Hope these help! Contact XMstyle if you have further questions. Thanks!
Q & A with Linda
Q. When talking with business owners, professionals, and direct sellers, where would you tell them to start in their personal branding journey?
A. I would encourage them to start with their elevator pitch. The three attributes for an effective pitch is a professional & trustworthy appearance, effective delivery, and concise content.
Q. How do you feel about networking as a new business owner or direct seller?
A. Networking is essential for any business to thrive, and comes in many formats. There are hundreds of networking events both on line and in person for business owners to try. I like them both for different reasons. Live events are awesome as they give you a chance to get to know others in the room. I network to see how I can help others, and to see how we can collaborate.
Q: Did networking always come easy for you?
A: The first time I went to a formal networking event, my palms were sweaty and I didn’t know anyone. I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t my favorite. I went on to find more and more networking groups that were a perfect fit for my personality and brand. Now, I attend multiple networking events every week. I love it. Additionally, online networking is powerful.
Q: What made you decide to get certified in image consulting and personal branding?
A. Honestly, I couldn’t stop reading about branding and image happened to be a large part of it. I was at a point in my direct sales business where I knew I could help my team flourish with simple tips and tricks as most had never owned their own business. I hired several experts and learned from the best.
In fact, I am still learning. For years (6 to be exact), I knew I wanted to write a blog. I knew what I wanted it to be about. But, I couldn’t figure out the technology and, once again, I wanted to learn it myself! So here I am FINALLY sharing with you tons of tips and tricks on building and maintaining a flourishing business.
Q: Is it important for direct sellers to develop a personal brand since they already have a brand they represent?
A: Yes. It’s imperative for direct sellers to develop their own personal brand in order to be competitive. I like to show direct sellers how to use style and communication to build their brand.
Elevator Pitch
Q: Why did you start writing elevator pitches for business owners?
A: Well, I hired someone to write an email and elevator pitch. The content was terrible. Then I hired someone else to write copy for my monthly newsletter. Again, the content was terrible. So, I started writing my own. I wrote every day. I wrote so much that I should have blogged about it! Shoulda coulda.
I began writing content for business owners on my team. They loved the copy so I began writing for entrepreneurs and business owners all over the world. I have a technical background but love the arts so integrating the two is simple.
