Stick to your knitting

When you know something and know it so well, you can’t quite believe other people don’t know it. Sometimes this is ‘learned’ knowledge–a new topic you just took a course in, or a book you just read. And sometimes it’s something you ‘filed away from years ago’. Other times, it’s just something you figured out was ‘common sense’. The problem with common sense, though, is everyone’s file contains different entries.

When you need to get noticed for your Thing, this is when it’s about you. You need to tell your story and explain your ‘Why’ so that the people who need you and your Thing can find you.

But you also need to make it about them.

Sometimes it doesn’t make sense until it all comes together.

Your marketing plan should be a nice ride that people stay on until they’re ready to get off.

You don’t decide when they get off—they do. And when they do get off they either head straight over to you and say “I’m ready—let’s go” or they say “Thanks so much for the ride” and walk away. You don’t want them jumping off and running away to escape your marketing, you don’t want them being forced off either—especially if they were enjoying the ride—and you also don’t want to suddenly change the ride into something they don’t want to be on.

I always say your Thing is the ‘gift’ that you wrap up and give out to people who need it. This gift might be a result, a feeling, a transformation, a product, a service, a widget, a gadget, and emotion, a turnaround, I don’t know what it is but I know it’s your Thing thing.

And sometimes that box you put it in might look more like an eggbox than a perfectly straight-sided giftbox.

Do you sell you? Of course you do, you’re a business celebrity!

But are you only selling you – your time – and nothing more? That’s not good – as you’re putting a limit on what you can do and who you can reach, not to mention a limit on your income.