Why You Need More Evangelists For Your Brand

A client of mine—let’s call him Shawn—published his second book almost two years ago.

And yet he’d neglected to mention it to his CPA (who just happens to have a thriving social media presence), until now, at tax time.

She was fascinated by his topic and immediately leaped into gear, brainstorming how she could help get his message out to her circle.

Will her help turn into book sales or new clients?

Too soon to say.

But he just gained a new evangelist.

Some of his other evangelists have sent him clients, gotten him speaking invitations and more than a few mentions in national media.

Evangelists = influence.

And influence—properly handled—will translate to what matters most to you.

Helping more clients. Sharing an idea whose time has come. Leveraging your wisdom to your sweet-spot audience.

The beauty of evangelists?

They’ll help get you to Kevin Kelly’s 1,000 true fans (aka a thriving business) faster than you ever could alone.

So why do we have such trouble building a core of evangelists for our brands?

I think it’s because we tend to be (narcissists aside) a bit hesitant about enlisting those who can help us.

We don’t like asking for favors (you may be hardwired to GIVE them) and many of us would rather huddle in front of our laptops than pick up the phone and risk rejection.

But here’s the thing.

If your big idea and your brand are compelling enough to your sweet-spot audience, you won’t be begging.

You’ll just have a conversation.

Not selling your book (although that might come up), not asking to send clients your way, just the tenets of your idea—that transformation you make/want to see in your sweet-spot audience.

That’s all it takes with the right audience.

Why not give it a try?

Pick one person who has crossed your path who might be sympatico with your belief system.

Ask for a conversation—nothing more.

When the appointed time comes, listen at least as much as you speak.

And see where the connections you make together take you both.

Even if you don’t spark an evangelist first time out, you WILL get more comfortable talking about your ideas and connecting with people who resonate with you.

New contacts, deeper friendships and ultimately an evangelist or two (or ten).

Not a bad investment in building your brand.

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