Take the Following Quiz:
Marketing myself is as enticing as one of the following:
A) A Root canal with the dentist from Marathon Man
B) Listening to the Captain and Tenille sing the unabridged version of 'Muskrat Love.'
C) Clipping coupons for the rest of my life in Peoria Illinois
Can you relate?
It might not feel like this to everyone, but most of us feel uncomfortable promoting our services and touting ourselves in the marketplace. There is a voice in the back of our heads, especially as women, that make us feel there is something wrong about unabashedly advertising ourselves. How do we turn our thinking around and find a way to market ourselves with the true sense of fun and passion that lives inside of us?
We do that by going back to our original premise of why we are doing what we are doing in the first place, what our unique talents are, and by learning how to offer them out in the world, in a way that feels comfortable and doable to us.
If you choose the conventional way of doing something, because it works for someone else, but is totally out of character for you, or if you associate marketing yourself as ‘interfering’ or’ bothering ‘others, the only thing that will develop in your business is anxiety and distaste. Think of yourself way. You are the solution to someone's problem .You are the answer to a harried persons prayers, the ease someone would feel with your financial planning expertise, a stress buster, someone who will find me the perfect home, plan for the future of my children, or keep me safe on the road. Think of yourself as the last word, solving a crossword puzzle. Don't hold out on me. When you come across that way, you will see a profound difference in how you feel about marketing your services. Don't deprive me, or someone else of something that I need, and make it available and easy for me to find.
How do you remember to do that on a daily basis?
The key, without hyperventilating every time you get near the phone, is to market in a way that works for you. Forget about all the 'shoulds' because we don’t do them anyway. If you are procrastinating and frustrated then you need to redirect your efforts, not beat yourself up for what you didn't do. If you feel like you are on the way to the dentist, everytime you go to market yourself you will come to resent the thing you love to do, because it is so painful for you. That would be a huge mistake
Start using your creativity and ponder the following:
Pretend that no one has ever done what it is that you do, and has never offered it in the world before. Think backwards. If you knew nothing, what would you do? How would you get the information across? Be original. Take out a big pad and write the most outrageous solutions that you can think of. In the seed of them will be some idea that you can use. Ask yourself- what would delight you to receive in the mail, encounter at a networking group, hear on the other end of the phone, or be the recipient of? Creativity is the key to standing outside of the pack.
Image
Think of how the big companies do it. They decide on how they want to be perceived in the market, and they stick to it. What image comes to mind when you Think 'Ben and Jerrys' or 'Southwest Airlines.' These folks are perceived as tons of fun, as is their product. Look at cosmetic companies. They take an $8.00 an hour sales clerk, put her in a clinical looking outfit and instead of seeing her as a drug store clerk who takes your $10 for foundation, she is now your expert skin care consultant. She will now sell you $100's of dollars worth of product and you will believe her advice!
What is your image?
The one that conveys and will exemplify who you are? It does not need to look like anyone else. As a matter of fact, if it doesn't, you are probably on to something.I will give you an example. My persona in marketing is as a Fairy Godmother. Why? It fits and it's fun. I see myself as offering a unique perspective to business, teaching others a sense of permission, possibility and fun, and bringing creative solutions and appreciation to work and to life. So that is how I market myself. And I stay consistent with it. Everything that someone receives from me, from the initial contact on, carries that same message I send out cookies, fairy dust, pumpkin coaches and lots of hilarious stuff. If someone else tried to do this, it would be a disaster, because all this truly comes from what I feel in my heart about how I want to do business. I however, could no more market myself successfully in a suit with a brochure, then I could sign up for the military. Marketing is fun for me, because I am communicating who I am. What is it that you passionately want to communicate? When you focus on what that is, you will find it much easier to let others know about it. Remember that you are creating your own name brand recognition.
Follow up is the main thing that you need to do. Most sales happen after the 7th call, long after most of your competitors will have given up. People appreciate persistence. You can ask very directly if they would prefer you don't contact them again, or if they would like you to keep in touch. Remember that when you are being persistent, they also get to see your follow through capabilities and the way you do business. That will work in your favor down the road.
Cross-market and alignments
Cross-market, share resources, and create your own built in marketing team. What does your business go well with, and how can you increase your value to a customer by offering things together? For a real estate person, the obvious businesses to align yourself with would be a lender, a mortgage broker, a bank etc. Think differently. How about a Feng Shui specialist, personal organizer, and house cleaning service? What about a massage therapist, daycare center and landscaping service? All of a sudden you become much more valuable to me, as a resource. Put together a marketing piece offering yourself as the ‘one relaxing stop’ on the way to buying a home. If you own a car repair service, team up with a car detailer, parts shop and car wash and put together a tip and resource guide for your prospective clients and have everyone cover a portion of the cost. Then you all have a valuable marketing piece, as well as a sales force of other people committed to marketing you. Your portion will probably be the same as the cost of a flyer that will get thrown away. People keep resource guides. Get large stickers with your name in bold print and place them on the cover of your pieces.
Teaching
Are you an expert on a topic? If you are, you must love it. Offer to speak about it, in arenas that are comfortable. If you do not like public speaking, speak informally to a small group. Have your materials available.
Promotional Materials
A huge (and easy mistake) to make is to put a lot of money into your promotional pieces while you are initially developing your strategy. It will evolve, so don't lock yourself into expensive pieces that you will not be able to afford to replace.
Try something noticeable and different. Send a fun postcard, a small trinket. If you do massages, pick up some postcards of people lounging on a tropical beach and scrawl across it..."I can make you feel like this. Give me a call and I will tell you how." Wouldn't you respond to that? Go back to what it is that you are the solution to. Get some good ideas from a promotional company or wander around stores to see what catches your eye. Send your material out in colorful packages that are handwritten and hand stamped. Isn't that the mail you open first at your house, while the other stuff piles up 'for another time?'
Buddy System
We need feedback, encouragement and support as well as accountability. Team up with someone else and check in with each other on a daily basis with the tasks you plan to do. Reward yourself with treats for your follow-through. Cheer eachother on.
Expert Help
Consider hiring a coach. In pivotal times of transition, or when you about to launch a dream it is very helpful to have a new perspective, clarity, and to support your vision. So many of us have old tapes about success in our heads and very good 'saboteurs 'who are ready to step in on a moments notice. Get someone dedicated to helping you succeed and who understands your vision and your challenges. Invest in yourself and in your dreams.
And persist, persist, persist...Reinvent marketing, be flexible and keep at it. It's about time that we all took ourselves to the ball!
Nance Cheifetz, M.Ed. is the author of ' A Sense of Delight'- Living Ordinary Life in an Extraordinary Way. She is a CFG, speaker and trainer on all topics related to working and living your life with more joy and fun.
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