Chances are you are tired of hearing about the Presidential election and the spin of the spin of the spin on the “truth.”
You probably heard that some companies stupidly exploited Hurricane Sandy in their marketing this week.
And maybe you are confused about how to grow your business when you hear differing, conflicting opinions from all of the so-called experts out there.
Lucky for you, so many people are trying to manipulate and bamboozle us, that what really stands out is HONESTY.
In fact,the more real and true you are, the faster your business will grow.
This is a new generation of business and marketing.
We are no longer influenced by actors who say, “I’m not a doctor,but I play one on TV.”
People are desperate to do real business with real human beings.
It seems sad and counterintuitive to think we have come to a place in our culture where being honest is a unique selling position. But I think we are there. How about you?
This reality takes the pressure off of you to learn the “tricks of the trade.”
When you take the time to figure out who you are, what you do, who you help and what you offer of value, all the rest of the marketing steps fall into place.
No need to get fancy with minute details that “trick” people to click your links, like your page, sign up for your email list, sign up to work with you.
Because when you are clear about how you honestly help people, the right people will show up.
I’m not Promising It’s Easy
There is nothing easy about being authentic.
In fact, it takes some work to sit with ourselves and let our truth bubble to the surface. (It’s also not easy to try to manipulate people to do business with you…)
We’ve spent our entire lives working to suppress some parts of ourselves in the spirit of fitting in, toeing the line, following the recipe.
That approached worked very well in the 20th Century when most people were trained to work some version of the assembly line. Being unique wasn’t valued and didn’t pay well.
But now, in the 21st Century, the game is completely different. Fitting in, shuffling papers, going through the motions, gets you downsized fast. And if you want to run your own business, blending in gets you ignored.
It pays well to do real true work. You stand out from the competition when you show up as your really are, sharing your values and offering service that has meaning and depth.
It’s a brave new world out there. Honor yourself and honor your clients. There won’t be any competition.
If you’re looking for a simple, straightforward way to develop and market your authentic business, take a look at my upcoming Complete Lifestyle Business Workbook Series that walks you through the process step-by-step. Designed to help you discover your real life and true work without overwhelm, the series is perfect for those ready to do business on their terms. For more information click here.
Great post Dr. Susan that everyone could benefit from. Thanks for the contribution, keep up your great work!
Susan you are SO right – “There is nothing easy about being authentic”.
It takes perseverance to stick to the chosen path and not let so called “wide spread” opinions what is right and wrong to derail you. When it comes to actions it is no one else, but you and what works for others or what is known as “normal” might not work in your context. Blending in or mimicing can serve some purposes, but not leading business.
Thanks for inspiring article!