Free Marketing: 101 Low and No-Cost Ways to Grow Your Business, Online and Off

PART 18

ACTUALLY, YOU ARE SELLING YOU

I believe that we are entering into a new era of customer expectations. Fewer and fewer people are willing to be sold anything. Prospects are still buying things to be sure, but the resistance to being sold anything has never been higher. Just ask any car salesman that has been in the business for more than 15 years or so about the changes that he perceives. Customers used to walk into a car showroom and seek out the most knowledgeable sales rep so that they could educate themselves on the features and benefits of the different vehicles. Today customers walk in knowing as much, if not more, about the vehicles than the car salesmen themselves.

The only way to distinguish yourself in an environment where prospects are already hypereducated is to be the most helpful and authentic company and individual that you can be. Facts are no longer closely guarded secrets that can be used to impress your customers. Facts are instantly available on Google and freely distributed.

The easiest way to be truly authentic is to recall the old Sunday school lesson of putting others before yourself. If you truly keep the best interests of your customers and prospects in mind when dealing with them, you will be rewarded both financially and with the knowledge that you have been truly authentic and helpful in your business efforts.

After that, get comfortable sharing online the stuff that makes you who you are. You don't have to expect everyone to agree with you or ...