Second Article in the Series:
Marketing that Works
Last week’s message brought a new concept to your work and marketing efforts — that you have a gift to share and that you will do so only with those who appreciate and value your gift.
Your gift is your product or service that you provide, combined with your passions, strengths and values. Think about that…how many others bring the same unique value to your Ideal Client? If you listened in to the Expert Series Interview on Strengths, you will recall that only 1 in 33 million other people have the same combination of strengths that you do. Add in your passions, values and professional specialization and you have just moved yourself into a league of your own.
With your unique gift also come challenges that you need to overcome in order to be successful. First, in our fast-paced world, you and your message will look like every other service provider or product maker out there. We live in a world of abundance and that means there are far too many choices for your Ideal Client. How will they know to choose you? How will they even find you?
Second, you may discount the value of your gift, the service that is provided to your Ideal Client. Your “discount” may show up in the way you offer yourself and your services, downplaying the value you bring. Perhaps you feel competitive pressure to win business and offering a price discount is your competitive advantage. I don’t know about you, but “discounting” my service in any way does not sound like a business model I would relish waking up to every day.
In developing your Ideal Client profile, you looked at the profitability of your clients. In a service-oriented business, profitability is determined by how easily a client is served and the revenue generated. Ease of service comes when you work with clients with similar needs, yet most importantly, it comes when clients VALUE what you offer – no discounting needed! Willing, able and eager clients are the ones you strive to serve. These same clients will be willing, able and eager to pay fair compensation for your service that helps them alleviate pain, allay a fear or realize a goal.
Your challenges:
- How to differentiate your service
- How to reach Ideal Prospects who will value your offering
The series, “Marketing that Works” will help you develop a plan to overcome these challenges and demonstrate how to share your gift with those who value and benefit from it.