, John Woods beat a big competitor in the employee health benefits field.

The contract was worth $61,000.

 Here's the kicker: John had his best yearā€”during the Pandemic! (Most of my other clients have as well šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚)

 How did this banner year happen when John's marketing was inconsistent and paid ads didn't convert?  

 John says the results **finally** showed upā€¦WHEN HE SHOWED UP, for himself. He made a commitment to private coaching with me. 

 And I immediately nailed John's real issue.

 It had ZILCH to do with marketing. 

 John had to clear out the blocks around his internal story and self-worth.

 John had never heard this from other coaches or consultants. 

He had to love his story --and himself--so decision-makers could appreciate his value and approach--and hire him. 

 šŸ“¢ Bottom line: If you don't love your story and believe in yourself, no one else will.

 Like ...

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The #1 Issue that Keeps Slowing Your Business Growth

I want to get in front of people who can hire me; I want to grow my business! 

Thatā€™s what Iā€™ve been hearing these past few weeks on social media and from my own client calls. 

Look, social media gives each of us access to the masses.

So, itā€™s not hard to get in front of peopleā€”even the right people who are your dream clients. 

Still, thereā€™s a challenge that most entrepreneurs and coaches donā€™t recognize.

šŸŽ¤Itā€™s this: What do you SAY when you get in front of your peeps? šŸŽ¤

If youā€™re like most of my clients, when we first start working together, they say the same thing.

šŸ‘€Youā€™re not aloneā€¦

  • Maria thought her problem was only having a few small clients (and struggling to make money). Then she realized she needed the confidence to talk about herself in a big, bold way.
  • Chris thought he wasnā€™t closing enough sales. Then he realized he didnā€™t feel worthy enough to speak up. 
  • Heidi knew she was doing something wrong. She got crickets when trying to engage potential clients and repor
  • ...
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The 1 Trait You Need to Close More Sales

In elementary school, most of the girls I knew were told they ā€œtalk too much in class.ā€

Both of my sisters got those lovely comments on their report cards from time to time.

Not me.

I was a roamer.

I didnā€™t talk all that much; I wanted out. Out of whatever classroom I was in.

Why?

I have insatiable curiosity.

I saw myself as ā€œlifeā€™s little observer.ā€

 I always sensed that something interesting was happeningā€¦somewhere else.

And I was hell-bent on finding out where it was, who was involved, how things were playing out, and even why.

My modus operandi was simple. Ask for a bathroom pass or volunteer to deliver something to the library, office, or anywhere.

And get the hell out.

I felt like Maya Angelouā€™s ā€œcaged birdā€ trapped in Mrs. Rosenthalā€™s 3rd-grade classroom.

Of course, the tall people in charge at Woodbrook Elementary School ā€“and my parentsā€”werenā€™t keen on this roaming thing. (Wasn't I a cutey!!?? 5th grade at Woodbrook) 

They didnā€™t see my exploring as a way of learn...

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How Not to Screw Up Your Credibility and Introduction

 Entrepreneurs, here is a HUGE lesson from a simple 10-second interaction between a reporter and a celebrity after last night's Emmy Awards. 

Watch this video for a a priceless lesson on business growth, questions and paying attention. 

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