3 Tools I Can’t Live Without as a Personal Brand Coach and Consultant
If you’re a coach or consultant who works for yourself, the credibility of your personal brand is a priority. These are three free and simple tools that elevate your impact.
If you know, you know. If you're a coach or consultant, you likely wear many hats and manage the end-to-end operations of your business. In today’s world, this means you have to master technology and make the most of online tools to optimise your productivity and profitability.
As a panellist at a speaking event recently, I was asked what platforms or tools have had the most impact on my work. With just a few minutes to respond, I narrowed my answer down to the most impactful social media and digital platforms. However, like with any speaking engagement, there’s always more you wish you said. So, in this blog, I’m sharing my top three tools for a coach or consultant’s toolkit.
This list could, of course, be much longer. But I also believe we’re too often sold expensive and complex tools and are led to believe we can’t run our business without them. But as a coach or consultant, especially if you’re just starting out, it’s smart to reduce your overheads as much as possible and use only what you need. Subscriptions, however seemingly small, can add up quickly. Sometimes tools designed to help you work, can create more work. With this in mind, here are the three free and simple tools I couldn’t operate without.
1.Canva
This might seem like an obvious choice, but a comment from an attendee in the networking component of the event reminded me how powerful this tool is. I’m sharing this for anyone who isn’t making the most of Canva’s capabilities. I only use the free version and am blown away by the features the platform makes available free of charge. There is a reason why the ground-breaking Australian-born business is valued at tens of billions of dollars. After her experience teaching design, Canva co-founder Melanie Perkins wanted to make design accessible to more people, creating a platform that was more intuitive than often overly complex design platforms.
When you’re running a business and suddenly find yourself your own Marketing Director and Graphic Designer, it’s easy to assume you need to teach yourself on the fanciest tools. Canva makes design easy for everyone. Plus, it’s regularly refreshing its features, promoted in its clever “Dropoctober” campaign.
2. Grammarly
I used to think Grammarly was just another version of spell check. So, if you had spell check on your Word or Pages, then why would you need it? I was very wrong. One, as someone who writes everyday, Grammarly picks up what other platforms don’t. It’s not just grammar either. Two, it flags issues with clarity. I only use the free version and still get so much from it. In the paid subscription, it will offer you more suggestions for improving your writing further. It can also be used across multiple platforms. So, it can scan your emails, web activity or your writing on other platforms.
Despite being your very own Miss Grammar assistant, one of my favourite features comes from its insights. I regularly recommend the platform to my personal brand coaching clients because of its weekly reporting. Every week, you get a wrap-up on your writing straight to your inbox. The part I find most interesting is its analysis of your tone of voice. It tells you what the top dimensions of your tone of voice are and how they are trending over time. It’s one thing to know that you’re writing accurately; it’s another to understand how your personal brand comes across to others.
3. The Hemmingway App
When I first started working for myself, I couldn’t live without this tool. I used it consistently for years to build my desired tone of voice, which now comes more naturally to me. Inspired by the writer known for his ruthless conciseness, the Hemmingway App is the perfect platform if you want to increase your clarity and conciseness.
Simply copy and paste your writing directly into the landing page. In milliseconds, it will assess your writing on key dimensions in a very simple and visual interface. Get colour-coded feedback on:
Sentences that are very hard to read
Sentences that are hard to read
‘Weakeners’ of your writing (e.g. writing that uses a passive versus an active voice, or uses unnecessary adverbs or qualifiers)
Overly complex words, where a simpler alternative exists
It might sound like a lot to assess, but the highlighting system makes this super simple. You can even edit directly in the webpage, so you can see your writing transform from a messy draft into an easy-to-read polished piece of work.
Build trust in your personal brand with these 3 tools and make the ultimate impression on your clients.
