By Michael Port
© 2005 Nightingale-Conant Corporation
KEY 1: YOU’RE WHO? … YOU DO WHAT?
Would you rather be a big fish in a little pond or a little fish in a big pond? No matter which pond you want to swim in … you’re still going to have to become known for one thing if you want to get wet. The most successful professionals master one domain (the little pond) and then they go on to tackle bigger things.
Some people fear niches because they think they will limit their success or potential. That could not be further from the truth. If you want to create a thriving business, you must develop a personal brand that highlights two things:
- Your WHO and DO WHAT statement
- Your call to action
This dual-purpose message communicates your offerings on two distinct and essential levels. Your WHO and DO WHAT statement tells people who you help and what you help them do. Mine is “I help service professionals book themselves solid.” Your call to action connects you to the people you’re meant to reach. It’s the reason you do what you do – your purpose. I’m the “guy to call when you’re tired of thinking small.”
Find your niche and create a personal branding message that tells everyone what you can do to help them (WHO and DO WHAT) and what it’s like to be around you (call to action).
KEY 2: FOLLOW THE 7 “REMARK-ABLE” RULES
When you are remark-able, others are “able” to “remark” on you — the best kind of marketing there is. You might think of it as reputation building, but it goes further. It’s also business building and “you” building. The following 7 simple rules will help you be remark-able in your marketing.
- Bring Your Passion to Your Marketing
Passion is a requisite for doing anything well, especially marketing. It’s unlikely that others are going to remark on you and your work if it does not engage your passion. - Promote with Others
Promote with others and you will wind up with something far greater than you would have alone. If this is difficult for you, ask yourself whether you are committed to doing big things in the world or just getting your way. - Call on Your Talents
Show off your talents and natural gifts in your marketing. If you’re a talented writer, you must write. If you’re a performer, you must speak. But don’t strive to become a prolific writer if you don’t see concrete possibilities when looking at a blank page, and don’t work to get yourself booked on the speaking circuit if you’re not a gifted performer. - Produce Habits of Commitment Making and Fulfilling
Progress depends on the successful completion of promises. Create a routine that is appropriate for you and your team that has people coming together making promises to each other. The work that you promise to complete today allows others to start their work tomorrow. The downfall of not doing this is one breakdown after another. - Tightly Couple Learning with Action
One of the things that keep people from getting on with building a thriving business is that they think they need to know something before they start, instead of learning in action. The future belongs to the learner not the learned. - Have Clear Intentions
As the saying goes, if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there. The same thing applies to your marketing efforts. In order to have clear outcomes, you need to have clear intentions about what you want to accomplish. Your intention is composed of your passions, your talents, your contributions, the commitments you make, and the promises you fulfill. Define your path in as much detail as possible. But, as with all creative pursuits, we need to be flexible. Leave room for change, expansion, and possibly a new direction. This will create the most motivational and inspirational environment within which you can create. - Have a Compelling Story for Your Business
Very little ever goes the way you expect it’s going to go! Keeping your passion and your focus depends on telling and retelling the story of your business. Why it matters to you and others. Storytelling is a tool of leadership, and the way you engage others in your cause. It’s the way you maintain your mood when things go wrong. Being able to articulate and rearticulate the story of your business is essential.
KEY 3: BE QUIRKY
What do Donald Trump, Oprah Winfrey, and Robin Williams have in common? These successful icons never present a watered-down version of themselves to the world. So why then do most professionals play it safe and hide their creativity, quirkiness, spirit, spark, and passion?
If you are presenting a “diluted” version of yourself to the world, you are literally suffocating your business. If your business doesn’t just die altogether, it will absolutely be stifled and less successful unless you explore and expose what thrills you, irks you, stimulates you, bores you, and amuses you!
One of the quickest and easiest ways you can get booked solid with high-paying clients is to be the quirky, authentic, and confident soul who says it like it is and filters nothing!
Toss out the society-accepted version of you and stop worrying so much about what others will think. As soon as you let your authentic side shine, not only will you feel more confident and self-assured, but your ideal clients will be immediately attracted to you. As a side benefit, you’ll also send away the not-so-right people faster so you can spend all your productive hours being exceptional!