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As one of my readers, you are probably a giver. You are used to giving support to others, but not accustomed to reaching out when you have a product or service.
If you feel shy about this, know that it is normal. It’s not your natural style to ask people for help, so neither is it comfortable for you to contact your network about your offerings. See if this reframe is helpful to you: You aren’t asking them for a favor. You are giving them the chance to receive help for their needs -- if they are an ideal client. Or, if they know others who need your offering, then you are giving them the opportunity to be a blessing to those they will introduce to you. 
photo from @rocknrollmonkey on unsplash.com
Certainly one of the best ways to gain new clients and opportunities for your business is to reconnect with your network.
(Remember: even your friends and family don’t really know what you do, or at least, don’t think often enough about what you do, to be able to refer business to you.) So it is a great idea to keep in touch with your network, maybe 1-3x a year. It can result in new clients. The problem is that when you reconnect with that specific agenda in mind, it can feel “off” to the recipient, and probably feels awkward and artificial to you as well. I recently received an email from an old colleague that is exactly the kind of email that demonstrates reconnection as a robotic tactic, rather than a genuine sense of caring... Here is the email:  Photo by Brittany Gaiser on Unsplash I haven’t gone to a networking meeting or conference in more than 5 years. Yet, I have a people-centric business (training/coaching/mentoring)… and it is thriving more than ever. Here's why I have never enjoyed in-person networking:
One of the quickest ways to visibility is when an influencer promotes your content or business.
Nowadays it's called “influencer marketing” and the way it’s usually done is to pay an influencer (such as a popular Instagram star) to post about your product, service, brand, or message. This can work if your product is proven to sell, and your budget for an Ad can be several hundred dollars (or thousands) to experiment with. There’s another way that is free, but requires more time: To create content that makes the influencer want to share it with their audience. Why would they? If you would love a business that expresses your soul -- and allows you to create a semi-retirement lifestyle -- consider this plan.
What’s possible with this plan:
Although this is called a 10 Year Plan, you might be able to speed everything up, depending on how effectively and quickly you can implement this... |
George Kao is a Marketing Coach for small business owners, especially solopreneurs such as Coaches and Mentors. He focuses on ethical & effective ways to grow one's platform and build true livelihood.
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