2 Exercises to Workout Your X-Factor

The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any - Alice walker

My first year writing I spent it laying down a foundation.

That consisted of getting to know the industry, learning the language/culture, taking courses, and hanging out with other writers.

I didn’t pick a niche I just practice writing and posting it without getting attached to it. People will either like what you say or not and that’s cool.

Now that I’m in year two I’m working on my strategy. Paying closer attention to what doesn’t.

After two webinars, I discovered how to take my strategy one step further.

Keep reading to find out what I did and how you can get to bottom of your X-Factor.

The X-Factor Approach

First things first, the X-factor is just a fancy way of saying how you stand out. Making you ask the dreaded question, what makes me special and different from everyone in the crowd?

What if I tell you no longer have to give yourself a headache figuring this out. There’s a simple way to find out what makes you unique in your market.

The first approach came from a webinar hosted by copy coaches Rob & Kira. Of all the ways I have heard niche explained theres’ was the simplest. Niches are the people you are writing for.

Having a niche makes it easier to talk to your audience but it doesn’t really say how you help people in a way that’s specific to you.

A better way to answer this is to figure out whose problems you solve. How is your way of solving other people’s problems different?

This my friends is the X-factor.

Now that you understand the X-factor here’s how you find it.

Make a list of your skills, experience, and credentials. What special tools or programs do you use? What are some of your accomplishments? Have you built something?

Following their instructions this is my list:

• I design logo’s
• My internship with NationalBlackguide.com started with updating the events section of their site and ended with 12 published articles; 6 blog posts, 7 listicles. One of which was picked up by Newsbreak (that was a VERY HAPPY DAY See article here)!
• I have taken writing courses with AWAI where I learned to blog, email, and UX copy
• College degree in Biology
• Mentor at Fresh Air Fund
• I’m a writer on Simily.co

My list was nothing to brag about. I have accomplished some things but I felt like I didn’t have enough information to see my X-factor. So instead of frustrating myself, I tabled it for the moment and went back to it later.

Peer Review Anyone?

Before you roll your eyes hear me out. This isn’t like the peer review you do at work. You’re actually going to use this information.

I promise you’ll enjoy copy marketing pro-Josh Boswell’s approach.

In a recent mastermind, he talked about the benefits of a peer review.

The objective is to bring to light the things we don’t see about ourselves that are obvious to everyone else.

The instructions were to email to 20-50 people that know you well and analyze the answers. Then look for patterns in the responses.

This was the template I used:

Subject: Can you help me see myself better?

Dear X

I’m doing a business development exercise to help discover my unique strengths and abilities.

What do you see as my unique strength? Like what do you think I do better than anyone else in the world?

Your answer can be as short or as long as you would like.

Sometimes it’s hard to see outside of yourself… so your insights would be really helpful for me.

Thanks!

Your Name

I sent 20 texts vs. 20 e-mails because it was just easier for me to do it that way. So I will leave it up to you to decide the best approach for your Peer Review.

Out of 20 texts, 11 people responded. Feeling good about the number of responses I started looking for a pattern.

The Results

• My peers have determined my unique strength as
• Making every bad situation into a good ones
• My positive attitude
• There’s always a silver lining
• The ability to laugh at my self; a sense of humor
• Making others comfortable
• Childlike faith.

This approach helped clarify things better but I hadn’t figured out how to put it into words until…

My friend starts talking about her day. She’s a little annoyed about locking her wallet in the bathroom at work. She’s trying to be positive but it wasn’t convincing.

To shift the focus I say it sucked that you locked your wallet in the bathroom at work today. But at least you locked in the bathroom at work.

My friend says you're right.

I say yea, the job that you are passionate about and make an impact.

She goes Come on Dee!

HELP ME see through a different lens!!

And that’s when it hit me…

In Conclusion

Finding your X-factor is the way you apply the knowledge you possess. Doing more than what’s expected.

Sometimes it doesn’t feel like it exists, it may even take more than one attempt to make it clear to you but change your perspective and it will come.

Be open to using the skills and who you are as a person in new creative ways.

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