I don’t know about you, but for me, people who keep talking about my problems and struggles, who keep pointing out my flaws and things I’m doing wrong, they don’t captivate me.
In fact, I refuse to be their captive audience, I don’t want them to press on my pain points so hard that I fold and fall into desperation about myself and my situation. And then buy something from them, of course, to ease the pain.
The people who captivate me, they’re ones I can learn from and be inspired by. They make me feel good about myself, help me believe in my future. And they’re the ones that I end up buying from, time after time.
It’s the people who highlight the possibilities, the people who can see who I can become and what I can achieve, the people who speak to the greatness in me, THESE are the people I can listen to for hours, searching for more and more content to consume.
And sure, isn’t this only natural? That I want to keep listening to the people who lift me up and help me grow? Isn’t it normal to be captivated by the people who make us feel GOOD?
When it comes to running a business and attracting clients, I aim to captivate. I want to be that person, the one whose words are mesmerising, inspirational, life changing.
Don’t you?
If so, read on, about what I think goes into being captivating.
Be relatable.
One of my favorite creators, Liz Gilbert, is super honest about her writing process, admitting that sometimes she gets stuck, sometimes ideas don’t go anywhere, sometimes she has too much resistance to be able to follow inspiration. She is REAL and speaks to things that we all experience. I absolutely love listening to her, or reading her words. Despite the fact that she is a world-famous, super-successful author and I’m not (yet), I can relate. I find her work truly captivating, because she shows me not only that it’s possible to make it big as a writer, but also that it’s ok and totally normal to doubt yourself, to be scared, to not know what you’re doing. By being real, she helps me to feel better during the times when I’m not at my best, and inspires me to keep moving forward.
Be interesting.
Be interesting.You can’t captivate if you’re boring, plain or saying the same things as everyone else… you captivate an audience when you hold their attention, when what you’re saying is interesting. I’ve actually started to totally tune out if a person starts saying the same things I’ve heard elsewhere – and if I hear someone say something different I listen up and will likely buy something from them, to see what kinds of things they’re teaching. Being captivating means being unique… being willing to stand out from the crowd and share something different. There is way too much sameness out there – dare to be the one who shares interesting thoughts, perspectives and ideas!
Be passionate.
It’s not just about what you say, but also about how you say it. Have you ever been bored to tears by a webinar or livestream? I sure have, and find that passionate speakers are much more captivating than those who are not. But -the point is not to try and be passionate about something you’re logically choosing to talk about, you should really speak about the things that you’re already passionate about. This is where sharing your opinions and personal musings becomes important – especially on the topics that you easily become ranty about. 🙂 What do you think is wrong with the world? What do you KNOW would change people’s lives, if only they tried it? If you have the courage to speak your mind about what what matters to you, your passion will naturally shine through and will captivate your audience.
Be inspiring.
Is there anything better than being inspired to change something in your life, to do something differently? You know, that feeling you get when you leave a workshop that you can’t wait to put into practice or when you listen to a livestream and hear exactly what you need in order to move forward with your dreams. Inspiration sparks creativity in you, propels you into action. It’s a total vibe lifter. No wonder that people who can inspire you to create something are captivating – that inspirational high when you’re full of ideas is totally addictive and you’ll always want more!
Be useful.
I don’t like to listen or read stuff that isn’t useful, I find it a waste of my time. This is partly why the visibility teachings out there don’t really appeal to me – I don’t want to share my personal stories of triumphs and failures if there isn’t a point to them. I have no interest in ticking a box that says ‘I livestreamed today’. Same goes for what I look for in content. For me to be captivated by you, I have to be able to learn something that I can apply. I can’t apply the story of how you quit your job, but I CAN apply your experience of how mindset work helped you do that. If you want to captivate, make sure that what you’re sharing isn’t just fluff, make it useful and easy to implement.
Want to know more about being captivating, and becoming magnetic to your ideal audience? Check out this upcoming workshop – you’ll walk away with a detailed plan for how to stand out and attract the right people for your work and message.
Remember: You’re a soul – be #soulsmart.
