OK, I admit it….In the last few years I have done a bit of online dating. Going about meeting “Mr. Right” that way has been quite interesting, and it makes me look at the parallel to meeting Mr. or Ms. Ideal Client as well. Since it’s the new year, I thought I’d have some fun and teach a few marketing tips thru the mistakes of the brave men on Match.com. (And please know I’m not baggin’ on men!  Women make these mistakes as well and this is just in fun.)

See if you spot your business in any of these characters-

Invisible Ian – this is the dude that for some reason has no photos of himself. Not sure why, because it’s a terrible strategy in dating and just as terrible strategy on a business website. Why? Because people need to see who they are connecting with if they are going to pony up their money and say yes to taking the next step with you. Marketing lesson – get your photos on your site! And the more ‘you’ you can be, the better. The posed, business suit pic is great if you are a banker, but your audience would rather see the one of you and your kids having fun, or of your dog and you hiking in the woods. Remember…it’s all about relationships!

Fake Fred – he’s the opposite of Invisible Ian. Fake Fred puts his photos up, but unfortunately they are from 1997 and before he had half his head of hair, and that extra 30 pounds! (I always get a kick out of this one because once you meet in person, it’s like…”Yikes…did you think I wouldn’t notice!”) Are you a Fake Fred in business? Do you make claims that aren’t true? Are your customers sadly disappointed because you over-promised and under-delivered? Marketing lesson – be real! Folks love to be surprised by getting more, and if your downloads have links that don’t work or are from 2005, create new things to stay fresh. You owe that to your customers.  

Snarky Sam – this is the guy who’s profile starts….”I don’t want you if you are x,y,or z.  And you better not be an a, b, c because I’m not interested.  And I’m sick of women who act like h, i, j.”   Snarky Sam is so busy being mad at women who hurt him in the past that his energy is quite repellent to any new connection. (And we all know that with the Law of Attraction, if you focus on the stuff you DON’T want, you are destined to see more of it!)  In your business you risk being a Snarky Sam if you make it really hard for your customers to get to you. There seems to be a trend in the Internet marketing world of trying to wall off, in hopes that that makes you more ‘exclusive’ so that you can charge more money. Marketing lesson – while part of that may be good strategy,  if you are so unreachable, you will lose people who could have been really nice connections.  Open yourself up and see who shows up!

Too-much-information Tom – this guy really blows it when on his profile he shares that his wife ran off and left him and his precious 6 year old son for his ex-best friend, and now that his heart is broken into a million pieces, he’s ready to find someone to love again. YIKES! I’m all for authenticity and sharing more of who you are in the world with your networks and potential clients, but it has to be done strategically. Share what will make people be in rapport with you without feeling sorry or getting shocked by your story. My rule of thumb, share past stuff that you have overcome. Or if it’s current (like a death in the family) share how you are navigating through it. Marketing lesson – go through the ‘stories’ that you share and see if they are stories of triumph or stories to get sympathy.

Hype-y Harry – He’s a cousin to Fake Fred. Hype-y Harry is the one who usually has a photo of himself in front of a Lamborghini and poses in front of the Eiffel Tower with his pearly white porcelain veneers. Yet, if you would meet Harry, he’s all about the appearances and has little substance. I’m sure you know where I’m going with this for your marketing lesson…if you can’t back up what you are saying, DON’T SAY IT! You’ll do your reputation far more damage but playing this card, so stay away from the marketing spin and talk about real people and real results.

But not all the men of Match.com get it wrong.  There are a some who have really good strategy.  Let’s meet them:

Confident Carl – I sorta like the Confident Carl’s of the world. They are the one’s who say, “Hey…I’m in shape, make a lot of money, am good looking, and so I want the same in return.” These Carl’s are the equivalent of the marketing tenet that “Good Marketing Repels as Well As Attracts.” While on the surface the Carl’s can be seen as a bit arrogant, (and in some cases that’s very true) the marketing lesson here is that it’s okay to raise the bar and get crystal clear about who you want to work with and why. My challenge to you here is to only work and play with people you dig! Life is short, so why have clients that drag you down?

Direct Dan – while most have profiles that sound very similiar, the Direct Dan’s make a request!  These are the guys who say, “Hey, life is short…why don’t we meet for Starbucks so we can see if there is a connection.  Don’t be afraid to take a risk, what have you got to lose?”  Now for the marketing lesson…do you do that on your website?  Are you directing folks to take an action like signing up for your special report or contacting you?  Remember, it’s a very crowded world out there!  You have to be assertive and give your audience the next steps for how they can work with you or get to know you a bit better.  Take the lead from Direct Dan and invite your visitors to ‘dance’ with you in whatever way is comfortable.

Now it’s your turn. Head over to your website, social media profiles and your marketing materials to see how you present yourself. You may also want to ask some folks who don’t know you very well what kind of a ‘vibe’ your stuff gives off. Imagine that you read your info or landed on your site for the very first time…what’s the first impression? You only get about 3 seconds before a judgment is made to keep reading, or click away.

My hope is that you show up fully. Show up with all your gifts and resources and pride in who you are and what you have done.

I’d love to hear your comments on the blog.

Blessings -

Therese

One of my favorite shows is The Biggest Loser. Why? Because it’s one of the most inspiring things you can see on the tube. In this article I’m going to parallel the contestants and what they go through with you – my entrepreneur tribe. As you watch their journey, I’ll show you how you can be reenergized in business.

Let’s start at the beginning. The Biggest Loser contestants have it tough. So much tougher than we “normal sized” folks do. Why? Because they can’t hide. If you look at them with 100 extra pounds on their frames, you could assume that there is something not working in their lives.

That’s the good and the bad news for them. The good is that it doesn’t allow for slipping into denial because their pain or dysfunction is publicly visible. And maybe that makes them just a bit luckier in some ways.

Luckier? You are probably well aware that if you pull the curtain on some of the success teachers, actors or athletes, they are hiding many, many things. Maybe they are hiding the fact that they aren’t really making the money they claim. Or perhaps it’s that they are having personal or relationship issues themselves.

I think that when we are in the public eye – and as an entrepreneur you are in the public eye – the tendency is to want to put just a bit of ‘spin’ on the less-than-great elements in your life. It’s hard to step up and be authentic about the challenges you have gone through or the things that haven’t worked when you have the ability to put the nice suit on, crank out a few more happy tweets, and just go about the business of not dealing with what’s real.

But not my Biggest Losers…nope. They bare it all, and on national TV. As the saying goes, “The only way around is through.” These folks work through their issues to get to the healthier, happier, and beautiful person underneath. Week after week they face their fears, get pushed past their limits, and find strength in themselves that they never dreamed existed.

Isn’t that what the entrepreneurial journey is about? That’s how I have experienced it this last year, and I want to share my formula with you, so you too may have the business that brings you joy.

It’s about having D.A.T.E.S with your destiny –

D – Decide to change – The contestants first have to come to a place where they decide that they can no longer continue to keep living in this way. What do you need to decide? How about that you will have more fun in your business? Maybe it’s that you will finally give yourself permission to put yourself more fully into the work you do. Or perhaps that 2010 will finally be the year that you bite the bullet and get the team support you need so that you can devote yourself more to doing the work you love. Whatever it is for you…DECIDE! Repeat that to yourself over and over and over…”I am deciding to ______________, or I have decided ________________.” There’s power in that!

A – Assess what’s true – within the first week on the ranch where the Biggest Losers stay for the duration, they are giving a full battery of tests to determine their level of health and fitness. This is where many of the final shreds of denial fall away for these courageous souls. Last season a woman who was 49 years old tested out at about 61 which shocked the heck out of her. Some times we want to run from the parts of our business (and life) that are a bit messy. We don’t want to see that maybe our books aren’t in order, or that we haven’t been charging what we should, but by not looking at that, it still has power over you. How about this….”You can’t grow what you don’t know.”

Here are a few things you should be assessing for the health of your business –

Your marketing: how frequent and how effective is it?
Your follow up: is it automated?
Your billing: is it done on time?
Your books: are you getting up to date P & L’s and reviewing them regularly.
Your wealth plan: is it growing?
Your networking: are you making new connections and building powerful relationships?
Your offerings: does your market want something new for this year?

Have the courage to make a list of all the things you want to assess and have courage to tell yourself the truth.

T – Train with the Best. If you have seen the show, there are two very different strength trainers who work out the contestants. One is a very open-hearted guy named Bob, who clearly loves the contestants and shows that. The other is a kick-butt gal named Jillian, who is also very much there for them, but does it in a ‘boot camp’ way that calls them out when they are giving up on themselves. She screams and doesn’t let them off the hook, and while I’d probably be a mess of tears, her “in your face” style does the trick of helping the contestants to remember why they are there.

So let’s replicate their success. Who do you train with? Who calls out your brilliance, even when you can’t see it for yourself or are too tired to go on? Who loves you, supports you, designs exercises for your growth, and is there cheering you on? Every great athlete has multiple coaches. You just cannot expect to grow your business without training with the best, so in 2010, make it your #1 priority to find the best coach or mentor out there and let them get their hands on your business the way Bob and Jillian do for the contestants. You’ll love the results!

E – Enhance Your Environment – The contestants live on “The Ranch” which provides an environment for success. Thomas Leonard, the Father of Coaching used to say, “Environment is stronger than will” which means that a well constructed environment can pull you forward, while will is something you have to push and work at. An example of a powerful environment could be a mastermind group. You just show up, plug in and get new inspiration. Another one would be to design your office so that you feel energized just being there versus dragged down by clutter. There are environments in what sort of things you are reading and taking in. Are you surrounded by thoughts and ideas that enliven you and bring out your best? If not, change it.

S – Step up and Play Big – The final contestants of the Biggest Loser all get a makeover and then their families (who have not seen them in months) get to see the new person that has emerged. The metamorphosis is unbelievable. That’s what I want for you. To step up. Do the thing you have been afraid to do. What part of your business could you make over? Maybe that website that has been languishing could use a revamp. How about adding some teleclasses to your offerings to showcase your brilliance. Or let’s get crazy here….why not write that book you have been talking about for years?

It doesn’t have to be a complete business overhaul, but you have to start somewhere. Ask yourself these questions…

What are three things I could do that would energize my business and my spirit?
What help/support would I need to pull that off?
What results would I like to see as a result?
When will I get started?

There you go. My thoughts on how you can be The Biggest Winner!

Be sure to leave a comment on what you are going to do on the blog, and know I’m here to support you. (Not like Jillian, but I’ll for sure hold your greatness ’til you can see it.)