I’ve always been interested in other people’s stories. Because of that, I have a tendency to ask complete strangers inappropriately personal questions from time to time. My friends lovingly refer to them as “Christy Questions.”

To me, small talk is about killing time. You use it when there’s an awkward silence to fill but you have no real interest in making a lasting connection.

Think about it, when you open yourself up and share your stories with another person, it’s because you want that connection; on some level, you’re invested. That’s how meaningful relationships are formed; when we share the real stuff. The stuff that’s painful, messy, and makes us feel vulnerable.

The same applies to how you communicate with your ideal clients.

Staying in neutral territory when it comes to the content you create for your business is like engaging in small talk with your audience. It gives them the impression that you’re not interested in going any deeper with them.

Going deeper builds trust. It makes your ideal clients want to know more about what you do. And if they have a choice to work with the go-to person for fluffy, inspirational quotes or the person who’s overcome some tough shit to get where she is today? My money’s on option #2.

So, that begs the question, what do you share?

First, you have to think about your ICA (ideal customer avatar.) What stories pertain to her? What does she want to know about you? Your origin story is a great place to start.

Your audience is most likely interested in what inspired you to do what you do, how you got started, and what obstacles you had to work around to get where you are today. But they don’t just want to know the shiny, happy ending. They want to know the parts you feel a little uncomfortable talking about.

And keep in mind, your readers aren’t about to whip out their credit cards to buy your stuff just because you shared a touchy-feely inspirational tale with them. That might help build the relationship but you always want to bring it back to what’s possible for them and how they can benefit from your knowledge and experience.

That’s the space your ideal client needs to be in to pull the trigger and invest in hiring you.