The title of today’s blog post is actually a quote from Mitch Joel’s Six Pixels of Separation. He goes on to say:
“Just like in marketing, it takes a certain type of person to drive a BWM, and that may not be the same kind of person who likes retro country funk music. The point is not to try to be all things to all people.”
This is a hard concept for business owners – particularly new business owners. Your first instinct is to try to serve everyone. But while in most cases I think a person’s first instinct is usually right, in this case it’s dead wrong.
Not everyone is going to be your customer. Not everyone should be your customer. Even people who are about to purchase what you offer are not an ideal fit. Nor should they be. You have your own personality, your own style, your own brand. He might be a BMW while you are an off-road SUV. Nothing wrong with that. You just need to learn to attract other off-road SUVs.
Let me tell you a story that explains what I mean.
I know a woman who does consulting. She is also a psychic. She uses her talents as part of what she does. But for a long time she was afraid of telling people she’s psychic because she knows a lot of people would be turned off and think she’s a quack. So she talked about everything else she does and kept this part of herself quiet.
The problem is, being a psychic is an important part of who she is and what she does. Not only that, when she talks about being a psychic, she just lights up. There’s an enthusiasm and excitement to her that isn’t there when she covers it up.
One day she decided she was tired of pretending. She wasn’t going to hide anymore. When she met perspective clients, she was upfront about the psychic aspect of her work.
Can you guess what happened? You got it. Her business boomed. People who were interested in psychic abilities were enthralled with what she had to say. People who were on the fence were suddenly eager to become clients.
Yes, there were people who were turned off by the word psychic. But they weren’t really a fit anyway. If they had become clients, she wouldn’t have enjoyed them nor they her. By being her true self, she was able to attract people who were a real match for what she does. Yes, the pool of potential clients is smaller, but they’re a much better match than if the pool included everyone in the world.
As I said before, this is a hard concept for many people. But the truth is much of what you offer to clients is the same as someone else. It’s the experience that really makes the difference. And the experience comes from who you are, not just what you do.
As Mitch Joel writes, “Your personal brand is unique to you.” Don’t be afraid of showing what makes you unique. That quirkiness or oddity is, in the end, what will attract people to you.
Andrea J. Stenberg
Do you have a story about how you let your secret self out and suddenly you got more business, not less? Please leave a comment and share your story.
