"If My Work is Good Enough, I Shouldn't Have to Market, Right?"
Don't you think that good work should speak for itself...that
if you're good enough at what you do, you shouldn't have to
hustle up business?
I've been working with a lot of really Smart People lately.
Physicists, Economists, Chemists, Electrical Engineers,
Programmers, Researchers and highly educated professionals of
many kinds. These folks are at the top of their game and
world-class contributors in their chosen field.
Here are some of things they've said to me about marketing:
"If you're good, the money will come; we're above the money
game."
"It feels sleazy to have to sell our market impact..."
"Isn't there an implied value to what we do? Why do we have to
market it?"
"Yes, I'm angry that I have to market. It's not why I chose
this career."
If you can relate to any of these statements, you're not alone.
Even these really Smart People have to face the harsh reality
that great work can't protect them from the "M Word"
(marketing). Whether you've taken an entrepreneurial route, or
work inside a large organization, marketing is a life skill
that's essential for survival.
I remember fighting this reality early on in my professional
career, limping along and barely surviving as a business
because we were in denial about the reality of our situation:
that if we didn't step up and figure out how to attract more
clients, we'd be out of business.
Of course it wasn't until I was in a whole lot of pain (i.e.,
cash flow was a problem) that I changed my behavior. I had a
choice to make: figure out how to bring in more clients or
perish!
If you want to get your professional services understood,
valued, and used in the marketplace, ignoring this
responsibility is not an option. So as a Smart Person, do what
comes naturally: LEARN your way out of your problem.
We're all on a learning curve about something, regardless of
PhDs, technical expertise, or years of professional success.
For many professionals, finding yourself at the bottom of the
Marketing Learning Curve is a frustrating experience. To make
matters worse, your target clients are on a steep learning
curve about the value of you and your work!
So the key is to move both yourself and your target clients up
the learning curve. And knowing how to market, then skillfully
applying this knowledge to your target audience is what will
get you there.
Here are the four stages you have to go through (picture a
staircase or ladder, with one stage on each level). In turn,
you can take your target clients through these stages to learn
about you and your firm:
Stage 1: Unconsciously Incompetent. In other words, you're
clueless. This is when you don't know what you don't know. For
you, it could be not understanding the driving principles
behind effectively marketing a professional service...or the 5
P's of marketing a professional service that you must follow,
in exact order, if you wish to be successful. For your target
clients, it could be that they don't know you exist or that
they have no idea what problems you can help them solve.
Ignorance can be bliss, but it won't get you more clients!
Stage 2: Consciously Incompetent. Now you're anxious. You've
become aware of what you don't know. Reading this article could
move you to this stage. Witnessing a colleague or competitor
win a contract that you missed out on could do it. For your
target clients, this could happen if you do a free or low-cost
assessment of their needs, or give them a short case study
illustrating other client successes that they've not been able
to achieve on their own. Bottom line: you're more motivated to
close the gap between your current state (in pain) and your
desired state (pain-free and successful).
Stage 3: Consciously Competent. Armed with new knowledge,
you're starting to feel more confident. With some effort,
coaching, courage to try new things, and small successes,
you're starting to get better results for your efforts to
attract more clients. It still takes a conscious effort to do
the right things, but you're on your way. For your target
clients, this stage means that they see "What's In It For Them"
to do business with you, are confident that you can solve their
problem better than anyone else, trust that you'll not let them
down, and see a clear path of action to get their needs met.
This is a good place to be, because it means there's a good
chance that you'll close the deal.
Stage 4: Unconsciously Competent. Like tying your shoes, this
is when it all feels natural and easy. You're probably here in
your chosen field of expertise. With the right approach and
accumulated successes under your belt, you'll get here in your
ability to attract more clients. Your target clients are here
only after they've gotten the results they want and can solidly
trust their relationship with you over the long haul. They
voluntarily and enthusiastically refer you to others. They
eagerly ask about and await your next solution or offer of how
to continue helping them. This is a blissful place to be and
will get you more clients than you ever thought possible!
Facing your "marketing reality" can be a tough pill to swallow.
To make this easier, give these things a try:
* Start with increasing your knowledge. Read some articles
about marketing in your particular field that you might not
normally bother with. Attend a talk or workshop about marketing
that typically wouldn't make it into your schedule. Expose
yourself to new ideas and fresh knowledge. A good place to
start is my free articles at:
http://www.turningpointemarketing.com/free_resources/articles.html
* Next, pick one new thing that you've learned and schedule it
into your calendar to try. Start small, get some successes
under your belt, and keep moving. Aim for one new marketing
action every week.
* As you start experiencing better results from your actions,
you'll notice a shift in how you feel toward marketing. It
won't feel like such a burden. It'll feel like a natural part
of what you do. It won't be "someone else's job." You'll
actually start to enjoy it (trust me, it can happen - I used to
HATE this stuff!).
* Be patient with yourself and with the process. You didn't
become an industry expert overnight, nor will you become a
great marketer instantly. If you really want the freedom to do
the work you love, you've got to commit to the life skill of
funding your passion for the long haul.
* Don't let naivet? or arrogance stand in your way. Marketing
is not about hustling, twisting arms, misleading, or shameless
promotion. It is about sharing what you know with the right
target clients, in a way that they can understand and see the
value for themselves in the good work you do.
A very wise and successful business professional recently told
me the key to his success: being willing to do the tasks that
most other people aren't willing to do - even if you don't want
to do them. Marketing may not be as difficult as your chosen
profession, but it's still a stretch for many of us. Your
willingness to try new things that most others won't, already
puts you ahead.
(c) 2004 TurningPointe Marketing, Inc. All rights reserved.
Marketing educator, Kelly O'Brien, is creator of the "Create a
TurningPointe!" Marketing Bootcamp. To learn more about this step-by-step
program, and to sign up for FREE how-to articles and 20-page marketing
guide, visit http://www.turningpointemarketing.com