Print (magazine, books)
● Nightlife (bars, clubs, casinos)
● And much, much more
You need to focus on how you, your company, and your product(s) are going to be found. How are you going to stand out against all of the noise from all of those different sources? You have to have a focused strategy, with a beginning, middle, and end in mind. I should probably mention here, early on, that I am a Franklin Covey Certified Trainer and Facilitator and continuous student of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I have adopted the seven habits into my personal and professional life and frequently apply these principles to all that I do. You will hear me mention these habits from time to time as they have become deeply rooted within me.
How Do I (You) Get Found?
First, you must begin with the end in mind. You know that you want to be found, but have you put enough thought into what it is exactly you want to be found for? What are your visibility goals? What is it specifically that you are trying to accomplish? What is your purpose? This is very important to acknowledge, for without a clear purpose, you have no guidance and without guidance, you cannot control where you are headed. Frankly, almost any road will get you there.
I suggest you take out a notepad or open a new Microsoft Word document and take some time to answer the following questions. These questions will get your mind set in the right direction and assist you in understanding how far on the path of visibility you currently are. Keep in mind, the only difference between where you are now and where you want to be is what you do. You already have a great product or service, or maybe you are the product – you just lack the roadmap to becoming visible. So, let's get those brain juices flowing and structure your end in mind.
Be specific, not generic, and make sure not to spread yourself too thin by trying to push too many services in one shot. By spreading yourself too thin, you risk diluting your relevancy and your potency, and furthermore, you risk taking away from your core competency. Chances are, you've probably heard the disparaging phrase “jack of all trades, master of none.” While I am not implying that just because you are good at multiple things (notice I said “disparaging”), you cannot possibly master one or more of those things, I will say that it is my opinion that spreading your focus can have an adverse effect. Also avoid being too generic or vague. You need to find balance and a niche, and work on solidifying your existence within that niche. A rule of thumb I live by and a concept that will be introduced to you here shortly is “be careful of distractions disguised as opportunities.”
I am going to provide a few examples that may or may not be the line of business you are involved in, but the basic principles may and can apply. In fact, many times you can grab nuggets from other industries and experience major success because you are doing something completely different from your competition. It provides your audience with a fresh perspective. A lot of times I see businesses that are trying to keep up with the big fish and mimic just about everything that they are doing. They are constantly in a state of exhaustion (physically and financially) because they are trying to keep up. It's important to be unique, a leader, a trend setter. Sometimes all it takes is a little risk to try something outside the box, and the payoff can be extremely rewarding.
If you are, for example, one of the following:
● Car salesman. Instead of thinking of yourself as just a car salesman, be specific. Do you sell new or pre-owned vehicles? If you sell new, then what franchises? Do you have the desire to represent a large dealership, small dealership, independent store, or large dealer group? Do you make an effort to work with law enforcement and military members? Or maybe you focus on or would like to become more active with being the go-to person for colleges. What is your personal primary market area (PMA)? If you sell pre-owned cars, what do you stock the most of, or what are the most requested pre-owned vehicles in your market (by brand and model)? Do you have certifications? Over 60 percent of Americans suffer from poor credit – do you specialize in credit needs?
● Singer. Instead of thinking of yourself as just a singer, be specific. What genre of music do you consider yourself? Pop, R&B, hip-hop, rock? It is no secret that there are many different types of singers and voices that range from power vocalist to gangsta rappers. There is obviously a big difference in style with a completely different audience base. The iconic Bruce Lee once stated, “I am all styles, I am no styles.” This point of view may work well for a martial artist, but as a recording artist, you want to stay loyal to what your fans – or audience – are expecting from you and in turn willing to purchase. Too much diversity will only confuse them.
● Speaker. Instead of thinking of yourself as just a speaker, be specific. Are you a trainer? Are you a facilitator of a specific course? Are you a subject matter expert? Do you specialize in workshops, seminars, or webinars? Or maybe you deliver only keynote speeches? What is your niche? Are you a motivational speaker, technology speaker, or a sales expert? Do you utilize a talent to deliver or solidify your message? As a Certified Speaking Professional with the National Speakers Association, I have had the privilege of sharing the same space with some of the world's top speaking professionals. Most recently, I was honored to be introduced to Erik Wahl, a fantastic graffiti artist and the author of Unthink. He utilizes the art of painting to deliver his speeches, awe his audience, and leave behind a real masterpiece. Another amazing speaker, Dan Thurmon, known as a dynamic keynote speaker, peak performance coach, and the author of Off Balance on Purpose, utilizes the art of comedy, coupled with juggling and acrobatics, to deliver his message. He guarantees a flipping good time, literally.
● Restaurant owner. Instead of thinking of yourself as just a person that owns a restaurant, be specific. What type of food do you specialize in? Is there a specific food you are famous or recognized for, or want to be? Do you have a secret recipe? What location are you based out of? Are you in the city or the suburbs? Do you have a single location or several locations? What are your demographics? What type of environment do you want to create – an upscale one or laid-back, cozy one? Either one will work, but it's important to the overall mission of the organization to have clarity. What type of clientele would you like to attract? Are you looking to attract a younger crowd, older crowd, families, or a mixture? Will you hold special events, like karaoke night or “kids eat free” night? How involved in the community are you or would you like to be? Do you have a theme? I recently threw an event in Dallas, Texas, and used Eddie Deen's Ranch as my event location. With its ranch-themed location resembling something out of a Clint Eastwood movie, with bull riding, square dancing, and BBQ-style cuisine, it does a great job of giving you that true Texas experience.
● Martial arts school. Instead of thinking of yourself as someone who just owns a martial arts school, be specific. What style of martial arts do you specialize in – Jiu-Jitsu, karate, judo? What is your specialty? Is it training law enforcement/military, kids' classes, or women's self-defense? What town or city is your school based in and how far can you draw students from? Answering these questions allows you to create a specific focus. I discuss this in later detail as we progress on our visibility journey.
● Real estate agent. Instead of thinking of yourself as just a standard real estate agent trying to sell properties, be specific. What kinds of properties are you trying to sell? Single homes, family homes, condos, apartments? Are you interested in acquiring homes too? Do you or have you considered flipping houses? Are you represented by a major real estate agency? Can you use its brand and credibility to perpetuate your individual credibility and brand? Is your only focus to sell properties, or have you considered selling home warranties as an additional source of income? What type of networking/referral systems have you built? Do you have relationships with home inspection agents or termite inspection agents? Do you focus on building relationships with real estate attorneys or homeowner insurance companies? What about landscapers, carpenters, and home builders? If not, then you are missing out on major opportunities. Think about it. You can build a strong referral business in all of these different areas. To get started, you can search for local companies in your area that fall within the categories of service mentioned earlier. Make a list of them and their addresses, and deliver a box of donuts and a box of joe along with