Clever Counsel #3 - Let’s talk about your first line

You’re giving your target audience way too much credit.

When you produce your public-facing content (whether it’s your professional bio, your LinkedIn posts or your website copy), you may imagine you’re writing for an audience of attentive, educated, pensive and curious people.

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A captive, highly engaged group. Folks who have all the time in the world to carefully review and absorb everything you have to share.
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Or at least this is the type of content I see from the overwhelming majority of consultants out there.

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Long... meandering... self-oriented... and with scant consideration for the precious little time you have to capture your reader.
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And hey, I get it. I’m guilty of doing this myself. We reach a certain point in our careers and we get a little high on the horse. It’s tempting to think I’m so fascinating, impressive and experienced that of course my target audience will take the time to really get to know me and what I have to say.
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In reality though, I have seconds to grab their attention before they’re on to the next thing.
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Audit your public-facing content with this fact in mind. ​
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In each space where a prospective client might find you, pay special attention to your first line. In journalism school, we learned about the critical importance of a great hook. Here are a few examples to get you thinking:
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For your LinkedIn content:

My client doubled their monthly revenue. Here's how I helped them do it:

I read the 10 top books on productivity in 2024. My takeaways might surprise you:

Here’s a harsh truth no CEO is ready to hear:

For your professional bio:

The greatest compliment I ever received at work was…

My clients and colleagues know me as the guy who…

Do you know what really gets me excited to come to work in the morning?

It might be tough to hear, but your audience isn't giving you the time and attention you think. Go take a hard look at how you’re presenting yourself and your services online.

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​If you read this far, please answer today’s one question poll (it’s completely anonymous).