We don’t have to change what we do to reinvent ourselves. Sometimes all we need to do is to talk about what we do in a different way. This alone can help us to reinvigorate relationships and perceptions. Re-engaging with others like this can bring about new conversations and insights. And new conversations and insights might lead to new opportunities.

Here are some practical ways that you can begin to change how you express yourself.

Give yourself a new job title

There was a great article on Inc.com encouraging business leaders to let employees pick their own job titles. I love this idea and would encourage it wholeheartedly. But even if you’re not in charge of such decisions, it can be useful to consider your own job title and how you might change it. Doing so forces you to really consider what it is that you actually do and what value you really add. Looking at our roles in this way can be enough to reinvigorate our enthusiasm and motivation for what we do as we reconnect with why we’re doing it.

Change your bio

Your bio is something that needs to be regularly updated just for the simple fact that time passes and hopefully in the time that has passed since you wrote your bio, you’ve done some more great stuff that’s worth sharing.

If you’re re-writing your bio, it’s worth taking your time to craft a good one. If you have your own website, the likelihood is that your about page is the most visited page on your site. Your bio is important so don’t rush it. Tips for writing a great bio include

- If it’s on your personal site, write it in the first person. If it appears on a company site, then third person is better.

- Use storytelling to engage on an emotional level and create interest.

- Avoid showing off. No one likes a show-off.

- Share your human side. It’s OK to talk about failures and your vulnerabilities.

- Include aspects of your personal life; your passions, hobbies or reveal your inner geek. It’s these things that people will connect with.

- Have more than one. Whether it’s long and short ones, or different bios for different audiences you engage with (investors, employees, industry peers, conference attendees etc),

Update your elevator pitch

How long have you been using your elevator pitch or your personal introductory pitch? Personal pitches need to evolve as much as we do. Maybe what we do hasn’t changed, but who we do it for might have. Or the context in which we do it has, or maybe the reason why we’re doing it has. A shift in any of these should force you to consider evolving your pitch and make it more relevant.

If you choose to change how you express what you do, it’s important to ensure that you make changes everywhere. So ensure that your LinkedIn profile is changed as well as your twitter bio. The last thing you want to do is to send out a mixed message as this will confuse people and dilute your potential impact.

Why not read one of these:

• Reinvent your thinking

• Reinvent how you express yourself

• Reinvent everything!

Whenever I get an alert of a new twitter follower, I always take the time to read their bio. And, depending on what I read, I may click through to read their recent tweets. If their tweets seem interesting at that point I may decide to follow. But, not always. Just because people are interested in what I’ve got to say doesn’t mean I’m interested in what they’ve got to say. Right? It’s worth pointing out as not everyone gets that.

So, with all the bios that I read, I continue to be amazed at what people choose to say in the 160 characters that Twitter have given us.

Now, before I start, it’s probably worth mentioning that I’m assuming that people want followers. Not in a ruthless silly numbers kind of way, more an organic gathering of loyal engaged followers. After all, why would you spend time tweeting if it’s just to yourself?

So, back to the bio. You’ve got 160 characters to make an impact and let other people know WHY they should follow you. For me this means that every word and comma needs to earn its space in your bio and add something. Just like with a CV. There’s no room for flouncy indulgence here!

The key thing is to ensure that your bio helps to communicate who you are. So this might be things like what you do to earn money, what you like doing when you’re not, what you’re aiming for, great stuff you’ve done, how you help people. You get the drift. It’s also worth conjuring up a bio that helps you to stand out so that people will remember you. People who stand out are more likely to be followed back. Blandness does not tend to draw people in.

Now, you probably want to read a post that tells you how to create the perfect bio, but I’m not going to do that because we’re all different and formulas don’t work with individuals. So, instead I’m going to tell you what to avoid.

Your family status

I’m talking about words like husband, father, mum, dad of 4, husband to lovely wife. Seriously. We’re not interested. We all know people like that. So what? How does that make you interesting? What unique perspective does that give you on the world? When you introduce yourself to people you don’t know, is the first thing you say “Hey, I’m a great wife to my gorgeous hubby, and a loving mum to my 4 boys… and you?”.

Where you live

For a start, Twitter gives you a dedicated spot to tell us just that. So to reiterate the fact that you are “based in Solihull, West Midlands, UK” is just being silly and shows that you’re just not paying attention. That’s 36 characters that you could have used to tell me more about you.

Social media enthusiast

What the hell does this mean? It’s a bit like saying you like socialising and talking to people. Social media is just another way of communicating. The fact that you’re on twitter kind of suggests that you might be into social media. But beware – if you only have a handful of followers you can’t really be that much of an enthusiast. Or maybe you’re just late to the party, and now you’re here you think it’s fab. If this is you, be careful. There’ll be another fad waiting for you just around the corner that you’ll get really enthusiastic about too and then you’ll talk about that. Put your stick in the ground!

Proper long and windy sentences

“I am a husband and father to three gorgeous girls who really likes to go for long walks and drink fine wine. I am also a social media enthusiast and entrepreneur.” Jeez! It’s OK. You’ve only got 160 characters, so we’ll forgive you if you want to be a bit more punchy and concise.

Now, this list is just for starters. I’m sure there are many more! But, I just had to get these ones out of my system. If you want to add any to my list, go right ahead!

If you want help working out what makes YOU unique and different, then get in touch. That’s what I do! I help people to find their story and tell it with confidence.