"Go where you're respected..." (4-Step Overview of Authentic Marketing)

I heard a piece of advice at the beginning of my career that has guided me ever since. The advice came from an experienced entrepreneur named Paul Hawken. He has since become a climate change activist and has written several wonderful books about that. And he was doing a book signing years ago and I was in line, you know, get my book signed. And I actually don't remember what he said to me, but I remember what he said to the person in front of me when they had asked him for some career advice. I think they were saying, should I work at this company or this one? And he said, go where you're respected. And it was so simple and so profound. And ever since then I have thought about that and of course I have applied it to marketing and sales as well. So how does this apply? Well, a lot of marketing and sales feels to me like an act of convincing, persuasion, charming people into doing what you want them to do, buying what you want them to buy. And that's sort of the opposite of go where you're respected. You know, in marketing and sales, it's often. It's almost like we're being taught to make people respect us, do things so that they see how credible we are and how professional and how expert we are and how much worth spending money with us is. So go where you're respected. If you, instead of trying to sell to somebody who you imagine to be holding their arms and critical or doubtful about the value you can provide, then naturally you'll want to try to persuade and charm, convince, etc. But if instead you were selling, quote, unquote, to somebody who is already leaning in, and before you even open your mouth, or before they even open your website, or before they even consider your product, they're already leaning in and saying, oh, I've heard about you, oh, I've seen you somewhere. And I'm just, just wanting to confirm, you know, essentially this is what they're thinking. I'm wanting to confirm whether this service or product is right for me. And so if that's the case, then you don't have to persuade or convince or charm or attract or do anything that isn't already you showing up with your heart of caring and with your true desire to serve the person in front of you. And if that was the case, then you just show up and you just answer questions. Essentially you might have to describe what you understand the product to be or the service that you provide, but they're already leaning in and they're already interested and they just want to make sure that that really is a good match. So how do we create the conditions for this to happen? Where before we open our mouth to sell something, the person in front of us is already interested, is already trusts us. How do we create those conditions? So let me give you four overall steps. Essentially, I'm going to give you the four overall steps to authentic marketing. Step number one is to create authentic content and to do it on a consistent basis. Why is the step number one because you don't really know. You aren't as clear about your message and about your points of view and about your audience as you could be. Would you agree? You could probably get clearer about your message, about your niche, about your calling and purpose, and about the people you're meant to serve. You could probably get clearer on that, don't you agree? The way to get clearer about that is to create authentic content. You see, it's not to journal, you know, in the comfort and privacy of your home. It's not to work with a coach. Sure, those things can help, but none of that gives you market validation, right? Which is what you need to have the right match between the talents and the strengths that naturally come to you matched with what the world is hungry for. And the only way to know that is by putting things out there again and again and again and again and then noticing whether which things are being really resonant with people or which things people are silent about when you put them out, even though, even though you might be really excited, they're silent about it because it doesn't match what they're looking for, what they're hungry for. So the way to clarity is through creating, not the other way around. Too many people have this misconception that they have to get all their ducks in a row. They have to get clear on their message, on their point of view, on their niche, on their audience. They had all has to be totally clear or at least very clear or somewhat clear before they can put out their first piece of content, before they can write their first article or make their first video or post their first podcast episode or whatever it may be. I have an opposite view on that. I say life is about exploration and business. Also, authentic business is about exploration, the willingness to say, hey, I, I, of course you know what your interests are. I mean, you already have some things that you're passionate about that, some things you could just talk about with someone who is interested for probably hours at a time, or there might be some things that you've already studied that you're really curious about. You're really interested in. Some of you already are working with clients. Obviously you may have programs and things. So you, at some level you already know what you're interested in, right? Obviously. So you just talk about what you're interested in on the Internet. You do it on Facebook, on Instagram, on YouTube, on Medium, on LinkedIn, on Twitter, TikTok, wherever you enjoy being on online. Create authentic content consistently because that's how you discover your calling. More authentic and more. It's not a one time thing. I am still discovering now that I've been creating content consistently for the last seven years. I've been in business since 2009, but I didn't get wise about creating authentic content until 2015. I wish I knew earlier. So those of you who are at the beginning of your business, congratulations on finding this message. I wish I knew way earlier. So starting in 2015 was when I thought I realized I just started exploring and testing ideas on, on the web and like, wow. By creating consistently. No matter how I feel that day, no matter how I feel that day, I had a challenge to myself to create. I had a 100 video day challenge for myself. No one, I didn't join a program, didn't join a challenge. I just challenged myself. I said, all right, I'm going to create 100 days of video. Just 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 7 minutes, whatever. I didn't care about the length, I just cared about being consistent with doing it. And I took the weekends off. So it took longer than 100 days, but I'd made 100 before. I reevaluated my rhythm. So that gave me so much clarity. Because by talking, hey, I think about this, I thought this was a good point. Hey, this I think is really important to say in the world, hey, I'm really passionate about this thing and what I understand about it is this and this and that. By doing that I got the practice of expressing myself, number one. And I got over my shyness and my self consciousness because before that I was really, really shy on video. I. It was impossible for me to be on video. I just couldn't. I didn't, you know, I. Those of you who know my story know that I made my first video actually in 2009 and I was so embarrassed with how I looked and how I sounded that I didn't make another video until 2014 and. And then 2015 was when I started being consistent at it. But now you can't get me off video. As you can see, I haven't changed. I didn't get. I Didn't get facial reconstruction surgery or my voice didn't change. It's still all the same. My confidence changed. That's the only thing that's different. My self consciousness is gone. And how. Because I practiced, I forced myself to, to put published videos on the Internet publicly for the whole world to see for 100 days. And I said, took the weekends off, it's fine. So create authentic content consistently is how you gain the skills of authentic expression that then allow you to really grow an authentic audience. So that's step number two. Now, step number one, dedicate yourself to creating authentic content consistently. Step number two is to learn how to distribute that content to more people that you would love to reach. Because, yes, you might have a YouTube channel, right? And you put stuff up there and you're like, how come I have zero views on all my videos? Or I have two views, or I have 12 views? Because I posted that YouTube video to my Facebook profile and a few friends went and watched it. Step two, like I said, is to learn to distribute your content, especially your best content. I mean, how do you know what's the best? Well, when you start creating, you probably, you'll probably feel discouraged unless you create somewhere where you at least get a little bit of feedback. Most people don't have the discipline to create without any feedback for 100 days. But you are more likely to do it consistently if you put it somewhere where you at least get like, one, like every now and then, right? Get one, like every now and then, like, keeps you going, right? So for most of you, that's on your Facebook profile, your Facebook profile, where your Facebook friends are, or your Instagram account, one of those two places usually is where we can get some love from our friends and our family and our cousins and our colleagues and our classmates and, you know, people that we're connected to as friends. So, yeah, post your stuff there, but then notice which of the things you post there gets more engagement. They're like, oh, when I talk about this, it really goes. People really, you know, find it valuable, find it helpful, etc. And learn to distribute that stuff to more of the people you want to reach. Now, how do you know who you want to reach? Well, you'll. You'll start to notice the comments that come through when you post, and you're like, oh, yeah, that's the kind of person that I would want more readers like that, okay. And then you, you know what the favorite. My favorite way of distributing content is? Through ads. I run Facebook ads, Instagram ads, LinkedIn, ads, often, all the time. I mean, I always have some, several ads running. And those ads are just putting content out there. Most of those ads don't sell anything, don't even link to my website. Most of those ads just say, here's some a message, here's, here's a way of thinking, here's a story that might teach you something, that might uplift you, help you shift your mind towards a more helpful perspective about the kinds of things I talk about. So learn to distribute your content. Of course, I have a Facebook ads course, Instagram course, LinkedIn course. So if you're interested, you can learn from me about that. But I don't care where you learn it from. YouTube has plenty of free videos about this kind of stuff. So learn to distribute your content. Whether it's through paid ads, my favorite way, or through collaborations, I also enjoy doing it. Collaborations are where you get together with somebody else who has a network or an audience. Doesn't have to, but it should be around the same size. So right now you have 300 Facebook friends right somewhere around there. Most of most Facebook friends have around, most Facebook people have around 300 Facebook friends somewhere around there. And then you get together with someone else who has 300 Facebook friends or plus or minus 100 and say, hey, can we interview each other? And then you interview each other and post it on your Facebook profile so that you help promote that person's message and they help promote yours to their audience. The simplest way to collaborate. So that's one of my favorite ways to distribute content. That's the second step. The third step is to talk to your biggest fans. So as you start to post content out there, distribute content, you'll start noticing some people consistently like your posts or comments on your post. Look at their profiles. Now if they're not like your, your family or, or your friends who are just supporting you, but they don't really understand what you do. But if it's somebody who you think, ah, this could be a client like this, this type of person could become one of my clients or customers, talk with that, those people, reach out to them and say, thank you so much for your support of my content. And I wonder, would you be willing to have a brief conversation with me? I'm trying to, I'm doing, I'm doing a research project where I'm trying to better understand the people in my audience and kind of what they're looking for and that kind of stuff. You, you talk with them, get them on the phone, or if they're willing to just message with you over Instagram DM or however you message, ask them, hey, I'm wondering, have you ever like, I'm just curious what, what kinds of services or products you have ever bought within this realm? The kind of stuff I talk about, have you, you know, bought any life coaching or therapy or online courses or books and what kinds of topics? And this is confidential conversation, you know, can you tell them that? So you, you, you just talk with your big biggest fans to discover what kinds of products they are spending money on, what kinds of services they're spending money on. Because the money they could be your income. I mean, not necessarily that person, but people like that they are representative of people like them. And when you discover what kinds of products, services they're spending money on, that gives you a clue into what kinds of products, services you could provide, whether it's those topics or those formats. Formats, meaning is it a book, is it a coaching program, is it a online course, is it a retreat? Blah, blah, blah. Topics are like, oh, there was a retreat about this. This, it was a book about that. The topics and formats you'll learn through the conversations what they're spending money on. And you can kind of take from that and create your own product or service or package or program that is more aligned with the kinds of stuff they tend to spend money on. That's the secret of marketing, is to sell what people are already buying. Secret of marketing, if you sell what people are already spending money on, you're far more likely to make money. If you sell something that no one, that the person you're, the people you're selling to has never, they've never bought anything like this. You're going to have to persuade and convince and say, well, please try this out. You never bought anything like, but please give this a try. And you have to beg and, but if they've already spent money on stuff and you're just selling your version of it, they're like, oh, I like you, I've been reading your content and I'll buy your version of it. I'll buy your coaching because I bought coaching before. I'll buy your book because I bought books on this topic. I'll buy your, your online course because I've bought, I've, I've done, I've done online courses and I'm, I like you, so I'll try yours. You see, I know one day you will have such a true warm audience as you keep doing these steps. You have such a true and warm audience where you could sell Something they've never bought before. And because now they've trusted you for years, they're willing to give you a shot. It's like, no, I've never bought life coaching before. I've never bought any kind of coaching or therapy before. But because I've been following you for months now or years, and I've benefited so much from your kind, I like you a lot. So I'm just going to go for it. I'm going to spend the $500 to try out this thing called coaching or therapy. In other words, you see, then you could be the one who kind of gets them, you know, that experience. And then now they're, they're. They're in the market, so to speak. But first, you, you sell what people that you can reach already are buying or they've bought before, and you'll be much more successful in your marketing. So the fourth step, as I promised, four steps here. First steps, create authentic content consistently. Second step, learn to distribute that content through ads or collaborations. Third step is to talk with your fans, find out where their money is going in relation to your general area of expertise. And the fourth step is to occasionally announce your services or your products or your programs. I call this the gentle launch. Not the kind of launch that you're going to learn from other marketers that tell you that, you know, send these 18 emails for your launch or whatever. No, I send two emails for every launch. Two. And yet I gratefully do more sales than most people who send 18 emails. Why? Because I follow the steps that I've told you. I built a warm and true audience over months and years that now consistently buy from me when I just whisper. And I want you to get there, too. And you can get there. You follow these steps, right? So I hope this is helpful. Go where you're respected. Because when. When you are in front of an audience that you respect, all you need to do is whisper. And they would love to work with you. They'd love to sign up for whatever you're recommending, in part because you understand them, because you've talked to them and you know what they're looking for, what they're spending money on, what they're still yearning for. So I hope this is helpful. Remember to go where you're respected. And I wish you joyful productivity as you work on these steps. Thanks so much for joining me.