Hone Your Hook and Draw People Into It and You

What are your defining characteristics and features? When people describe you, what words do they use in their description? Is it your hair, voice, style, personality or a color, a bow tie, a slogan, an idea, a communication style?

I think of this as the combination of my genetic DNA and my vision of the person I want you to see.

What’s your hook value, and how do you draw people into you?

Assistant Professor of Communication at Florida State College of Jacksonville, Bakari Akil, said in his Psychology Today article “What’s Your Hook Value:”

To attract, gain access or to be invited again into the business or social circles you are interested in, you have to discover and develop the character traits or qualities that other members will consider valuable to their group.

He describes hook value as making people crave the “insert your name” experience. A clever way to tie the hook to our personal brand as an experience.

Toastmasters, a national public speaking organization, outlines several kinds of hooks to draw people into you and their benefits. They are:

• Personal stories
• Props
• Surprise tactics

These are effectively used to grab attention, make you and your message more memorable, persuasive and clear.

In today’s content, connectivity and engagement world, your hook, premise and promise in that blog post, interview, social media message, video, podcast, keynote, that you want people to remember and become known for – is required. You really can’t stand out for the right reasons unless you have a memorable hook.

In movies, music, business, sports and political worlds we remember ET, King Kong, Smile by Charlie Chaplin, Help by The Beatles, People by Streisand, Bill Clinton, Lebron and Richard Branson because of  their unique, memorable and likeable hooks.

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Develop Your Hook and Draw People Into You

Express Yourself

Find opportunities to express your unique personality traits, gifts and intangibles anytime, in anyway and anywhere you can. Being kind, generous, helping people, having a sense of humor, cultivating integrity and fostering team work will make you memorable.

Interact

Have regular interactions and contact with people of differing personalities, points of view and stages in life. Regular communication with a wide range of people brings out the best in all of us and helps us define each other. Cross generational, cultural and demographic engagement is vital to our overall survival.

Cultivate

Cultivate inspiring environments and communities. We all have to live in the world as it is and sometimes that world is hard, cruel and unjust. But, we have the power and choice to create the environments and communities of people and their energy that best serves us and most inspires us – and eliminate any that don’t.

Participate

Participate daily in things that you enjoy most that enhances your spirit. Whatever moves you, be it music, art, volunteering, reading or accomplishing a hard task. Do it every day and keep that a prominent daily priority.

Speak Publicly

Go one on one or speak in front of groups of people more. Getting more personal with people one on one breaks barriers and builds intimacy in relationships. Who do you want to get to know more and who do you want to get to know you? If you are reserved or shy, practice speaking in front of groups of people where you feel familiar and safe.

Your hook is all about:

• Memorability
• Likeability
• Legacy
• Uniqueness

Focus on your strengths, assets, style and most likeable personality qualities to hone your hook and use it in your in-person and online activity. The more you share it, the more you will discover and be discovered.

What’s your hook and how do you draw people into it and you?

Rock your day whatever you do, XO.

Business Hook Photo via Shutterstock

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