Tell ’em what you stand for. Tell ’em what you stand against. Showcase your beliefs. It matters how you show up for people.
By: Jeffrey Bonkiewicz
Tags: Creativity, Marketing, Marketing Strategies, Sales, Executive Coaching

The 20 mile march to the new Promised Land.

State your beliefs in marketing. Tell people what you Stand for and what you stand against. Draw your line in the sand. People want something to believe in that is bigger than themselves. They want to be a part of a movement, a group of people marching toward a new Promised Land. They seek new opportunity to belong.

Do not be afraid to tell people what you stand for and what you stand against. Yes, you will divide people — that’s OK! This will make those who are for you even more for you, and those who don’t agree with you were never gonna buy from you in the first place. Polarization of the market works.

You’re giving people something new to stand for. Stating your beliefs is just like stating your values. And it’s OK to do it over and over again. Where you stand rarely changes unless there is a significant level of belief that changes. If not, just keep going. Keep marching. Keep giving. Keep being generous.

“It doesn’t have to be this way.”

Start with the problem your market has. Make a statement, “You know how [these people] have [this problem here]?” Identify the problem at the start. What is the conversation currently going on inside your prospect’s mind? What problems are at their top of mind? Then, simply state that you solve this problem.

Who do you help? Aim for Frictionless.

Show them case studies of people like them who you’ve helped. Tell good stories. Make them believe it is possible for them to take that next step. Sell them on the next step. Make it as easy as possible to continue with you. It has to be near frictionless to do business with you. It outta be frictionless and fun. Don’t forget the fun! Include the fun. Give valuable things away for their time & attention.

Always have something you can invite people to: a training; a contest; a giveaway; an epic fail story; a status boost; an exclusive Mastermind. Focus on being entertaining, helpful and useful, /and all about them and their stuff/.

While we’re on the customer journey, don’t forget to make them the hero. We in sales, marketing and Entrepreneurship, are the guides. The customer is the hero of this story. We’re here to help them succeed. Thus, customer success as a value. Without customer success, we’re nowhere, and our customers remain stuck in their problems. Zero customer success is lose-lose, the opposite of what we want. We want wins for the prospect, the customer and for us. And we want long-term relationships built around this success and shared problem solving. That’s what we want. And we want everyone to have fun and be engaged with us, creating value together. Dedicated a team to onboarding and customer success. It’ll be the greatest investment you make.

Don’t be afraid to push people away.

It seems counterproductive, even harsh, to push people away with your marketing, with your values. Stating, “It isn’t for you.” Is emotionally mature and creatively courageous. Your art isn’t for everyone. Your creativity isn’t for everyone. Your new app isn’t for everyone. Your book isn’t for everyone. Your web site isn’t for everyone. It is only for the people you seek to serve: /your people/. Do not think it is for the mass market, it isn’t. Certainly not out of the gate. The more targeted we can be early on, the better.

#Be more generous. Create promoters. Give.

This has been my theme of 2020 and will continue well into 2021. There has Never been a better time to be more generous with our customers and prospects. Get them involved early and often. Include them in your marketing. Do profiles on them. Help them tell their stories. Give away valuable things. Make them the hero of the story. Build them up. Celebrate them for showing up. Gift them time & attention & listening. Share your platform with them. Create the tightest relationship with them that you can. Make them your biggest promoter. One or two dozen promoters of your business will change your business. Our generosity should be as boundless as possible. Give. Give. Give.

# How you show up matters.

Don’t forget that how you show up matters. A lot. If you’re gonna show up as a jerk because you’re having a bad day, stay home instead. If you can’t muster the positive energy and anticipation today, that’s OK. Lay low. Wait until you’re renewed. Customers — everyone — responds well to positive energy and anticipation. That the future is bright. That we create the future together. That great things are on the horizon for all of us, even if the chips are down currently. It is always morning again tomorrow. We choose to celebrate that.

Be mindful of how you’re showing up for your prospects and customers. Because while they’re concerned about what kind of day they’re having, they’re not all that concerned about what kind of day you’re having. They’re concerned for themselves, not so much about you and your stuff. No. You get to repeatedly ask yourself, “How am I showing up? Who will I be today? How will I treat people today?”