Kinder,Gentler,Definition,Mark marketing A Kinder, Gentler Definition of Marketing

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Recentlymy friend and colleague Kristen and I led a couple of introductory calls for Your Heart-Based Marketing,designed for coaches and other service professionals. We started out by askinga simple question: “how do you react when you think about marketing?” Here are a few of thereactions we got: “Iget a tight sensation in my chest and a pit in my stomach.” “Ifeel small and powerless.” “Ifind something, anything else to do.” “Ifeel like I’m going to throw up.” “Ifeel a lack of integrity, like I’m pushing something on people that they don’twant or need.”Any of these soundfamiliar? That last person went on tosay that she had mentors who were highly successful in their careers, thatpeople flocked to them, and they seemed to get where they were effortlessly andwith no marketing. I assured her that they aremarketing, but because their marketing was invisible, they weren’t doing it inconventional ways. They may not have even thought of it as marketing but just,simply, being themselves. Then a small miracleoccurred on that call: a simple definition for marketing was born. Communicating Clearlyand Building Strong Relationships. That’s it. No magic, noperfect elevator speech, no networking talent, no luck. No website required;especially no trying to get clients. When I first started mylife coaching business, a colleague and I would go to networking events andwe’d challenge each other to come away with five clients each. We never gotone, because we were focused on getting clients, not on building relationshipsand communicating clearly. Imagine a scenario where aman and a woman show up to a networking event with 100 others. One is a greatsalesperson – he’s smooth and charming, says all the right things, and evenbelieves deeply in what he’s peddling. He’s really going after getting newclients. The other focuses only onestablishing relationships with new people, deepening existing relationships,and communicating her message clearly with everyone. In terms of attracting theattention and interest of potential clients, I’ll put my money on the latterevery time. Not only is this a moreeffective approach, it’s easier, because it only requires you to be yourselfand be with people in a way that’s aligned with who you really are. The bottom line here isan emphasis on attracting clients, rather than going out and getting them. Building relationships and clearcommunication attract people naturally. Pitching, selling, getting, working,and generally trying to get people to do what you want repulses them. By theway, this is true in every context, not just building your business. Of course, buildingrelationships and clear communication aren’t all that simple; there are somethings you can do to enhance your abilities. Here are a few tips to considerfor each: Clear Communication I say “clear,” becausemost of the time, marketing messages confuse or bore people. Here are some things to think aboutthat will help you lead your marketing conversations in a way that will clarifyand excite your prospects. 1. Know who your idealclients are. This may seem obvious, but if I asked you right now, “what areall the demographics (age, gender, career range, economic status) of yourtarget market?” could you rattle them off? Harder still, could youcome up with the psychographics? If you’re a financial planner, how importantis risk-aversion in your clients? If you’re a life coach, do you want yourclients to have an affinity for creativity & open-mindedness? These are theinternal qualities that define the clients you want to work with. If you’re clear withpeople on this, it makes it easy for them to self-select, saying to themselves, “yes, that’sme,” or “that’s not me,” and/or, “I know someone like that.” 2. Be able to talkintelligently about the challenges of your target market; nothing buildstrust and credibility faster. If they know you understand what’s difficultabout their situation, they’ll also see you as the person who can help them. 3. Know the value youprovide. Again, this one may be obvious, but too many service providers areclear about what they do (their processes and procedures), but not about thebenefits their clients receive from working with them. Why is this important?Because prospects don’t care about your process. They care about what you cando for them. If youcan’t tell them what outcome they can expect working with you in about thefirst minute, you’ll lose their attention and interest. Point to the outcomethey want, and you retain them. 4. Have a few concisestories about client successes. These comprise the proof for the benefitsof working with you. Giving them anecdotes is better than giving concepts, fortwo reasons: they’re real examples of how you help people like them, and theytouch an emotional nerve in the listener, engaging their imagination about howyou can help them too. If you can talk clearly andsuccinctly about these four things, you’ll not only gain the attention andinterest of your ideal clients, you’ll begin the process of building realrelationships with them. Building Relationships 1. Be genuine. You knowwhen somebody’s being even the slightest bit phony with you, and you’re astransparent as they are. Human beings have a natural BS radar. Even if youcould pass yourself off as something you’re not, do you want to run yourbusiness that way? Remember that not everyprospective client is right for you. Your ideal clients are the ones you“click” with, and you can’t develop anything real unless you think, talk, andact like the real you. 2. Get curious aboutthem first. Ask open-ended questions and listen more than you talk. Notonly will you let them know you actively care about their situation you’ll findout what their challenges are and what outcome they want. That’s valuableinformation for when it comes time to communicate your message to them. Don’taccumulate facts. Learn about the bigger picture that is that person. Remember the genuine part.Only direct the conversation in places you’re truly interested in. If you findit hard to get curious or care about the person you’re talking to, it’s notyour ideal client. Move on. 3. Identify a potentialfoundation for the relationship. Every relationship in your life has afoundation, i.e., what you find meaningful in it. Why would this person be agreat client for you? Some examples mightinclude, “Iget to help someone who is struggling.”“Ilike her sense of humor and open-mindedness.”“Hechallenges me to be better at my profession.”“Ifeel more creative around her.”“They’repaying me a lot of money for my valuable service.”Understanding marketing asnothing more than clear communication and building relationships really is thatsimple. Try these things at your next networking event and see what happens inthe eyes of the folks you meet. If you refine them, I guarantee you’ll seeresults you’ve never had before.Until next month, happyconnecting!