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Created By Annie Jennings PR, National Publicist  
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Defining Moments


When I explain the kind of work I do to prospects, they look at me like, “Oh my! I had no idea you do this kind of work, Dorit.”

Recently, I had a one-to-one with a potential client who happened to be a wedding photographer. Without explicitly telling her the kind of work I do, I said, “So tell me your story.”

And then this amazing story poured out – her small country roots led her to put aside wedding photography and pursue world travels as a human rights activist. At a young age, she found herself in another country photographing for magazines and her subtle defining moment: she realized she was meant to be a wedding photographer.

Defining moments make kick-ass story material for your About page. (I don’t mean to sound vulgar, but they really do). No seriously. They are “transformational” in nature because you can NEVER go back to the same person you were before. And they’re exactly the kind of story material prospects want to read.

If you haven’t given your About page some serious thought, you really need to. Most About pages I see are simply sales pages without a purpose. Prospects do not want to be sold to. They want to connect with you. They may even end up seeing themselves in your Story. When they see themselves, that’s when they click with you and may end up buying your products and services. That’s how powerful your About page can be.

But, to make that heartfelt impression on your propsect, you need to do some emotional investment beginning with yourself. There are so many defining moments in one’s life, so which one should you choose? This is why you need to think strategically and put in some mental effort. So where do you start?

1. Get in touch with those defining moments. Seriously. This is the emotional groundwork you need to put your emotions into words. A defining moment by nature, is transformational and there are so many issues at stake that only you’ve experienced. Prepare yourself physically, emotionally and spiritually. Don’t be afraid to go “there”. That hurdle is just another story and it can’t hurt you. Most people want to forget those defining moments because they were so painful. Don’t hide behind your story. FEEL the emotions of that moment in time because they will be your emotional GPS for step #2.

2. Show how your defining moments position you to do the work you are doing now. This establishes credibility and this is the first thing your prospect wants to know. How are you qualified to do the work you are doing now? That “story script” establishes deep trust and it is what your prospect can relate to the most because you are sharing an intimate part of yourself. They are not interested in how many degrees or certifications you acquired.

3. Connect your reader with your defining moment. Spend a few sentences describing what that moment felt like. Paint a picture for your prospects and appeal to their senses. Remember, your job is to translate what you have seen and felt for your propsects – they have never been in your shoes, so this is your opportunity to tell a story! And the more authentic, the better your chances of establishing that “know-like-trust” connection.

So back to my prospect and her About page.

After I had “interviewed” her about her amazing transformational moment, she said, “I didn’t even realize I had a story.”

Time to get busy!

Here’s to defining moments!

Read more posts by Dorit Sasson, JenningsWire blogger.