Imitation is Suicide. Insist on yourself; never imitate.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Of course I want lots of clients and a big income. I often follow what the big names in my business are doing, and it is very tempting to try to copy them. I heard a colleague of mine say that the fastest way to become a big-name coach is to “apprentice” with a big-name coach.

But when I see these “apprentices” at work, more often than not they tend to promote their mentor’s services and repeat their mentor’s stories. And what they say becomes bland.  Their message is clearly someone else’s, it is not their own. They may be getting more clients, but I’m wondering where does the client’s loyalty lie, towards the coach or to the big-name mentor?

Benchmarking oneself against the industry leaders can become a trap. It’s easy to duplicate style, message and actions, but much more difficult to duplicate mindset. When you are doing what the leaders do, the prospect wonders “why go for a copy when I can have the real thing?”

Like when I was shopping for a new mobile phone. I wanted an iPhone, but my eye turned towards the others on the market, thinking I could save a bit of money. Then I realized if I bought a Motorola or a Samsung, I would always be comparing it to an Apple and regretting I did not get the “real thing”.

To break out of the cacophony of marketing noise, you have to have a unique message, spoken in your own voice. Having a spin that challenges the status-quo helps. Ground your message in stories from your life experience. When you want to change someone’s mind, facts open the door but stories seal the deal. And your life stories are unique to you, which what makes the message authentic. And that’s the “divine idea” – the spark in your message that gives it a life of its own.

I had my share of success in network marketing back in 2003-04. But I did it not by blindly “duplicating” what everyone else was doing. I did it my own way. My business partner and I launched a different way of marketing, one that was much more in alignment with our mission, our vision and our values. And it worked to help propel my network marketing income to the five-figure level for a couple of years, until I abandoned building that business to focus back on coaching.

I don’t want to be like others. I want my brand to be about connection, trust, feet-on-the-ground pragmatism combined with shoot-for-the-moon idealism. I want to stay real as I live my life project.

Many years ago, when I took a course on the “Open Space Technology” method of group facilitation, the trainer said: “Whoever shows up is the right people.”  There was something in that awkward grammar that made the message stick in my head. Business success is not a popularity contest. It is about attracting the people who resonate with your unique message, who believe in who you are and what you’re doing, who value what you offer and who are ready to commit.

For more information

This post is part of a series inspired by The Domino Project’s #Trust30 Writing Challenge. Each day during the month of June 2011, we receive a thought from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay “Self-Reliance”, to use as a writing prompt. For more information about the #Trust30 Writing Challenge, see today’s prompt:
http://ralphwaldoemerson.me/fabian-kruse

Image credit: “shortie66″ on Flickr
Direct link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sunshine6/339605220/
Used under Creative Commons 2.0 licence

Everywhere I read about how video traffic is dominating the Internet. I’ve been seeing lots of updates on my Facebook and Twitter streams urging entrepreneurs to start videoing.

While I believe video should be part of your marketing mix, I realized something over the last few weeks about the strengths and weaknesses of video vs text.

I’ve been on the Web since it began back in 1995. For you young whippersnappers, back then the Internet was strictly a text-and-pictures affair. In 1998 I remember tuning into the first lo-fi RealAudio streams, and then in the early 2000s I watched with amazement early lo-res videos.

When I access the web today with my Mac, it’s definitely a full-color multimedia affair. I have Internet Radio going on constantly. I rarely turn on my television, preferring to watch my favorite shows through websites that I have bookmarked. When I consult the Web, I flip-flip-flip through websites, truly “surfing” the medium.

When the Kindle 3 came out back in August 2010, I rushed to be one of the first to get one in Canada. I absolutely love this black-and-white e-ink reader. I read on average a book a week on the thing (for business and for pleasure). Before my Kindle, I would be lucky to read a book a month.

One interesting feature of the Kindle is the ability to access websites anywhere via its wi-fi or 3G connectivity. However it does not do multimedia (video or audio), it is a text-only reader.

At first this was disconcerting. I’m used to my Web with a bright white background, nicely formatted, with pictures springing to life as I click on them.

This is when I realized that the Web has another face.

The front face, the one that most people know and love, is bright, white, flashing, shining. This face of the Web competes for our attention by shouting, jumping up and down, grabbing us by the shirttail.  In this Web, color, sound and video is king.

But there is another, more reflective, pensive, even serious side to the Web: a rich vein of deep, textual thoughtful prose that feeds my intelligence and my imagination.

When I view any major newspaper or magazine website through its mobile or text-only counterpart, time slows down for me. I don’t jump around from article to article or site to site as I do on a computer. I prefer to read through articles, pausing to consider the ideas, reflecting on the content.

The amateur psychologist in me started to realize the power and the weakness of each medium.

Video takes control of our two dominant senses, visual and hearing, pumping its message past the inner critic that stands guard over our reason, and shooting it straight into the brain to trigger an emotional reaction.

Reading text takes more thinking effort. I have to work to create the visual and the audio. This effort engages the analytical brain, bringing me deeper into the message. It is the higher, analytical brain that triggers the lower emotional orders of my cerebrum. The sum of all of this effort is that I find I remember a lot more when I read something as compared to watching it in a video.

The immediacy of video is its power and also its weakness. Because video requires less thinking power, it also has less sticking power. I may remember a video clip, or even the emotion it triggered, but not as much the message, the meaning or the details.

With text, I can remember specific passages. I rarely “bookmark” videos to view again at a later date. But I will flag articles, blog posts and other written media to re-read and analyze later on.

Then again, I may be a weird old fuddy duddy, wired for ink on paper (or e-ink on Kindle nowadays).

I like writing. I don’t have to go through all the trouble of finding a visual “hook” that will get my video viewed. I prefer sitting here in my comfortable jeans and old sweatshirt, working over my text until it precisely conveys what I want to communicate. Give me the choice between writing a blog post or creating a video, and I will choose writing.

The message I want to pass on to you is this: Be aware of the two faces of the web, and use them in tandem to your advantage. The power of video is to grab the attention of web surfers by piquing their emotions. Then provide thought-provoking articles, blog entries and other text to demonstrate your expertise and build trust.

Go ahead. Make your voice heard, using whatever medium that resonates the most with you. As long as you are communicating, you can’t go wrong.

For more information

The “Google Moblizer” tool converts any website into a text-only version. Great for the iPhone, Kindle and smartphones. Will significantly cut down on your data bill.
http://google.com/gwt/x

I’ve built a “Mobile-formatted” website directory that I use as a homepage to access my favorite text sites via Kindle. You’re welcome to use it too, on any device or browser:
http://www.davender.com/mobi

This Cisco white paper provides fascinating statistics about the volume of video on the Internet (and also sparked a whole sea of articles on the subject):
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/solutions/collateral/ns341/ns525/ns537/ns705/ns827/white_paper_c11-481360_ns827_Networking_Solutions_White_Paper.html

My article: “Build Your Credibility By Becoming A Content Creator”
http://blog.davender.com/2009/07/build-your-credibility-by-becoming-a-content-creator/

Amazon page about the Kindle:
http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Wireless-Reading-Display-Generation/dp/B003FSUDM4

And an article I recommend about how to blog better:
“Ten Blogging Myths You Must Ignore” by Onibalusi Bamidele
http://www.problogger.net/archives/2010/12/19/10-blogging-myths-you-must-ignore/

Just for fun, to “prove” I’ve been on the net more than 15 years now, here’s the Internet Archive cache of one of my first websites:
http://web.archive.org/web/19961229030142/http://www.imaging-systems.com/
(please be patient, sometimes the system times out when you access the page)

Image credit: jeff_golden via Flickr
Direct Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffanddayna/4678056078/
Used under Creative Commons 2.0 licence

Ask five friends to describe, in their words, what you do…you will get back as many different answers. Your “Positioning”, or the set of impressions people have about you, speak so much louder than any marketing campaign or snazzy logo.

In this webinar, you will understand the anatomy of your positioning, and discover a simple process to ignite a powerful word-of-mouth buzz about who you are, what you offer and what kinds of clients you really want.

(Notes, mp3 and other resources below the fold)

For more information

PDF Handout:
http://audio.davender.com/solosuccess/20100415/20100415WordOfMouth.pdf

Audio mp3:

Direct link to audio:
http://audio.davender.com/solosuccess/20100415/20100415_SoloSuccess_WordOfMouth.mp3

Video (under construction)

Facebook event page:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=362753037364

Some thoughts to help you figure out your positioning message and community of interest:

• What Is Your One Big Thing?
  http://blog.davender.com/2009/02/what-is-your-one-big-thing/
• Can A Target Market Be Too Targeted?
  http://blog.davender.com/2010/04/can-a-target-market-be-too-targeted/

You have probably received an email that starts:  ”I came across your website and I would like to propose my services…” or “Please pardon the interruption, but I would like to propose our services…”

What is your first gut reaction when you see this? If you’re like me, probably to hit the “delete” button. And if you’re feeling particularly peeved, you might hit the “Identify as Spam” while you’re at it.

But the temptation to send out these kinds of e-mail is huge. You need to let people know that you exist. And everyone is doing it, right?  So why are you still doing it, even if the return on these kinds of campaigns, whether by e-mail, postal mail, telephone, social media update or ad, or other means, is pitiful?

I agree that it’s important to reach out and let people know what you offer. How you do it, though, is the difference between generating indifference or interest. So what is the difference between a message that captures a prospect’s interest and one that turns them off?  When is spam, spam?  

Whenever you plan on sending a promotional e-mail, make a prospecting call or meet someone at a networking event, keep this golden rule firmly in mind:

Every contact you make must bring something of value to the recipient.

If your communication or your contact does not meet this requirement, then it IS spam in the recipient’s eyes, whether it be an e-mail, phone call or in-person encounter, and especially whether you intended it to be spam or not. Spam, therefore, is in the eye of the beholder.

We are bombarded by pitches that do nothing more than interrupt our train of thought. When you offer something of value, with no strings attached, you quickly break through the noise and get noticed.

The “something of value” doesn’t need to be huge. It can be a simple open question, phrase or tidbit to pique their interest.

In my article “Build Your Credibility By Being A Content Creator“, I talk about five ways to add value:

1. Education: lessons and recommendations that emerge from your experience with your customers (for example, case studies);

2. Demonstration: Describe how to do something related to your specialty (for example, this “how to” article);

3. Opinion: Your comments on situations or the news, always related to your specialty and how you want to be known. Your opinion demonstrates how you interpret situations and propose solutions. Be careful to remain respectful and politically neutral;

4. Recommendation: Provide resources (books, articles, videos, contacts) related to your specialty;

5. Information: Communicating news about your specialty, passing along items from the media demonstrating various aspects of what you do (example: a tax specialist passing along news of changes to the law).

The key is to engage the prospect, ask questions, build rapport and credibility, let them find out who you are while you learn about them. Flirt with your prospect before proposing marriage.

Here is an exercise to turn the next annoying interruption you receive (e-mail, phone call or contact) into a learning moment: take a look at the message, and ask yourself: “If I were in the other person’s shoes, how could I reframe the message to bring something of value in the contact?”

When you ensure that your first contact brings something of value to the person you are contacting, you start building good will – the currency of trust. And if it is done right, you end up being able to pre-assess your prospect to see if he or she is a good fit for you. And that’s an important step to getting More and Better Clients.

For more information

This post was inspired by listening to an archived episode of  ”The Age Of Persuasion” available on the CBC Radio site: http://www.cbc.ca/ageofpersuasion/2009/02/season_3_episode_breaking_the.html

I heartily recommend listening to the whole series, Saturdays 10am on CBC Radio One, on Sirius and on the web at
http://www.cbc.ca/ageofpersuasion

The writer and presenter of the series, Toronto copywriter Terry O’Reilly, keeps an interesting blog http://www.terryoreilly.ca/ and Twitter stream http://twitter.com/AgeOfPersuasion

I wrote two essays on the topic of “interruption marketing”:

• Solicitors Will Be Shot On Sight
  http://blog.davender.com/2009/02/solicitors-will-be-shot-on-sight-darn-tootin/
• What Gives Me The Right To Interrupt?
  http://blog.davender.com/2006/01/what-gives-me-the-right-to-interrupt/
  and the updated version on my Facebook Fan Page
  http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=171013738267

Here is the post that discusses how to add value through “content creation”
http://blog.davender.com/2009/07/build-your-credibility-by-becoming-a-content-creator/

Here is a post where I directly address someone who “cold-called” me:
http://blog.davender.com/2009/07/a-candid-letter-to-a-marketing-consultant-who-wants-me-to-hire-her/

And the Monty Python sketch that gave rise to calling Spam, Spam:

Direct link on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_eYSuPKP3Y

As I was doing my morning GoogleReader scan, I came across a sentence relating the famous Chilean solidarity chant: “The People United Will Never Be Defeated”. But in my half-awake state, I read “The People United Will Never Be Delighted”.  It took me a couple of minutes to realize what I (mis)read, by that time I had clicked too far forward and could not trace back to the original page.

The misread phrase has been rattling around in my head for a few hours, until it connected to an incident I experienced.

If you meet me during a networking event, one question I will certainly ask you is “Is there a specific client or profile of ideal client you are looking for at the moment?” Most of the time the answer I get is “Well, anyone!”.

Well, I’ve just lost interest. What you’ve communicated to me is that you don’t know who you want as a client, therefore I (and anyone I might refer to you) will probably be disappointed with your service…because you don’t really care for ME.

The biggest problem I see with solos is that we are so desperate hungry to get clients that we try to be all things to all people. However, there is only one of me and there are many of you. If I want to satisfy every one of you, I will definitely spread myself too thin, and end up delighting no one, especially myself. And if I’m not happy providing my services to you, then what’s the point for me to be in business?

I think trying to be all things to everyone is a leading cause of solo burnout.

This is why it is so important for solos to hyperspecialize: to focus all one’s energies on a specific laser-focused subgroup of people who recognize the value we offer and who are ready to commit.

Here are four questions I ask my clients to help them identify their ideal client:

- What are the demographics of your ideal client? I want my clients be 30 to 55 years of age, which means they have had a couple of jobs, at least one career under their belt (and sometimes more), they have completed their education, have some life experience and maturity. Although several people have told me that what I teach would be very good for university graduates (and I have had good experiences doing workshops with the Jaycees, college and university groups), I don’t have much passion for that demographic. Define a demographic that clicks with you.

- What are your ideal client’s passions, values and dreams? I go back to my definition of passion-driven business: “Business is an exchange of resources between you and I, so that you can satisfactorily live your values, passions and desires while allowing me to live my values, passions and desires.” Therefore, by understanding what is important to me, and what is important to you, I can focus on offering products and services that allow both you and me to create a win-win experience.

- Where do your ideal clients congregate? This is a question I discovered in Michael Port’s “Book Yourself Solid” program. Look at where your ideal clients physically and virtually gather: the media they consume (magazines, music, books, TV, web sites, etc), where they physically meet (is your ideal client a Starbucks person or a nightclubber?), what networks they belong to, etc. The idea here is to get a sense of what are the links that bind the “tribe” of ideal clients together, where is the “village well”. By identifying where your ideal clients cluster, you can go to where they like to hang out and meet them there, instead of trying to persuade them to come to you before they get a chance to know you.

- What is your ideal client’s “decision trigger”? This is an idea I learned from Craig Elias and ShiftSelling: find the issue, question or situation that’s monopolizing the attention of your prospect, and be the answer to what they are looking for. This approach underlines the basic mistake I see in most business plans – the prospect may need you, but do they WANT you? To answer this question, put yourself in your ideal client’s shoes and ask yourself, what are the situations where they would be looking for you as the answer to their situation?

As you answer each question, you will find that you are getting more and more focused. By the end of the fourth question, you should be in a position even to recognize specific faces.

Marketing professionals use a tool called “personas“, composite descriptions of the ideal client. They give each persona a name, a face, a biography and a backstory, in order to better understand how to connect with them and build their trust. Writing out your ideal client’s “persona” description by examining the above questions is an excellent exercise.

It could be that your ideal client’s persona starts to resemble someone you know well… you! And that is okay, because we work best with clients who share our values, passions, needs and desires.

Is there such a thing as too narrow a focus? Taking into account that my ideal client can live almost anywhere on the planet, thanks to the Web, Social Media, and today’s communication technologies, I believe it is even more important to be hyperfocused. For example, I look at my target community as being self-employed professionals in North America (Canada+US): if we assume 10% of the total workforce is composed of self-employed professionals (conservative estimate), then theoretically my clients come from a pool of 10,000,000 people. Assuming I can support 100 clients a year, this means I only need 0.00001% of this total community each year to live well. And even if I say I need to be in touch with 100 people to attract that one person who is ready to buy, that means that I only need a 0.001% “market share”. Is that hyperfocused enough?

The good news is that people want personal service and attention, and they prefer doing business with people they know, trust and like. This is a key advantage us solos have over big business, why not take advantage of it?

You can’t please all of the people all of the time. Focus on connecting with your laser-focused community of ideal clients, and you will attract people who recognize the value of what you offer and who are ready to commit. You will discover that these people are a delight to serve, and in return they will be delighted with you.

For more information

Image Credit: Cover of a recording by Montreal-born pianist Marc-André Hamelin, of 20th-century composer Frederic Rzewski’s suite “The People United Will Never Be Defeated” (Hyperion, 1999 ). I watched excerpts of the piece on YouTube, it’s an intriguing experience that requires extreme virtuosity to play successfully. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_s0H38-NJe8 )

Amazon link to the record (no affiliate): http://www.amazon.com/Rzewski-People-United-Never-Defeated/dp/B00000IXWM

A good introduction to “personas” in marketing is this article by Leigh Duncan-Durst, “The Power Of Personas”  :
http://www.mpdailyfix.com/the-power-of-personas/

Craig Elias: http://www.craigelias.com

ShiftSelling: http://www.shiftselling.com

Michael Port: http://www.michaelport.com

Book Yourself Solid: http://www.bookyourselfsolid.com

I’ve just attended the Gamechangers Roundtable call today on “Creating a Game-Changing Culture” with Jonathan Fields, Chris Guillebeau, Pam Slim and Reese Spykerman, moderated by Elizabeth Marshall.

The core of the discussion was about Branding, what it means and how to create a brand that expresses your own personality and quirkiness… because that is what will attract the right people to you.

To give you a sense of what was discussed, here are the notes I tweeted during the call (bottom of the list = start of the call):

• RT @startupcoach: The #gamechangers calls are really great. If you have an hour to spare, don’t miss them. Better yet, make the time ;-)
• Thank you for this brilliant #gamechangers call on Branding: @lizmarshall @pamslim @reese @sarahrobinson @chrisguillebeau @jonathanfields
• Branding: Stop trying to build a following and start meaningful conversations with people! #gamechangers @chrisguillebeau @jonathanfields
• RT @ACCompanyC: Liz Marshall is SO good at this! Great choice! #gamechangers [DITTO!]
• Branding: Figure out what your unique energy is and bring it to what you do. Much more powerful than fluff or flash @reese #gamechangers
• [Funny-on another tweetdk column I see "how to get over 100000 subscribers" just as we're talking about quantity vs quality] #gamechangers
• Be yourself instead of gaming the system may cost you in traffic – but the quality will be much higher @chrisguillebeau #gamechangers
• [Personal comment: I agree - most ppl try to sell "why you need me". I love & hire ppl who share life! ] #gamechangers
• People feel a level of desperation with what they’re doing.Brand yourself: do what feeds your passion&share your adventures! #gamechangers
• RT @LizMarshall “my game changed when I stopped lookng at the competition.stop looking around you&start looking within” @reese #gamechangers
• RT @GoodInkInc: So help me, @pamslim just used a Cat’s in the Cradle analogy. Yes, the song. [This was a great example !] #gamechangers
• Branding Design: Don’t let your visual signature be just a “decoration”. Make it mean something – personal – quirky @reese #gamechangers
• Brands that might mean a lot for you probably don’t resonate with them. Use language that resonates with them #gamechangers @pamslim
• “Why Do I Do This Every Single Day?” [Great question to continually ask ourselves to keep on track...] #gamechangers @jonathanfields
• Branding: What do I care about? Who do I want to serve? Dig deep to find the remarkable stuff #gamechangers
• Branding is not always strategic – it is a trial-and-error process #gamechangers @chrisguillebeau
• RT @kymleeisawesome: Noticing a #gamechangers theme: making strong/personal/emotional connections [agree!]
• Your brand is shaped by the kinds of clients you work with #gamechangers
• Branding is NOT something you can go out and “dictate” to the world – it’s a living 2-way street #gamechangers
• Livetweeting the #gamechangers call with @pamslim @lizmarshall @reese @chrisguillebeau @jonathanfields @sarahrobinson
• Remarkable brand: More than a great name – it has to be a message that goes straight for the gut #gamechangers
• Remarkable brand = speaking in your own voice #gamechangers with @pamslim
• Remarkable brand = being “astonishingly better” than what’s out there. #gamechangers
• For the next hour I’m live-tweeting the #Gamechangers call on Creating a Game-Changing Brand. Join us now! http://bit.ly/bMJqEj

I highly recommend these calls to all solopreneurs and entrepreneurs. There are still four more calls to go, and you can purchase the recordings of the first three calls.

For more information

Website with information, free sign-up link, and order the mp3 recordings:

http://www.gamechangersroundtable.com

Check out what others Tweeted during the call (and on the other Gamechanger calls) at
http://search.twitter.com and search on the hash-tag #gamechangers

You’re good at what you do…but how many prospective clients know that? Most professionals rely on their credentials and certifications to communicate their competence. The problem is that most certifications mean little to your market, because laypeople usually do not understand (or don’t care about) the meaning of those letters after your name.

To get more and better clients, you need to stand out from the crowd by proactively positioning yourself. The real question is: Do people know what you’re good at…and how it benefits them? Communicate that clearly, and you will build huge trust capital with your market, and they will choose you before any of your colleagues.

This short course will equip you with strategies you can use right away to break away from the herd and become the preferred choice of clients who recognize the value of what you offer and who are ready to commit.

The result? You get happier clients who enthusiastically refer you to other people who are also the right fit for you. This means you will earn more, work smarter, and be happier!

People always have a choice. Make it easier for them to choose you.

This short course is offered in three sessions:

Session 1 – You are your positioning

When people hear about you, what images do they think about and what words do they say? The inverse is even more important: when people see a certain image or hear a certain word, do they think of you? In this session, you will refine your positioning by examining the triggers which cause prospective clients to seek you – and only you.

Session 2 – You are your clients

When people consider whether or not to do business with you, they look at the kinds of clients that you have. In this session, we will discuss how you can better define your ideal client, so you can be the natural choice for them. When you have better clients, you can do better work, earn more income and work smarter.

Session 3 – You are your message

You are highly qualified, but does your market know that? By demonstrating what you know, you educate and prepare your prospects so that when they become your clients, they are ready for you and you can do your best work. This session will point you to some essential strategies that you must implement to demonstrate your competence.

Structure

- Three 60-minute webinar sessions (audio and video)
- Online workspace with recordings of each session, reference material and worksheets
- Interactive forum to discuss the concepts and share your views with the other participants
- Access to one 30-minute individual coaching session via telephone or internet (offer valid for 60 days from the start of the course)

Registration

Launch special: CDN$149 / US$139  (Retail value CDN$239)
Price is billed in Canadian dollars.
Canadian residents add GST, HST and/or QST as applicable.

Session dates:
Session 1 – Wednesday 24 February 2010 – 2pm to 3pm Eastern
Session 2 – Wednesday 3 March 2010 – 2pm to 3pm Eastern
Session 3 – Wednesday 10 March 2010 – 2pm to 3pm Eastern

Registration link:
http://bit.ly/a8wYtL

Questions? Contact Coach Davender directly at 418-948-1553 or coach@davender.com