I teach entrepreneurs and small business owners how to define their niche, find simple words to describe what they do, and feel confident when they express their brilliance. As a former TV and radio reporter for CBS News, my job was to walk into chaos, uncover the story, then tell it in 30 seconds. I was really good at it. I do that now with my clients so that they can find words that attract their ideal clients and earn da monies. My mission is that all people own and express their brilliance. The world is listening for you.
🗣️ A new way to think about marketing
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Hi Reader! I'm always thinking about how we present ourselves with words, what works, what doesn't, and how to communicate clearly so we can make an impact. I've noticed one of the top reasons people hold back on marketing ("I hate it!" "I don't know how to do it!") and struggle to attract clients may come down to a basic misbelief: We misunderstand the nature of marketing. Marketing isn't out to get you or make you feel bad. Marketing exists to let a specific audience know how we can help them solve their problem so something is better. FULL DISCLOSURE: I'm not religious and I don't quote Scripture, but occasionally stray bits of the Bible come to me (thanks, Catholic school!). I wrote this variation on St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians (people use it a lot at weddings: "Love is ..., love isn...") in hopes you'll find something that shifts how you think about marketing. Marketing is honest, marketing is sincere. It does not "boast" or "brag," it is not "selling." It does not convince others, it does not persuade. It is not about you, it is not easily hurt, it keeps no record of rejections. Marketing does not delight in fooling people but rejoices with the truth. It always honors the audience, always owns its real voice, always is consistent, always respects people's right to choose. Marketing never fails if it speaks clearly and strives to be of service. But where there is insincerity, it will cease to connect; where there are too many vague words and jargon, the message will be unclear; where there is clarity, confusion will pass away and the right people will say, "I need you." What thoughts or beliefs do you have about marketing that make it feel like a pain in your butt? |
Maggy Sterner Brand & Business Coach
I teach entrepreneurs and small business owners how to define their niche, find simple words to describe what they do, and feel confident when they express their brilliance. As a former TV and radio reporter for CBS News, my job was to walk into chaos, uncover the story, then tell it in 30 seconds. I was really good at it. I do that now with my clients so that they can find words that attract their ideal clients and earn da monies. My mission is that all people own and express their brilliance. The world is listening for you.
Hi Reader! You know what I love? Attending webinars and trainings where people talk about the problems they have in the area where I can help them. I attended a couple of webinars today about marketing and sales and realized - again - how hard it is for business owners to focus their niche. Both presenters talked about the importance of having a clear, specific niche and target audience. Here's one attendee's comment that I'll use as an avatar for anyone who's afraid to "niche down": It's...
Hi Reader!"How do I explain what I do quickly without over-explaining or confusing people?”. I hear this question constantly from my audience. Here's how Bad Bunny did it in his 13-minute Super Bowl halftime show. His performance was a masterclass in how to answer that question. In a tiny window of time, with millions of people watching on one of the biggest stages in the world, he communicated something simple using his native language, culture, identity, power: The power of love over hate....
Hi Reader! Every person who's ever hired me to help them find words to say that describe what they do wants the same thing: to sound "real," "authentic," and "like themselves" everywhere they market their business. Real words spoken from your heart connect with your ideal clients in a way that what I call "bullshit" words can't. It's like the difference between eating fresh food and anything made in a food factory. NEVER USE these un-real, ultraprocessed, fakey-fake words if what you really...