This is a guest post by the lovely Karen Gunton from Build a Little Biz, who prefers lowercase as she’s a rebel.
most of the women i talk to about building a little business tend to hide behind the front of their biz. they set up shop online, write a professional sounding about me page, and only interact on facebook as their business name.
this is a mistake. here’s WHY:
YOU are the most unique part of your business
people can copy ideas, imitate products, sell the same thing as you, but no one can be you. no one can imitate the injection of passion and expertise and talent you bring to your business.
people buy from small businesses because they WANT to support a ‘real person’
big businesses know this. this is why they start twitter & facebook profiles, they are trying to seem like a small business connecting with customers one on one. you actually can connect with customers one on one.
people buy from people they KNOW
when you allow yourself to be a part of your business, to show your face & personality to your right people, they feel like they get to know you. they build an allegiance to you. they want to support you! and they feel like you know them, like you know how to meet their needs. win-win! and let’s face it, you are a part of your business. most marketing, promoting 7 sales strategies will involve some type of interaction with you whether by social media, email, phone call, skype chat, or maybe even in person! (imagine that!)
so HOW do you get it right? how do you add some YOU to your biz effectively?
live your brand message
whatever it is about your business that you want everyone to know about, shout it out loud! share the passion that you have, share everything you have learned to convince you why it matters.
match your brand message.
while you are in biz mode, enhance or emphasize whatever that one part of you is that fits with your brand message. (even if the rest of your life/personality is not really like that.) your appearance, your language, your manner should match your message.
create a business persona.
you might feel more comfortable putting on a different hat for your biz dealings, being someone a bit different to who you are in real life. i know of business owners that even use a different or modified version of their name.
share appropriately.
we don’t need to hear what you are having for dinner or about the fight you are having with your neighbor. unless that is applicable to your biz, your brand message and how you can help your right people.
maintain privacy.
you do not need to ‘friend’ every customer on facebook, share personal photos of your kids, give out your personal phone number/email address. or you can. do what feels comfortable to you.
consider what your right people need.
keep in mind the target you are trying to attract, the problems you are trying to solve, what it is you are really selling… you need to communicate that you are the right person for those people, that they are in the right place.
do what you love.
your marketing and sales strategies will be a lot more enjoyable and successful if you absolutely love doing them! which tasks get you too excited to sleep at night? inject some of that into all your business activities.
WHERE can you add some YOU to your biz?
- spice up your about me page
- add a video intro on your site or onto youtube
- write and share a manifesto for you/your biz/your brand message
- tell stories/share examples of expertise & passion on your blog
- share sources of inspiration/quotes/lyrics/images on blog or social media
- friend/follow/circle/connect with people in social media (don’t hide behind your logo!)
- ring & skype customers/clients/colleagues (don’t hide behind your email!)
- attend live events: markets/shows/networking/seminars/conferences
- add personal touches: include hand written notes, send thank you cards, do follow up calls
it can feel a little scary to inject some YOU in to your business, but don’t worry that you won’t seem professional enough or that you will turn people off. most likely, the opposite will happen – you will seem more genuine, your business will stand out more, and you will attract your right people more easily. as long as you keep your brand message and your right people in mind, you won’t be sorry!
my passion is helping other little biz builders get unstuck with their biz plans. i started build a little biz to do just that! my advice is simple: be awesome. do what you love. kick ass. my dream is for is for every talented, passionate woman in biz to find success and put something amazing into this world. stop by facebook or twitter to say hi!