“Please Tell Me It’s Not Just About Headstands and Running”

I got an email from someone that said “It’s not just about headstands and running. Please tell me it’s not.”

This person had come to me for marketing advice and was a little frustrated because she thought that since she’s not the kind of gal to get into a headstand at any given moment or have someone video her running and leaping through the air that she’d never get the kind of feedback or attention I did.

I actually get this a lot. People come to me for marketing not because I’m talking about marketing left and right but because my marketing has worked on them, they liked how it made them feel and they want to make their peeps feel the same good stuff.

I actually got a client the other day that said, “I can’t believe I’m saying this but I hired you because of your headstand”.

Now obviously it wan’t just the headstand. It was how it made her feel. Maybe it made me believable, flawed, crazy or fun. Or maybe I reminded her of her best friend when she was 5 and she still misses her. Or maybe she wanted to hold the kind of retreat that needed this kind of marketing to fill it.

Who knows. She may never every be able to identify it exactly but the lesson is in there. Yes, you must be really good at what you do. You have to really and truly care about your clients – care more than anyone else ever has. You have to know your limits – promise what you can deliver on – and then add a bunch of cherries on top because you know it will make a difference to them. You have to help them get the result(s) they want. You have to walk your talk.

BUT, unless you show them who you are and be as approachable as their next door neighbor they may never get to see how awesome you really are.

When we shot that video of me on my head that was not planned. We were screwing around in the backyard and I stood on my head and we said “we should do a video like this.” Standing on my head at random is me. Making crazy noises and goofing off is me. Moving period is me. If that’s not your cup of tea then you will find someone else to hang with.

I always try to pick my clients, coaches and teachers based on 2 criteria:

1) Do they know what they are talking about – are they good at what they do – meaning can they help me solve my problem?

2) Would I want to enjoy my morning run with them or an afternoon sipping cold drinks by the pool.

If the answer to both questions is no I head in another direction. The truth is there are TONS of people who are good at solving your life or business problem – TONS. Why not pick someone you get and who gets you at a soul to soul level?

If you want to connect to your peeps more you can’t hide behind copy, perfectly crafted messages, elegantly designed websites and paint-by-the-numbers marketing tactics.

Do your work. Be awesome at it. And if you want to stand on your head, do that too.

Tagged as: hate marketing, marketing, Marketing Lessons, women entrepreneurs