Step Away from the Snake-Oil
I see this ALL THE TIME.
“3 secrets to unlocking your wildest sexual fantasies”
“7 tips to making people give you their money”
“41 tales of the Arabian Nights”
Ok, so the last one was a shill… it is really 1001 Arabian Nights and the first two were paraphrased. But honestly, your clients are getting smarter. The’ve been pounded enough with with McSuccess that they want you to show them something real.
They know better than to think that they’re going to get any real “instant success” — any more than they’re going to get a quality cup of coffee from a can of instant coffee.. COME ON look how little respect Sanka gets? People would rather someone honestly hear “yeah, this workshop is about how to get people to give you money” than teach some fluffed up Law of Attraction we’ve seen canned and re-canned.
Maybe I’m coming across as a little harsh here, and if you’re getting into the Personal Development/Healing industry because you actually want to HELP people, chances are there is something unique about you, and it isn’t your ability to spell the words “transformational” or “authentic.” (If you don’t know what I mean, feel lucky: you’ve been spared the woo-woo.)
When I’m coaching clients, I’m still getting requests from “heart based professionals” (like therapists and coaches) to help with their social networking, blogging, and helping them with web & marketing copy.
Wanna know why? Because people are starting to look for something real to connect with. They want to know there is a person on the other end, and when I’m working with my clients they know the details in their copy come from who they are… not from what the industry scares them into.
So when you’re thinking about how you’re going to market yourself, ask yourself some of the following questions:
- Who do I love to work with?
- What about my work, do I love most?
- What do I want my clients to come away with?
- What will they be able to do/perform/accomplish/have when they’re done?
Having these answers will help you; whether you’re writing for a web page, attending a networking event, or simply talking about your work. Then SEND it to someone you trust and ask them for their opinion, because that other fluffed stuff? We both know you, and your clients are smarter than that, and they will “click” away.
