I had lunch several years ago with a colleague in a networking group. We talked
about many things and were trying to get to know each other so that we could
better understand what might make a great referral for the other. One of the
things he told me caused me to chuckle because it was so true, but it seemed to
surprise him somewhat.
He told me that he liked my website because I was
straight-forward, to the point and I just "put it all out there". By that he
meant that I outlined what I do, how I do it, the benefits of what I do, and
that I let the visitor decide to either buy into it or not. Most surprisingly, I
didn't seem to have any attachment to the visitor's decision either way. I
didn't waste any time trying to convince visitors that I was always the right
choice, regardless of circumstance. However, if the visitor does "buy" into what
I'm offering, they have ample opportunities to get on one of my lists and/or
purchase something from me.
My response to his observation was that, as a
small business owner, I had the responsibility of discouraging as many people as
possible from wanting to do business with me. I know this philosophy sounds
crazy, especially in this day and age of a downturned economy.
Here's my belief: I'm not out to sell my services or my products to the world, nor do I want to sell my services to everyone. I only work with clients who meet my ideal client profile and only market to those in my target market. Period. And, that's only a very small chunk of the world. Why? Because I truly believe that there's enough business for everyone.
My business and my life are so much more fun and
joyful when I work only with clients that I love. I do that through what I call
the WYSIWYG approach, or "What You See is What You Get." I am who I am and let
that center of authenticity come through in all that I do--my speaking, my
writing, my website, my coaching, my personal interactions.
If you don't
"buy" into the business that is me, that's wonderful! You can continue your
search for a coach/consultant/infomarketer that better meets your needs, and I
still have room in my practice for clients that I'd love to work with. If you do
"buy" into what I do and who I am, you're doing it because on some level, you're
buying into "Donna the Person", and the good, bad, and ugly that accompanies
that.
Now that I'm firmly entrenched in middle age, I finally feel that
I'm fully coming into my own in all aspects of my life, and I have stopped
running away from those aspects that I thought others might not like or might be
offended by. Being myself for a living is so much easier than trying to live up
to an image (or create an image) that doesn't really exist.
When working
in higher education, I always felt that I was split in two halves, Donna the
Human Being and Donna the Housing Administrator. Rarely did the two Donnas meet
-- they were almost separate personalities, and quite frankly, Donna the Human
Being (my true self) didn't really care for Donna the Housing Administrator at
all. It's no wonder I felt exhausted all the time in that job -- I was living
two distinct lives, and one of those lives I really hated. The creation of my
own business -- and my own set of rules -- has freed me to be me -- and probably
saved me thousands in therapy fees..;->
My role model in life is the
late Ann Richards, former governor of the great state of Texas. Ann was bold,
brave, humorous, bright, and embodied the best in a Southern/Texas woman, and
made no bones about that. Long ago I decided to embrace my being a "southern
girl from the sticks" (English translation--lived in the country in a small East
Texas town) rather than trying to make myself over into something more palatable
to a wider group.
A former client used to get the biggest kick out of
the stories I would tell her about living in a small east Texas town while at
the same time telling me I needed to move away from there to a more civilized
place. I told her if I moved, she would lose her great source of funny stories
that she could incorporate into her speeches, and I would lose what makes me
"me."
As a small business owner, how can you incorporate "you" into your
business so that your ideal clients are naturally drawn to you? What natural
gifts and talents do you possess but aren't willing to acknowledge? I strongly
encourage you to tell your story--your parable of why you do what you do.
Playing to your gifts and being who you are for a living is an extraordinarily
rewarding way to run your business. Most importantly, it's what makes your
business distinct -- and helps you stand out in a sea of small businesses.
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this blurb with it: Online Business Coach Donna Gunter helps baby boomers create profitable online retirement businesses by demystifying the steps needed to successfully market a baby boomer business online. Would you like to learn the specific Internet marketing strategies that get results? Discover how to increase your visibility and get found online by claiming your FREE gift, TurboCharge Your Online Marketing Toolkit, at ==> http://www.OnlineBizU.com






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