Our brains help us focus on the bigger picture

We are constantly bombarded with information and input, but our brains have a clever trick to help us out.

Have you ever seen one of those tests where the letters are scrambled, but you can still manage to understand what it says pretty easily? Like this:

“It deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.” (Read original article)

Here’s a version for my Swedish readers:

“Mngåa har knakse stet teetxr som bgyger på häjnnras hljäpsmaeht.” (Read original article)

We read in chunks instead of looking at every single letter individually (which explains why it can be so easy to miss spelling errors in a text).

Our brain is wired to help us survive. If it has to work too hard it uses up way too many calories. Calories that could be put to better use. In order to conserve calories, our brain helps us out. It discards unnecessary information and makes assumptions and predictions about the rest based on context and experience.

When people trust us, they will buy from us

I talk a lot about being authentic and showing empathy. I’m not talking about fluffy, positive slogans. I mean, genuinely showing that we care about our clients and their needs.

After all, why would they invest their precious time and money in a company that didn’t care about them and want them to succeed? This has to be a huge part of our business story.

Our clients come to us because they have a problem that needs to be solved. When we genuinely empathise with their dilemma, we create a bond of trust.

“People trust those who understand them, and they trust brands that understand them.” – Donald Miller, ‘Building a Storybrand’

When people trust you, they will buy from you.

They will be less reluctant to shop around for someone with a lower price because they want to work with YOU. When you have built a personal brand and share photos that enhance this and make you stand out, you can charge the prices that you are worth.

A picture says more than a thousand words

It all comes down to this.

Customers are drawn to brands and people they have something in common with. When a customer realises they have a lot in common with a brand, they fill in all the unknown nuances with TRUST.

Read that again, because it’s important.

Just like when we’re reading a text, when dealing with people and working out who to trust, our brain thinks in ‘chunks’, rather than details.

People do business with people they know, like and trust. Even if they have never met us in real life, if they feel that they know who we are and what we stand for, they are much more likely to make contact with us.

“Commonality, whether taste in music or shared values, is a powerful marketing tool.” – Donald Miller

Five concrete steps you can take to give your audience this sense of trust (which will lead to more bookings)

1. Look through your website, social media and all marketing material and make sure you’ve told your audience you care. They won’t know unless you tell them.
2. Create content that shows who you are. What are the values closest to your heart? What is your why? What makes you happy and gets you excited? What worries you? You can be personal and still professional.
3. Show who you are. Storytelling photos that capture the real you and the story of who you are will give your audience this sense of familiarity and trust. This is why personal brand photography is so much more than just a headshot. It’s not about showing what you look like. It’s about making you approachable, empathetic and someone that people want to connect with.
4. Give value. Don’t be afraid to give away lots of information, tips and advice. It won’t replace the services that you want your audience to pay you for, but it WILL show them that you have the knowledge to solve their problem and that you genuinely care about helping them.
5. Share testimonials and positive feedback. I know that when I’m thinking of booking someone, testimonials from happy clients is extremely reassuring and helps me to take the step and book.

The next step

I’d love to hear what you think about this. Have you ever had this feeling that you wanted to do business with someone because you felt such a strong connection? Or do you think about this when you create your own marketing material? Leave a comment below.

If you’re curious about this subject, I can highly recommend Donald Miller’s book ‘Building a Storybrand’. He also has a fantastic website and podcast. I can’t read his texts or listen to a podcast episode without being hit with this A-HA feeling. He’s the master of keeping messages clear so customers will listen.

I’d love to help you tell your story and attract your ideal clients through personal brand photography. Click on the button so we can start talking about your brand, your values and the types of images that will be perfect for you and your audience.