Our Inaugural Thought Leadership blog, written by Paul Brodie, Owner and Founder of Brodie Consulting Group, a CLC member of the Chamber

The most powerful way to grow your business and create deeper relationships with prospects and clients is to share your story.

If you are selling a product or service, the next sentence may be life-changing. No one wants to be pitched your service. Instead, people want to be able to have the opportunity to know, like, and trust you. I have been able to build a business that generates hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue each year by not pitching my services.

My publishing journey began in May 2011, when I was recovering from a bad case of bronchitis and pneumonia. My doctor sat me down and the next thing he said changed my life. He told me that I was near 340 pounds and at major risk of getting diabetes and high blood pressure. At that point, he said that if I do not get my act together then I would be dead in five years. Those words changed my life.

One year later, I lost sixty pounds and have kept it off. It also inspired me to share my story. The story started with a book I published in 2015 called Eat Less and Move More, and it changed my life. By sharing my story, I was able to help people with their struggles. It gave me an opportunity to help people share their story through helping them create, publish, and market their own book. The greatest asset you have is your story. Your story is how prospective clients will connect with you.

My philosophy is to give as much value to my audience as possible, and I do that in several ways. Sharing my story through books, emails to our audience, and blog posts are ways that you can grow your business without pitching your services. When you share your story, do not be afraid to be vulnerable and share your struggles. This is one of the best ways to share your journey with how you have encountered those challenges and how you overcame them. No one wants to hear about someone living the perfect life as it is not realistic.

Building a deeper connection with your audience takes time. Over the years, I have shared my own struggles with weight, fighting depression, overcoming alcoholism, and other setbacks. This builds a greater connection with your audience, prospects, and clients. Last month, my Golden Retriever, Amaris, fell in the pool during a winter storm. Within ten seconds, I lifted her out of the pool and back in the house and made sure that Amaris was alright. I shared this story with my audience and received lots of positive feedback. They also shared stories about their dogs and similar situations.

We had several people book strategy sessions after that message as I always include a PS at the end of all emails and posts where I invite people to set up a call in case they would like to work with me in the future. The PS serves as a continuous marketing model for my business where we constantly have people book calls to talk about their book and how we can work together. The focus of my 21 books, emails, and posts is to always provide engaging content, value, and advice that can help people in their journey. Providing value, sharing your story, and inviting people to connect further can all be used to grow your business without coming across like you are always trying to sell your services or products.

Feel free to connect, grab a free copy of my book, and get more information about how we serve at brodieconsultinggroup.com