Ever feel unseen and overlooked in the marketplace?
You’re only 3 steps away from standing out from the crowd!
As an entrepreneur, it can sometimes feel uncomfortable to talk - or write - about what we do and how we do it. We may fear sounding boastful, self-obsessed or unnatural when asked to put words to how we make our living. But let’s face it - there’s no avoiding it. How else are we going to promote our business and attract customers?
The main reason I’ve found that people struggle with describing what they do is because they become mired in the what they do and hardly mention the equally important who they are. Articulating what we do, while necessary, is rarely a compelling part of a conversation, presentation, bio or About page. Telling people what you do may satisfy some of their curiosity - but it doesn’t inform them of who the person behind the skill set and talent is. It tells them nothing about what makes you different from anyone else doing similar work. It doesn’t make them eager to work with YOU.
The solution to making talking about what you do something that a) you’ll actually feel comfortable with and b) people enjoy learning, is by tapping into your Secret Sauce. What makes you unique? What makes you the only person a customer can imagine hiring? THAT, my friend, is your Secret Sauce. I shall now expound on my theory and discuss how to
identify it
own it
authentically promote it
for fun and profit.
Identify it
Don’t think you have it? I’m going to have to disagree. Everyone has their own SS! They may not be able to identify it in themselves, but alas, it is there! If you’re still doubting, try this exercise: Make a list of 10 things about yourself that are different from many others you know - in any arena of your life.
Examples
You…
eat corn around the cob rather than down the length of the ear.
tie your shoe laces in an unconventional way.
don’t care for potato chips.
hold your pen differently than most people.
put on one sock and the same foot’s shoe before putting on the second sock.
prefer eating candy canes over popcorn at the movies.
hate the feeling of grass beneath your feet.
get twitchy when exposed to incorrect punctuation, misspelling or poor grammar.
dislike hot weather.
don’t like listening to the radio while you drive.
(Examples given may or may not reflect actual people - and if they do, it’s with all the love and no judgement whatsoever that they are published here…).
Now you’re thinking about your unique qualities! What might they say about you? Here’s the above list with the addition of a possible underlying truth to the unique attribute.
You…
eat corn around the cob rather than down the length of the ear. (Go your own way!)
tie your shoe laces by an unconventional method. (Find innovative solutions!)
don’t care for potato chips. (Trust your senses!)
hold your pen differently than most people. (Do what comes naturally!)
put on one sock and the same foot’s shoe before putting on the second sock. (Complete one job before moving onto something else!)
prefer eating candy canes over popcorn at the movies. (Comfortable with non-conformity!)
hate the feeling of grass beneath your feet. (Prefers a solid footing!)
get twitchy when exposed to incorrect punctuation, misspelling or poor grammar. (Attention to clear communication!)
dislike hot weather. (Empowered by a brisk atmosphere!)
don’t like listening to the radio while you drive. (Prefers solo-tasking!)
Read on their own, they sound like positive qualities that could be listed on a resume. Once you see your uniqueness for the superpower it represents, you’ve identified the ingredients in your Secret Sauce!
Own it
Which of your unique attributes can you most easily agree is 100% YOU? Start there and envision your business through that lens.
Example:
I am a business owner who“finds innovative solutions.”
Great - BE that person! How does that entrepreneur who finds innovative solutions talk about their business? How do they describe what they do and how they do it? It will naturally be a more descriptive, personalized explanation, imbued with the spirit of the person communicating the message. They can talk about why it’s important to them to find innovative solutions, think outside the box and look at things from a different perspective than most. These are potent capabilities and will help potential clients see you as more than one of the crowd; you’re the one who not only can do the job, but can offer a unique and creative approach to the work.
Authentically promote it
This step gets a lot easier once you’ve identified and owned your Secret Sauce because what you’re talking about is more than just accurate - it’s got your personality in it. It’s much easier to talk about ourselves - and tell the story of our business when it has a main character. Your person who finds innovative solutions can find organic ways to offer services and lend advice to potential clients talking about those innovative solutions and the way they benefit others.
Examples:
Organic marketing seems downright natural when you’re speaking from the persona of the person who finds innovative solutions. Some ideas for leveraging it include:
Amp up your personal messaging; rewrite your About page and bios on social media to include your Secret Sauce verbiage
Collect testimonials about how your innovative solutions have helped others achieve their goals
Offer “Ask the Expert” sessions
Blog about creative solutions
Offer advice in online groups
Hold webinars about how a creative solution can solve a problem
Uncover particular markets for which your solutions work particularly well and build a program to serve those markets
The most successful business owners know themselves - where their strengths lie and what unique qualities they bring to the party. More importantly, they know how important it is to bake those elements into their professional persona so that it can make their business stand out in a crowded marketplace.
That’s why it’s important to get over the hurdle of self-promotion hesitancy by identifying, owning and authentically promoting your personal uniqueness. Make it easy for a receptive audience to notice the individual you are doing what you do. Everyone has a Secret Sauce - so pour yours everywhere!
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