For many small businesses, determining the direction of a marketing campaign depends on the answer to this critical question: “Should I market what I do, or who I am?”
This is a challenging question, of course, because ideally you would like to choose both. Marketing “what you do” refers to advertising and promoting your services. In other words, if you’re a plumber, you’d advertise your ability to fix leaks, install water heaters or assist in remodeling.
Marketing “who you are” is about establishing your brand in the mind of your customers and your market. As a plumber, marketing who you are would mean establishing yourself as a reliable, high quality solution to plumbing challenges. It would mean emphasizing the qualities that set you apart from your competition, whatever those may be.
Selling is not for everyone, but paying customers is what every business needs.
You can create expert positioning by establishing yourself as an educator and advocate for your prospects success.
