It’s great to know that on occasion I inspire people. Inspire them, maybe, to pick up a camera for the first time. Or to try something new in their work, as one of my readers has recently told me. And, hopefully, I will inspire some of you to book a portrait session with me, knowing that I will deliver you not only some wonderful, authentic shots but a great experience to boot.
But inspiration comes in many forms. I have been Twitter friends with marketing supremo Kim O’Rourke for a little while, and suggested to her that she might like to write about the fear and doubt induced by the need to promote and market oneself, and waved my hand towards her as a possible case study. I am not a good self blowing trumpeter, and I love it when you good folks spread the word on my behalf; word of mouth is, after all, the best advertisement. However I realise that I need to stop hiding behind the parapet and learn to blow that trumpet a little louder. Kim wrote the following in her recent newsletter, and as i read it, it’s like she’s sitting right next to me, giving me a nudge. The following words mean the world to me, and I hope you get something from them too.
Are you scared of promoting yourself?
One of my mentors said a phrase recently that I hadn’t heard before. And that was “Step into your power”. It was one of those big “Ah-ha” moments, when a few things become suddenly very crystal clear.
When I’m mentoring my personal clients, I spend a fair proportion of time looking at their mindset, and opening their minds to the vast possibilities that their skills and passions allow them to do. If only they’d let themselves.
Everybody (and, yes, that includes you), has a special something to offer the world. Or rather, a special something to offer a particular group of people who only want you.
And if you hide your light under a bushel, then you are not allowing them to make their lives better through using your services. That means you’re denying someone else the chance for happiness.
Take Maryanne for instance (sorry Maryanne!). Her shots are stunning. If I were her, I’d be singing my talents from the roof tops! She has the ability to capture that special something in someone, and to make a person look stunning. So, she’s not just taking photos, she’s capturing the true essence of someone, showing them at their absolute best. And when people are shown at their absolute best, they become very happy! What a skill to have! (way to go Maryanne!).
If you have worked out your true niche in life, then believe me, you will step into your power with confidence, and be able to promote your services with complete authenticity and self assuredness that comes with knowing that you are offering exactly the right kind of thing to the right kind of people.
The fear of promoting yourself will be gone in an instant…rather, it gets replaced with an excitement of how many people you can make a difference to each day. And that’s gotta be worth getting up for?!
But…don’t rush. It can take a little time to get your niche right, and for it to then settle in to the right place for you. And you may find that over time, it shifts and changes course naturally. That’s perfectly OK. As you grow as a person, and your skills and talents become more refined and more aligned with your perfect clients and customers, you’ll find that you grow more in confidence and offer even more of the uniqueness of you to your clients. Allow that process to happen naturally over time.
A river starts as a trickle, then a stream. The stream flows into the river which becomes larger and larger before joining the sea. Along the way it meanders, goes round obstacles; cuts through things in its way; picks up debris…and then drops it again; allows us humans to play in it, wash in it, learn from it, travel on it and even have the courage to surf on it in some cases. And eventually it reaches the sea, and becomes the ocean in all it glory, beauty and power.
At no time does it stop to think about whether it should or shouldn’t. Whether it can or can’t. Or whether it’s allowed or not. For these are often the thoughts that are holding us back from promoting our business to the fullest. They prevent us from stepping into our glory, beauty and power. And those same thoughts deny all those people (our clients) the chance to have fun with us, learn with us, be themselves with us, and travel to their own destinations with us.
So, as we hurtle towards the last third of the year, are you going to remain a trickle where no-one can see you…or are you going to promote your business and allow yourself to step into your power, and in doing so allow your customers to step into theirs?
Trust in yourself, stick a large smile on your face, and go for it!
Have a great week!
Kim.
Kim O’Rourke specialises in helping professional business owners and entrepreneurs find their niche and then get the right kind of clients for them. You can download a free audio programme “How to Get More Clients, More Money and More Time for Yourself” and find out more at http://www.MerrieMarketing.com
The photos are of my precious boys, who are a constant inspiration to me. Ach, I love these photos, and they are soon to be made into B I G prints for my wall.
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Lastly, don’t forget to drop in a comment below. I love comments. They make me feel loved, and that might make me blow the trumpet a little harder. OK enough brass band metaphors already….
) xxxxxxxx
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