It's a fact the saying it's not enough to be a (insert your profession / trade here) you also have to be a great self promoter of (insert your profession /trade here). For so many people the very thought of marketing themselves is uncomfortable, distasteful even, but it doesn't need to be that way. You can overcome the fear of self promotion, it's the same as anything else, with the appropriate tools, strategies, assistance and most importantly the correct mind set you can discover the fun in self promotion to where it becomes effortless self promotion.
I recommend the first thing you need to do is to stop thinking of self-promotion as a project and start incorporating it into your regular business activities as an essential business generation tool.
Such as a "keep-in-touch strategy." This is easy if you use a an autoresponder service.
There are a range of autoresponder services available, do your research and choose the one that suits your needs.
Make it a habit of regularly sending your clients and target market emails, personal notes and useful articles.
It means: giving to people building and nurturing relationships and honoring your promises.
Ultimately effortless self-promotion is about establishing:
- trust
- credibility
- respect, and
- creating a presence in the marketplace.
Three things you can start doing yourself today are:
(By the way if these strategies don't resonate with you, you really do have to get over it, you simply must overcome the fear of self promotion and do it, as just a necessary part of of growth - in business, at work, home, school)
1. Set small daily self-promotion goals.
- write someone a quick note,
- joining a networking group,
- donating your service,
- writing an article,
- updating your blog,
- or turning up at an networking event.
IT MAY TAKE MONTHS TO SEE THE END RESULT IN NEW CLIENTS, but it gets you into the habit.
Reality check - clients will come to you when the time is right for them, not you, and you have to be ready to serve them when that time comes.
You won't build your business / your career / you life without doing those little steps every day.
2. You need a website, but not just any website, a direct response based website that grabs your target prospects attention and compels them to give you their contact details.
3. Be proactive - follow up, follow up, follow up.
- Stay in touch with tact.
- Thank them for selecting you and your service.
Even if your customers only buy from you once a year make an effort to stay in contact.
Keep them up-to-date of your activities, your newsletter, specials etc.
Sometimes it's difficult to stay in touch. People change jobs, move around have different needs, budgets and so forth.
The onus is your responsibility.
Remember in the end marketing your service is about marketing YOU.
Your job is to sell your prospective clients on you:
Your value, your brand, your value - what you have to make their lives better.
You will find it hard, even impossible to achieve vast recognition or sustained success without the commitment and ability to be a ruthless self-promoter.
If you tackle it with the right attitude you will discover the fun in self promotion
So go ahead, make it fun, enjoy it and promote yourself now!