Marketing for Solopreneurs

Confessions of a Recovering Self-Improvement Junkie

Got your attention, didn't I. Last week I read a post by Seth Godin, one of my favorite bloggers, called How to Read a Business Book. In it, he makes the bold statement that all business books are 95% motivational and 5% "recipes" for action.

He contends that the bullet points are not the point. That the people who get it understand that the book is usually about getting you to change your thinking on something, and with that, your behavior.

I agree. But I also think that many people stop at that motivational level and never get past just feeling excited and ready for change.

Or they think they need to read another book, listen to another speaker, take another class, before they are ready to put theory into action.

That was me. Yes, I was a self-improvement junkie.

It started innocently enough. I was entering a new field of writing: fiction. I took a year-long (excellent) course at the University of Washington. I attended writing conferences from Whidbey Island to New York City and in-between.

I bought dozens of books, scores of books, from Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones and Anne Lamott's bird by bird to Stephen King on Writing and inspirational masterpieces like Eudora Welty's One Writer's Beginnings. I enrolled in 8-week online classes with both Gotham Writers' Workshop and Writer's Digest. I hired a writing coach and mentor.

Now, I admit, I am a right-brained, random thinker. I am curious—interested in everything—and love learning new things. But it can be a curse. When it comes to writing, it causes me to produce rough drafts of dozens of stories but not complete many of them.

One of my UW instructors said about one of my stories, “You have a good start here---just develop it a bit. I don’t think you need to listen to more critiques or get any more advice. If you love this story, work on it. And finish it.”

And it began to dawn on me, this flaw of mine. I thought the answer was to buy another book, Listen to another expert. When really I just needed to apply the "seat to the chair" and work on my craft. Produce 10 pages a day. Apply all those skills I've learned.

I know people just like me. They buy business books like toilet paper. When they run out, they have to buy another one. Sometimes the book sits unread on the nightstand. Sometimes it is consumed but the ideas are left lying on their side, like dead soldiers.

You've been sucked in before. You know you have. The books on the shelf in Barnes and Nobles' business section. You know, the ones that call out, "Buy me." "No, buy ME!" You rub the spine of the book and tilt your head sideways. The catchy title lures you. You lift it from the shelf.

The front inside jacket promises you that you'll double your sales using these five easy strategies. You pull out your credit card. Maybe this is the one. After all, it was on the NYT best-seller list for 12 weeks.

What's to prevent this one from joining all the other dust-covered business books lining your shelves? Well, for a start:

1. Read beyond the title. Editors work very hard to come up with that universally appealing book title. And sometimes it has nothing to do with what the book is actually about.
2. Figure out who the book was written for. Will it have direct applications for the business you are in?
3. Identify what you need. I have bought "big idea" books myself, but sometimes you want real-world applications, too. Look for books that will help you with a current issue or problem.
4. Be sure it isn't another repackaged, flavor-of-the-month book. It's true that there is nothing new under the sun. But still, the author should give you some different ways of looking at a common concept or challenge.
5. Ask your business colleagues and friends for recommendations. Opinions may vary, but if everyone says a book is a waste of money, maybe you should listen.
6. Take the book to the next level. Join a networking group's book club or just get together with a couple of colleagues and go through the book together. It keeps you focused (and reading) and the group discussions can help you apply the strategies to your business.

My resolution as a recovering self-improvement junkie is this: buy fewer business books and get more out of the ones I do plunk down the credit card for.

A couple of years ago I sat in the auditorium at the Whidbey Island Writers' Conference. New York Times best-selling mystery author Elizabeth George was delivering the closing keynote address.

She's the writer famous for the quote, "A lot of writing is simply showing up."

That day, she threw out a bombshell. It made my writing instructor and coach, sitting two rows ahead of me, glance back at me with that kind of I-told-you-so smirk-smile she gets.

What George said to all of us: You don't need another book. There will always be another book. Just get out there and do it.

I glared at my coach. But I walked out of that room— and the conference— without another book on the craft of writing. You see, I am a recovering self-improvement junkie.

What Do You Do Again?: A Blogger's Show and Tell Part II

In Judy's last blog post, she spilled her guts...and now it's my turn. Whether you like it or not, here is the good, the bad, the ugly.

Hi, I'm Bob (Hi Bob). You see in my photo that I have a coffee cup. Not a prop there, but a triple, dry, nonfat cappuccino. Yes, I love coffee and it's not just the "Seattle" thing. I started drinking it with milk when I was a kid at home. Year's ago, before espresso was the "in" thing, a friend of mine, when we were bartending, made expresso in a cast iron pot over heat. Seriously wired!

Speaking of, yes, I could make a mean margarita, mai tai and long island ice tea. Back in the early days of bartending I managed clubs, played bouncer, poured drinks to 6 deep at the bar, and stunk like cigarettes.

I like to read. A lot. Books are piled on my side of the bed. I often make the mistake of buying a book a second time. I like comedy. Funny movies are the best. Anything (almost) with Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler, Steve Martin, Woody Allen, John Cleese. Saturday Night live from the 70's and 80's. Monty Python. Laughing till tears run down my face and I have a case of the perma-grins.

I love animals, all animals. Found the love of my life. Enjoy good wine and dry vodka martinis. Can't help but nibble on any kind of cheese. Can almost name any song from the 70's in a few notes. Would still love to own a Miata. Able to do a great imitation of Roy Orbison's growl (or purr) in Pretty Woman.

I do like computers. Technology is my friend. I admit I am a Crack Berry. Learned computers way back on a Radio Shack TRS (trash) 80. Finally get social media. Would like an iPhone if they come down in price. Love Macs, don't like Windows.

I have a hard time saying no to nonprofits. I love to listen, don't talk so much. Not much of a sports fan, but can handle watching football. I bite my nails, sometimes move my lips when reading, and get indigestion from one of my favorite foods, nachos. I have a terrible singing voice, but have often been told I should have been a DJ or minister. When I was a teenager, I had hair down to my butt, now I don't want it even touching my ears.

I like to work, but probably do too much of it. Am pretty good with a camera, and have an eye for print design. Fairly intuitive when it comes to most technology, but lousy with numbers. I like to build relationships and gain the trust of our clients and customers. I'm honest, straightforward and despise BS.

I want to keep working, meet great people and never grow old and stodgy. Will continue to reach out to all new technology, try my best to relate to anyone, any age, and not become an old fart. And if at all possible, someday still learn to play the harmonica.

What Do You Do Again?: Show and Tell for Bloggers

James over at the Men with Pens blog wrote a post a few weeks ago that got me thinking. He said that readers still ask him what he does for a living. They know he writes great blog posts, but, really, what's he all about?

Most blogs have an "About Us" page. This is the place most of us try to give our readers some sense of who we are, I mean who we really are.

But people are impatient. If they click on it at all, they may read only a few lines before something else pulls them away. I'm one of those fickle, click-crazy readers myself.

So I decided to clear things up, right here and now:

Hi. I'm Judy.

I love words of all kinds. When I was in kindergarten, I could recite every one of my classmates' names, in alphabetical order and syncopated rhythm, from Georgia Bushnell all the way to Andy Zooka. (I still remember their names. That's pretty scary.)

I write ebooks and website copy and how-to articles and e-letters and newspaper and magazine articles and children's stories and, yes, blog posts. But I couldn’t write code for websites if someone put a gun to my head. I am working on two other writing pieces now—a middle grade novel and a memoir.

I'm crazy about new ideas, especially creative ones. I spend too much time going down "what if" paths, which are incredibly fun but suck up great gobs of time.

I like black licorice, the smell of crayons, and the sound of foghorns. And rain. I really love rain. I know. It's weird.

I know every line of the movie The In-Laws by heart. Not the remake, but the original—the one with Peter Falk and Alan Arkin.

I am a writer.

Bob and I started this cool Internet business called marketingyoursmallbiz.com. We can help the solopreneur whose last e-mail sales letter bombed. The person whose ad got not a single new client. The small biz owner who wants more customers but doesn't want to sound like a used car salesman.

I can give you more ideas for promoting your business in one month than you can possibly wrap your brain around. I can give you practical, downloadable marketing takeaways to make your life easier. Things like sample press releases, advice on how to hire a copywriter, and the thirty all-time, best words to use in headlines to get sales results.

Oh, and I can give you a monthly e-zine packed with more information on the very best marketing trends and strategies. I also know how to juggle. And I can say, "Four knives will be sufficient" in Swahili.

The one thing I can't do is play the harp. I guess I never got the hang of making cappuccinos, either. Or shooting one of those bright colored balls into the corner pocket. Those three things. Everything else I can do.

I write …

Because I don't know anything about nuclear physics. Because I can't put the melody and chords together on the piano. Because I tried waiting tables and I always dropped the trays. Even spilled a strawberry milkshake in some poor guy's lap once. I write because helping solopreneurs succeed is what I care most about. Because writing brings me joy when I find just the right word to make a piece shine like the paint on a brand new Jaguar XK.

My customers are…

That tired mortgage planner who just wasted three hours on the Internet looking for information on writing ad copy that sells. That event planner who found a great article (or was it a blog post?) on getting new clients with word-of-mouth strategies but can't remember where she saved it. The home-based "mompreneur" who can't afford to join the Chamber of Commerce but needs to improve her networking skills. People who want advice from someone they can trust. Someone who isn't trying to hook them in just to sell them way more expensive products.

Next on my plate...

I'm joining Bob with balloons and hats and those crazy whistle thingies to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. I'm going to try to move from three- to four-ball juggling. I'm going to biznik.com's two-day BizJam and indie party in July. I'm going to write three more e-books and try to stir things up more on this blog. And I'm going to brush up on my French so I can order cheese and a bottle of the finest red when we visit Paris.

And you?

Are you ready to tell me who you are?

Renton BizSchool - The Lights Came On

Yesterday I presented at a day-long biz school for startups and small business owners. I was fortunate to have these presenters accompany me. Dan McComb - Biznik.com; Merry McNutt - McNutt CPA, Pamela Ziemann - Ziemann Enterprises, Jim Rosemary - New Tech Web, Karen Waddington - Beyond Marketing, Elizabeth Paulsen - Cascade E-Commerce Solutions, Jim Kallenberg and Zev Siegl with the Small Business Development Centers.

I always find it rewarding to teach these kinds of seminars, especially when you see a light on come in someone's eyes. Every one of the instructors presented at no cost, and each one walks out knowing they helped someone.

It is interesting putting together these events, as it has always been a bit of a challenge to get individuals to attend. Some of them may not understand that they need this kind of information— or may be a bit reluctant to admit that they need it. But the people who attended the BizSchool yesterday were eager to learn, serious about their need to "run their own business" and willing to listen. Because of the attitude of both the presenters and attendees, the event was an unqualified success!

But most importantly, I believe that we presenters always learn new things as well. Even though we may be "experts" in our fields, someone always comes up with a question or idea that pulls you out of the box and gets you thinking in a new way. And for the presenters, that's when the light goes on for us!

What a Middle Schooler Can Teach Us About Relationship Marketing

Bob and I were at the annual Ahead of the Class Excellence In Education Awards the other night, an event that has never failed to touch me deeply in the eight years we've been a sponsor.

The local Chamber of Commerce organizes this event, helped by lots of business owners who have a tremendous sense of community. The coolest pastor in the city was the emcee this year and leaders from many segments of the community turned out to celebrate our best and brightest teachers: the board chair of the local hospital, the president of the college, city councilpersons, school board members, the school superintendent, teachers, parents and students.

I have to admit that I have a passion for education. I have been a teacher and know just how much heart, soul and energy goes into every single day in the classroom.

One of the awards that night was given to a high-spirited team of middle school educators. Something the school principal said as he introduced this team of 6th grade language arts and social studies teachers struck me.

He asked us to recall our own middle school selves, or those challenging days when we might have been parenting one.

He talked about how special the middle schooler is, how unique. But he also said that as a principal, he is still amazed at how many times he stops a student in the hall and says (and he pointed his index finger to his temple as he said it), "It might be better if you just keep some of it up here. Maybe think before you open your mouth?"

Of course this broke the audience up because we all know how 13-year-olds think, talk, behave. They are transparent. And yes, sometimes they can be downright weird.

I got wondering, though. In this day of relationship marketing, where it's all about coming out with who you really are, being authentic, being unique and not trying to be someone you're not, would being more like our middle school selves be so bad? Wouldn't being more spontaneous, less canned, make us more real to our customers? Would being "a little weird" kill us?

Or would it maybe attract the right kind of people, customers who are weird in the same way we are, who fit our niche perfectly? (Yes, I'm getting a little Long Tail-ish on you here.)

So much energy goes into trying to be something we're not. A little more of "this is who I am and this is what I feel, and this is what I'm passionate about" will not only help us find the work we were destined to do. It'll help us connect with the people we were supposed to be working with all along. And it'll make us real to our clients and customers.

Try it. Call your middle school self and see what happens.

Invite Bruce Springsteen, Mick Jagger and B.B. King to Your Next Networking Event

The other day I hosted a lunch for a few people in my networking group. These events are fun and provide good opportunities to learn more about each other. The agenda is usually quite predictable. Each biz owner gives their two-minute commercial. After that, it's food and causal conversation.

Typically, when the time for introductions comes, the host will ask people to answer one of these questions:

Who's your ideal client?
What do you need right now?
What makes you, your product or your service unique?

You get the picture. (Yawn.)

But because I enjoy mixing things up, sometimes I like to ask different kinds of questions, ones that give everyone a peek at the real person. When this happens, the "elevator speech" goes right out the window. (You know, that comfortable sentence or two that you could say in your sleep?)

What often comes out is the part of someone that truly makes them unique—memorable. And because the new way of doing business, especially for the solopreneur, is being transparent and letting your colleagues and customers see the real you, these new questions are great tools.

At lunch that day, I asked: "You are looking for a new business partner. I take you into a room where three people sit: Bruce Springsteen, Mick Jagger and B.B. King. Which would you choose as your new partner and why?"

I could sense a little uneasiness as my friends realized they had to let go of their canned commercials. But their answers were unique, funny, and good clues to their personalities. One picked Bruce because he understands the concerns of common folk and comes across as honest and open. Another chose B.B. King because he identified problems and showed that he understood peoples' challenges when he sang the blues.

Interestingly enough, no one chose Mick, although someone did say, "Now that guy knows how to market himself!"

How much better we would get to know each other if we took the time to ask the right questions. So, I'm already thinking, what will I ask next time?