“I don’t want to feel like I am ‘selling’...”
I’ve had people tell me the one thing they hate about marketing is how it makes them feel like they are overly ‘selling’ their business. It makes them feel pushy and obnoxious. It’s such a Catch-22. You went into business to make a profit and you want people to buy your wares or hire your services – but, you don’t want to feel like you are shoving your business down someone’s throat.
I get it. I do. I really don’t like that aspect of marketing either. And, as someone who’s been in sales before, I can tell you honestly I do better when I am representing a product or service I believe in versus selling something myself.
For example, when I worked for a major cosmetic line, my counter usually was the highest in sales. When I left to sell a direct sale cosmetic line, I froze. It was more about me than it was the product. If someone rejected the products for whatever reason, it was very, very personal for me. If someone didn’t want the product when I was behind a counter, well, it was because there were four other counters nearby and one had a free gift, they were loyal to another brand, and....you get the picture. I had justification bias as to why they didn’t buy from me. When I wasn’t standing behind a cosmetic line, any rejection or ‘No’ was translated into a personal failure.
I also didn’t have to “push” my counter. The company I worked for normally ran national ad campaigns which helped drive traffic to the counter through sample giveaways and new product releases. I was just tasked with running the counter as if it were my own personal business. I didn’t have to worry about some of the mundane tasks of marketing and advertising.
But, I did. Which is probably why my small counter always surpassed its sales goals. I would take flyers to local businesses with a high concentration of female employees, represented the brand at every event I could get into, and did a lot of networking. Again – I felt confident about doing it because I was representing a huge brand.
When you have a small business, it’s hard to wear so many hats. You live, breathe, eat, sleep, and dream your business day in and day out. It is you and you are the business. You feel like if you are pushing your company or business you are somehow selling yourself, and somehow, comprising your integrity. I’ve even had people tell me they just don’t feel comfortable marketing their business beyond the basics. “I feel like I am trying to sell people on why they should do business with me...” when...isn’t that the point?
This is a particular point of contention for those in the helping professions. A therapist, healer, or life coach may feel by telling people how they can benefit from their services that they come across as pushy or ‘selling.’ You have to tell people what you do and offer, in order to have clients to have a business. A vicious, vicious cycle but one that has to exist.
This is where a blog can help you. Instead of selling, educate. You can present information about your company and yourself. How did you get into your field? What is new in your area of expertise – more importantly, what are your thoughts on it? People love to know your opinion on these things. It makes your business more personable and helps you ‘sell’ yourself without selling.
Your blog should be an extension of your brand, and should reflect the personality, or ‘voice’ of the brand. Is your company kind of quirky? Let that shine in your blog! Are you obsessed with having your shelves merchandised a certain way? You can blog about that, too. (As someone who worked in retail, I can appreciate a well merchandised display!) Put pictures in your blog to help tell the story, too.
Blogging can be a tremendous amount of fun and give you a different marketing atmosphere than your traditional options.
Don’t have time to do your own blog? I just happen to know someone. She’s not good at selling herself, but she would love to help...