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How to Get The Right People to Engage With Your Business, Personal Brand & You As A Human (Without Being Pushy)

A simple communication framework built for authenticity

Read time: 3 minutes

This one is going to hit differently.

The truth is we get lazy in our communication.

We assume people can read our minds to what we really mean. And then we get frustrated when they don’t. Clear communication takes some work.

But when communication is crisp — it moves people effortlessly.

The best communication aligns the words with the intent — unfortunately, laziness often prevails.

Take a simple question you hear often: What do you do?

These four short words actually form a big philosophical question. But we use them as small talk to get a specific answer — typically related to your work.

Total misalignment.

I find this to be a complicated question for dynamic, high-achieving business owners, executives, and thought leaders because:

  • Your business lens knows the importance of specificity (not to confuse the potential customer)

  • Your personal brand lens wants to be targeted (not to confuse an audience of the direction you’re leading them)

  • Your human lens wants to be general and multi-dimensional (not to box yourself into this rigid identity)

This solution to lazy communication may seem straightforward — align the words with the intent of the message. But it doesn’t happen in practice.

Your message will move people.

While we like to believe we're immune to influence, the truth is we're constantly influenced by everything around us.

  • Questions shape answers

  • Messages drive actions

  • Connection builds trust

Words steer results.

A poor combination of words drives people to achieve poor results.

  • Answers are lackluster

  • Messages are unclear

  • Connections fall flat

And that’s a problem and a missed opportunity.

I’m going to share with you a simple communication framework to make your message move people in line with your business, brand, and human identity.

1. Get the right customers to buy with “specificity” in your business message.

A business seeks customers to serve.

When customers interact with your business, they have a binary decision: "Does this help me solve my problem?"

If yes, they engage. If not, they move along.

The customer and the business save time and money when there is specificity.

Make the messaging of your business specific.

2. Use a “targeted” message in your personal brand to direct your audience to a better version of themselves.

A personal brand seeks an audience to support.

When your audience interacts with your brand’s ecosystem, they see a mirror reflecting the aspirations they wish to become. They have a multi-layered choice: "Can I learn from this personal brand, and do I want to be associated with it?"

If yes, they engage. If not, they move along.

The audience and the brand both grow when there is a clear target.

Make the messaging of your personal brand targeted.

3. Maintain a “dynamic” message of your human identity to represent all of who you are.

A human seeks fulfillment to thrive.

When you interact with another, you see an individual full of truths, lies, missteps, and triumphs.

A multi-layered question forms, “Can I connect with this person, and how can I share my identity?”

If yes, then you engage. If not, then move along.

You both unlock authenticity when you realize “What do you do?” actually means “Who are you?”

Make the messaging of your human identity dynamic.

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly.

Specialization is for insects.

Robert Heinlein

Thank you for reading.

If this post made you think differently, good — now try reading this, and it will all make sense:

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