When I started Due North 7 years ago, I struggled for the first 12-18 months in the abyss of crapness.
I couldn’t get traction with consistently getting new clients on board, despite having a good offering.
We tried many different ways of promoting our message, but we couldn’t get the growth we wanted.
You see, having run my own businesses for 13 years by this stage, I’d seen and worked with all manner of marketing agencies, consultants, experts and staff and learnt firsthand what was required to do marketing well.
So, I built a marketing message around what I believed my target audience needed. But low and behold, time and time again, I hit my head against a brick wall and kept saying, ‘What’s wrong with these people? Why don’t they see or understand that this is what they needed?’
Finally, one of my good mates metaphorically slapped me across the face and said…
‘Mate, this isn’t about you, that’s not what other business owners want – that’s what you think they want!’
I had seriously missed the mark. Not only had I assumed what customers wanted and needed were the same thing, I’d also made one other critical mistake – I assumed that they could see the value we provided rather than experiencing the value we provided.
I was:
- Selling, not solving their problems
- Assuming, not sharing real value
It’s this last one that I want to zone in on. How often do we make the mistake of not sharing our experience and expertise – or worse, not even acknowledging we have it. We hoard our knowledge and don’t share the value with those who need and want it most – our target audience.
This brings us to…
Deadly Marketing Sin #5: Thou shalt not be selfish!
Let me clarify. This isn’t selfish as in you are only thinking about yourself, it’s selfish as in not sharing your gifts – the experience, expertise, and industry insight you have with your target audience.
“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”
– Pablo Picasso
I’ve been lucky enough to be a member of the Entrepreneurs Organisation (EO), a networking organisation with some of the most amazing and beautiful people as members (as the name suggests, all are entrepreneurs and very successful in their own right). EO has taught me so many valuable lessons, though one, in particular, has really stuck with me.
A few years ago, I was involved in two workshops over two days that involved 22 individuals who I highly respect and look up to. All were from different industries with businesses of various sizes.
What was startling to me about the group was that 90% of the entrepreneurs there suffered from impostor syndrome. They didn’t think they were that smart, successful, or knowledgeable – especially not experts in their field. But they were!
So, if you are like 90% of the business owners in that room and believe you are not an expert at your trade or what you have in your head isn’t worth sharing, then here is the reminder you need – you are bloody good at what you do!! And it’s time to start sharing your expert knowledge with the world.
It’s this expert knowledge that your target audience yearns for – people are generally inquisitive and want to know more about your field of expertise. So, it’s time to share the decades of knowledge, skills, experience, and frameworks you have developed.
It’s this knowledge that can add real value to people’s lives.
Are you adding value to your customers’ lives?
As the saying goes, ‘The one who adds the most value wins!’ It’s time to add more value to more people. Together, let’s create the right plan of attack to help you create more impact through your business!
