In the world of business, companies freely talk about (brag about) a product or service. Great effort is extended in such activity. This is probably a main reason why individual leaders cringe at the thought of marketing oneself. We are all familiar with a braggart and identify with how turned-off one can be by that behavior.
21st Century Connection
In the 21st Century, marketing for the individual is about connection. The turn-off of commercial marketing is in part because we associate the effort with selling. The perception of selling – formed in observation of the bragging behavior – has become as impersonal as the bar code on a box of cereal: It beeps; you pay; does anyone really care? Connection is about relationship, and relationships are formed and deepened through contribution.
Your Contribution
There is a way to open yourself to a 21st Century mindset of individual marketing. Yes, it is about connection and making the conscious effort to network for connections; adding valuable nodes to your network. More importantly, and at the heart of it all, it is about knowing your gift to the world; and giving this gift with confidence.
Freedom to Impact
I have never really found a marketing plan that has worked for me; or so I thought. I gave myself permission to abandon the search for a congruent plan and discovered an already existing marketing methodology. The energetic core of that methodology is my gift to the world; “The Confidence found in Authenticity.” I push this gift out to the world by flexing a strength I call “Application Storytelling.” This strength allows the gift its impact (and ROI – Return on Impact) as I seek and find connection where I can tell the story and give.
What is your Gift to the world?
What is your Strength that pushes this gift confidently out to the world?
Make your connection and give.
I think the key idea to success is understanding your intention. To market what you do, you have to have a clear idea of what it is that you are trying to accomplish. Only with that clarity can you turn around and let others know how well you’ve achieved your objective. A person who can clearly demonstrate how they accomplish what they set out to do is a person who earns trust and credibility.
A braggart, on the other hand, is happy to promote any activity, regardless of whether or not what was done accomplished the actual objective. The connection between action and intention isn’t clear. If you’re promoting the expenditure of energy, especially nervous energy, then take a step back to figure out if you’re promoting value or busyness.
Marketing in an authenticate way affords us the opportunity to communicate to others the value we can bring in a manner that demonstrates the way in which we will do business.
I think you are very wise, astute and damn good!
Gee Steve; I’m gushing at your sweetness!
Love it Jeff! You’re so right that today we associate marketing with negative stuff – selling, bragging, etc. I much prefer to be a real person as I market and I prefer when real people market to me.
Sandy Rees
With social media and online marketing it becomes very easy for marketers to push their products and services into your Inbox, your Facebook Wall or your Twitter Stream.
However, it’s just as easy to break your connection with them by unfriending or removing them from your lists.
So I love to market through relationships and true connections with people that I can get to know, like and trust.
Good stuff, Jeff.
Terri
I like the idea of focusing on your gift and your intention for spreading that gift. For me, that changes the focus from the drive for dollars to the real intention behind your business. And when you stand in the value of the gift you are sharing, you make it easy for people to hire you.
Linda, I love your phrase, “…stand in the value of the gift you are sharing.” Thanks for that.
I love what I heard another coach say regarding sharing your gift with the world. Her comment was that if you have a gift and you’re not sharing it, it’s like making brownies and not sharing them with your friends. It’s actually selfish NOT to share your gift, build those relationships, and help more people with your expertise.
Thorny topic. We do our best work when two things are met. 1) We are working from our own light, standing in service to others. 2) We have visibility and enough public to become engaged to do our work. Both work from authenticity. Both are diminished when not from that place, as you have found for yourself, Jeff. Great topic and the source of much angst for a lot of people.
Sue Painter
This is such a provocative topic. For years, I had a marketing that worked just fine, I got still and let God, Spirit, universe know that I had room in my calendar for people and they showed up. Then a couple of years ago, I got a little off track as Linda described and felt like I was chasing. Now, I think that the key for me is authenticity, going back to my original plan, and playing in new playgrounds … Or as my mentor would say, “Trust God and tie your camel.”
“Trust God and tie your camel.” I love this Melanie. Thanks!
[...] committed to my brand of love – clarity of what it is I give in this world – I continue to build my community. Consistently living a brand – one by one – connects [...]
[...] This is your gift in the world. [...]