When I started working with Duncan Brodie, he already had an impressive biography. His company, Goals and Achievements, has helped more than 7000 accountants and professionals to take the next step – landing a new job or building their leadership and business partnering skills. Duncan wanted to make his profile more ‘personable’ and use his story as part of his marketing:
“I could see many opportunities, not just in terms of things like blog posts, but perhaps, to show more of my personality on some of the social media platforms, particularly places like LinkedIn, where I’ve seen others very successfully talk about their journey and talk about their story.”
This was Duncan’s original ‘About’ page:
Show your prospects you understand them
During a 90-minute Zoom conversation we explored how different parts of his pre-business career have shaped his approach today. As we retraced his journey, from 15-year-old Payments Clerk to Finance Director of an NHS Trust, Duncan became clearer about:
- How ‘much he had in his head’ which he had never used to promote his work. See how Duncan has since used some of his stories to open up conversations on platforms like LinkedIn.
- Why it’s important for him to create a safe space where clients can leave their comfort zone to practise a dreaded interview or presentation ‘for real’. It’s because he was lucky enough to have bosses who gave him similar chances to leave his comfort zone, develop his non-technical skills and use on-the-job learning (including mistakes) to move to the next level:
“One of the big stories that really came to the fore when I was speaking with Miranda, was my early experiences, and particularly how an early boss had seen the potential I had. I hadn’t consciously made the connection between that early experience and what I’m doing now, until I’d been interviewed by Miranda. For me, the difference that this connection made, was that I was able to demonstrate that I’ve actually been there. I’ve gone through the same struggles. I can relate to the challenges of the accountants and professional people I work with.
“It very much brought home to me the fact that when I was talking about my career experiences, I realised that most of the time, I wasn’t talking about anything technical. What I was doing was talking about all of the intangibles. My career success really wasn’t about being brilliant at my craft. It was the whole package that made the difference. It gave me that little edge and gave me the opportunity. It put me in a position of choice, to go as far as I wanted to in my career.”
This is Duncan’s new about page:
It has similar information to the original and:
- the order has been rejigged so that the benefits Duncan brings to his clients are at the top
- the tone of voice is more conversational because it comes from Duncan’s spoken words
- it’s more personal, with references as to why his work matters to him. Duncan wants to give to his clients what his early bosses gave to him:
“I think how my work with Miranda is going to help me with my business building is that if I can start to write more about my experiences, if I can tell more of my story when I’m presenting, whether that be in front of an audience or in a workshop, I can then build that connection. I can build that relationship. And I can show people that I really understand your world. I really understand what you are up against. I’m not claiming to have all the answers, but there are elements from my experience that can help you build your own jigsaw and start to shape your own style, to be more successful.”