I admit I’m a bit of an anomaly. Atypical. Abnormal even. And I’m okay with it. But I still hear the rumblings…. people who wonder “How does she do it?”
There are people who speak with authority about what I WON’T be able to pull off – because I’m, um…. how do we say it politely? Uninterested in conforming. (I forgive them. After all, they didn’t grow up listening to my Momma’s constant encouragement convincing me that I really COULD do whatever it was I wanted to do!)
The rumblings… most of which are spoken with a smile – and a disclaimer about how much they “love” me anyway … typically surround a few central “faults” of mine.
Maybe they think I’m not polished enough to secure clients in different regions of the country….
or not “spiritually enlightened” enough to appeal to a certain demographic…
WHATEVER!
The FACT is that this very “spiritually enlightened” crowd must tolerate me pretty well… because they make up about 35% of my client base.. and those “northerners” (lol…) make up a pretty large portion of my client base as well. But none of that matters.
See, these people weighing in on ME – and YOU (Yes, you have them too… regardless of who you are!) are missing the point. You see, the day I start practicing my non-regional diction and being sure that I FIT IN to whatever crowd I’m addressing is the very day I lose my marketing edge. It’s the day I can no longer stand out. It’s the day my message gets all mottled and I have to worry myself with questions that SHOULD be as obvious as my southern accent. Questions like,
What makes me different?
Why would a company hire me instead of the infinite # of coaches / consultants out there charging FAR LESS?
How can I create a strong BRAND?
You see, a strong BRAND is really a by-product of doing great, authentic business. (I know, I know… I just committed business 101 blasphemy… forgive me.) What makes me different shouldn’t have to be discussed, it should become obvious. And as long as I’m conforming to the crowd, people, my ideal clients will NEVER be able to spot me in the crowd! The same is true for you.
So, let’s talk about conforming. Truthfully, it’s a word that leaves me envisioning school uniforms and Stepford Wives, but how much is necessary for success??? At the risk of (again) over-simplifying this, I want to give you two simple, no B.S. answers:
1) NONE – no conforming of YOURSELF … of who you ARE … is necessary! Be who you are! Be courageously, authentically you! Always work on yourself, however. Always learn, grow, develop, refine. But, don’t ever consider becoming “bland” and non-descript. This “fitting in” mentality will work against you in business, I promise.
2) ALL – Conform your ACTIONS! Be sure that you align your BEHAVIOR with the actions and behaviors of those who are achieving the success you want to achieve! When your actions (far more so than your wardrobe or mindset or location or accent) align with their actions, your results will begin to align with their results as well.
NOW, on to a more important question. WHOSE actions are you modeling your own after? And – for business results – how do you know if they are making any MONEY or not? Ahh…. that’s a post for another day… and I have a SLEW of stuff (and some secrets) for you on THAT topic! =)
“What makes me different shouldn’t have to be discussed, it should become obvious.”
You nailed it, Michelle! If more small business approached their branding with this in mind, we’d see more small biz sustain the test of time. It’s no wonder 75% small businesses don’t last more than 5 years (at least not profitably). Conformity is hardly synonymous with a strong competitive advantage.