Hey Fabulous Clinicians,
As we keep rolling with the series of the Month of Marketing, I have a question for you:
What’s Your Marketing Style?
Nearly all of the health professionals I coach & mentor fit into one of the following categories, each with wildly different results.
Your approach to marketing yourself (which isn’t a dirty word by the way – it’s just the process of letting your ideal clients know why you’re the best person to help them) has a huge impact on the amount and type of work you attract into your business. It’s crucial stuff.
Do you see yourself in any of these types?
1. THE MOUSE
Mousey marketers come from a place of fear and scarcity. Easily startled, the mouse is afraid that there just isn’t enough to go around.
First sign of resistance or struggle? Off scuttles the mouse to lick its wounds, to emerge again some time later… only with more fear and hesitation.
The mouse just wants to feel safe and loved by all.
If you’re a mousey marketer, your critics are always on your mind and their opinions dictate your willingness to put yourself out there.
This comes across in your messaging, make no mistake about it: when you’re afraid to be yourself or share an opinion for fear of disapproval, and when you try to be liked by everyone, you are watering down your message and failing to show anyone why you’re worth investing in.
If you’re afraid, I’m afraid I won’t be buying from you.
2. THE OSTRICH
The ostrich marketer has their head in the sand.
“Can’t I just put up a website and leave it at that?”
“Can’t I just ask a couple of people to refer to me and never follow up?”
“Technology freaks me out and I don’t want to use it to get myself out there. I’m a people person, after all.”
“I’m not good at networking, anyway. I’ll just work on this blog post that will never be read by anyone except my sister because no one knows my practice or website exists.”
Or, even worse…
“I already tried that one time and it didn’t work so I’m never doing it again.”
While the mouse at least tries to step out, the ostrich shies away completely from anything that feels uncomfortable, foreign or new.
And you can bet that the ostrich will run far, far away from any of their previous efforts that felt a bit like a failure.
“Nope, I’m not trying that again. Look how bad it worked out last time!”
The ostrich likes to distance him or herself from their mistakes, bury their head in the sand and pretend like it never happened.
The ostrich seems to forget that anyone who does anything worth doing is bound to screw up at least a couple of times along the way.
And these mistakes are some of the best teachers you’ll ever get.
Lots of missed learning opportunities for the ostrich.
3. THE SKUNK
OK, if you’re a skunk, you are out there and you are proud about it. Good for you.
But I’m wondering, how’s that spray and pray approach working for you?
I think it kinda stinks.
Skunks have no problem with putting themselves out there but they seem to forget that you need to have a conversation with your audience instead of just dumping your latest service, content or product on them and running away with no explanation.
It leaves people confused and wondering why it suddenly smells kinda funky.
Skunks don’t take the time to discern the information about their audience that they need to move forward.
A skunk overlooks the importance of taking the time to learn about what the people they’re talking to are in need of, and how to best communicate with them to keep them engaged.
Nobody likes to be around the skunks.
If you’re a skunk, you gotta slow down and really think about who you’re talking to and why before you drop your important message on them.
It’s much less smelly that way.
4. THE EAGLE
Have you ever seen an eagle with confidence issues? Nope. Eagles don’t fish for compliments because they know that when push comes to shove, they have what it takes to bring in the goods.
The eagle is super clear on their purpose and their power. He or she goes out and gets stuff done with focus and clarity. Those talons are there for a reason and they are there to be used.
The really awesome thing about the eagle is their birds-eye view of the world. What’s the big picture? What really matters? The eagle knows the answer and is diligently working towards it.
Eagles have better things to do than wasting time doing bookkeeping or screwing around on Facebook – there are bigger fish to fry!
There’s even an old biblical metaphor about the eagle flying above the storm – the eagle rises above the spot fires and minutia because they are so assured of their purpose and their vision.
THAT is why nobody messes with eagles.
So… what’s your type? Do you perhaps notice yourself in more than one of these examples? That’s pretty normal. Even eagles aren’t eagles 100% of the time.
If you do see yourself in any of these types, here’s my question to you: how’s that working for you?
Here’s to your success,
____________________________________
P.S… want more marketing goodness so you can do more of the work you love? Register here for a free online training I’m running about how to know, apply and measure what works in your private practice marketing.
