For the past couple of days I’ve been full on invested in my business.  Over the weekend only, I spent a combined 19 hours working on some stuff (and boy am I getting super excited to launch soon).  I’ve also realized that while I’ve been so focused on doing the right thing and learning how best to make some money, that a much stronger and deeper message has been coming to me…that I (and all of us) have a gift that we need to share.

Our job is to serve others with our gifts.

So when I finally got around to reading Christine Kane’s newsletter from last week about authenticity in marketing, I have to say that it spoke to me.  It also made it the fourth (at least) time this message has been brought to my attending in just as many days.  Maybe it’s a message that you needed to hear today as well.

~Enjoy!
The Authentic Woman’s Guide to Marketing
by Christine Kane

“But I’m not a widget!” she whined. “It’s harder for me!”

Denise was giving me her number one reason she despises marketing. I laughed and told her that it was also the number one reason EVERY client of mine despises marketing.

That’s because it feels different when YOU are the product.

You’re not selling widgets. You’re selling YOU, your soul, your passion, your ideas, your writing, your services, your art. And marketing YOU feels like ego. It feels phony. It feels sales-y.

I won’t lie to you. There will be discomfort when you uplevel your marketing efforts and when you become more present in the marketplace.

But know this:

The people who let go of their marketing fears are the same ones who have more clients than they can handle and more cashflow than they ever imagined. They learn that marketing is actually how they serve!

In fact, there’s a sense of relief when you realize that the problems in your business are not the Universe telling you that you’re lame. They’re just “marketing problems.” Learn the valuable skill of marketing and watch your wealth build.

And take heart! It doesn’t have to be slimy. In fact, authenticity rules!

Here are 5 keys to creating marketing success while keeping it real…

1 – Know Your Peeps.

In my Uplevel Your Business Program & Blueprint, there’s an entire module devoted to this topic, as well as a week’s worth of worksheets and tools for getting clear.

That’s because when you know your ideal client (your peeps!) – then you get to speak ONLY to her in your marketing. This not only saves you time and money (after all, marketing to “everyone” is expensive) but gives you true freedom to be yourself and to cater to that one ideal person.

2 – Build Trust. Be Yourself.

We’ve all heard the expression that people buy from people they “know, like, and trust.”

So, how do you build that?

• Establish a regular contact schedule. If you have a newsletter, make SURE it goes out at the exact same time each month or week. This is a subconscious message that you honor your peeps, and that you are reliable.

• Be yourself. Allow your peeps to see your human side. Even the most erudite among us burns the veggies and forgets to pay the water bill sometimes. Let your peeps see themselves in you.

• Let go. Some people will unsubscribe and get snarky. No problem. They’re just telling you that they’re not your peeps. This is the beauty of marketing well. You give the gift of self-selection.

3 – Be an Expert.

Getting over your fear of being an expert is crucial.

And you know what else?

Get over the worn-out belief that you need to go back to school and get more letters after your name before you do this.

You can be an expert in body work, organic veggies, vegan cuisine, gemstones, business coaching, native plants, still-life photography, alcohol addiction, collage, journal writing…and the list goes on.

The difference between you and someone who’s going back to school before she’ll let herself write is that your enthusiasm, passion and life experience are your expertise! If someone requires that you have letters after your name – then they aren’t your peeps!

4 – Give it away.

So, if you have a newsletter, blog, and tutorial videos, won’t people just figure that they don’t have to pay you for your services, your coaching, or your work? After all, you’re giving away all your secrets!

Or so it seems.

The truth is that giving it away is what makes people want to work with you even more because they trust you so much.

5 – “The Fortune is in the Follow Up”

A musician friend called me disappointed the day after he had hosted a huge event in his town. “Hardly anyone came last night,” he said.

I asked him if he told his list about the show.

It turns out he wrote to his list two weeks before the show. No follow up. No reminders.

Listen up people!

The #1 biggest mistake we make is to play small when it comes to follow up. Your peeps are busy. They need reminders. Many people respond to that last-minute sense of urgency.

There’s an art to doing it well, for sure. But not following up is a surefire way to get no response!

——-

Does this stuff take time? Yes.

But remember, it’s the pushy people who want to rush the process that make us all despise marketing. Be patient and allow that strong connection to grow, and you’ll live your most successful life.