Is it time to reframe your marketing mindset?

If you find marketing your business difficult because it feels unnatural for you to ‘blow your own trumpet’, ‘sing your own praises’ and generally champion what you do – it may be time for a mindset reboot.

We have reached a point in time where increasing numbers of people are becoming self-employed and setting up their own businesses, so more and more of us are having to learn about effective marketing.

In parallel, we have also reached a point in time where people are less open to being ‘sold to’, through broadcast promotional messages and publicity. We can now use adblockers and watch streamed media to avoid seeing products and services being shown to us.

Increasingly, we want more in-depth and personalised relationships with the providers of things we want to buy. We don’t want to be treated as a faceless ‘consumer’ who just represents a walking wallet. We want to be appreciated for the people we truly are.

So marketing has had to shift in response – and this could be to your benefit as well as your clients or customers.

Because we need to move away from one-directional broadcast publicity messages that shout – Buy my things! We’re a great company! You need this!

And move towards educating people about why what we have to offer is so great. Introducing them to new ways of doing things, that will be more beneficial. Show that we understand their problems, fears, dreams and aspirations. Explain how we can help. Be there to serve and support. Listen and respond accordingly. Because sophisticated marketing in 2016 is all about two-way interaction with our customers and prospective customers.

So next time you feel uncomfortable about marketing, promotion, publicity and sales – remember that your customers and prospects probably feel the same. Stop trying to sell to them, and instead think about ways you can:

• add value
• share something useful or entertaining
• help people
• listen
• ask questions to understand them better
• educate, inform and explain options
• help people make a decision to buy from you