Jul
12
Subtitle: Well Whaddya Know? - It’s ALL Marketing!
Speaking with a friend of mine (who shall remain nameless 
) and the subject got on to promoting yourself as a solo entrepreneur. And that it can be tough for some. For the extroverted among us it is less of a hindrance (but that comes with other issues) but for the Introverted it can be a real pain this self promotion thing.
So it got me thinking about what I know.
- Is it valuable?
- Would people want it?
- Would people pay for it?
And then I was listening to John Mayer’s “Waiting for the World to Change” and it kind of fell into place.
In John’s song (Only his real friends call him John! 
) there is a line that goes:
“cause when they own the information, oh they can bend it all they want”
Now I’m not using that line to be cynical but I think it adds a dose of reality to how we promote ourselves in the business world.
Until people get to know us only we own our information. I’m not saying we should bend unwisely, but some of us do bend it, in a negative way. (In fact, we probably all bend our own information in some way.)
The good old “fake it till you make it” comes to mind. And, truth be told, isn’t that what we do with every new venture?
And that means, in the end, it’s ALL marketing. Whether you market well, or whether you market poorly, you market. We all do.
So how can you market yourself well:
1. Tell the Truth: This isn’t just the opposite of lying, it is deeper than that. It means be up front about what you can do. Figure out what it is you do and then create a message that encapsulates that well.
2. Know Your Outcomes: When people work with you what do they get? What change for the better do you bring about? Establish these in your own mind first so you can convey they confidently to a prospect.
3. Use the Right Language: Everyone talks, not everyone communicates. Knowing what you want to say and knowing how to say it are two completely different things. What words do you use? Are they positive words or negative words?
Example of what I mean here:
“I can get your staff to stop taking unnecessary breaks and ruining your productivity.”
~versus~
“I can help your staff remain motivated and works towards the results you’re after.”
Okay, simple example but hopefully it makes the point.
4. What You Know is Old - But They Don’t Know That!: Every generation starts from scratch. Time management, people skills, communication, leadership, technical skills, professional accreditations and the list goes on. People are learning that every day. The stuff you know by rote. Don’t under value that just because you have known it for years. The key is to communicate it in a way they will want to listen.
5. How Do You Make Life Easier?: A lot of what you know, you know to be easy - for you. A lot of people will market their stuff because they are good at what they do. Not bad. My experience has been:
- How do you solve my problem?
- How do you make things easier for me?
So you need to know the answer to those questions before you meet with someone.
6. Learn Body Language: Did you know that 55% of your communication comes from your body? Good! So how are you managing that in your meetings with prospective clients? Don’t get paranoid about it but simply be aware of your posture and the conversation. It will tell you a lot about what’s going on
7. Refine, refine, refine: (I needed a 7th point but it bears stating) that any promotion is not set in concrete. I prefer the term ‘wet cement’. That is, it can stand up on it’s own but you can move it when you need to.
In the end, it’s all marketing - until you get to actually do the work, and it doesn’t stop there either but your work quality will become your marketing tool.
The point for those who gag at self promotion, just remember, good or bad, you’re always marketing yourself. So be kind to yourself.
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