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What’s your problem?
11 April 2007The kids are on spring break this week (and the weather’s freezing).
So we were watching a movie the other night, Spirit, about a mustang stallion and his unbreakable spirit. At one point, Spirit gets captured by the “white men.” His mother comes down the hill and sees him all tied up and Spirit urges her to go, so she won’t be captured too. Reluctantly, with a heavy heart, she turns and runs back up the hill to safety.
I am moved. As a mother of three boys, I could empathize with Spirit’s mother seeing her strong young stallion laying on the ground immobilized by ropes. “Oh no, Spirit has been captured,” I lamented to my son.
To which my seven year old responded, “Mom, it’s ok, every good movie has to have a problem. Just wait, Spirit will overcome the problem. If there weren’t a problem to get over, it wouldn’t be a good movie.”
Indeed, if we are truly living this life and taking risks, we will encounter problems. Every great protagonist must overcome the problem. If the problem is not overcome, the story becomes a lesson of what not to do. If the problem is overcome, the story becomes an example, inspiration for us all. Spirit’s story is that of a strong spirit that never gave up, despite being captured twice, he never succumbed to captivity. He eventually broke free and regained his freedom.
What’s your problem? Is it figuring out how to market your mediation practice?
Or maybe you now know how to market your practice… but you aren’t yet doing any of the marketing.
Maybe you get “busy” doing all sorts of things and aren’t following through on the three simple things you know you want to do.
I have to admit, sometimes I spend too much time on the “technical mastery” side of continuous learning and growing (which is good and necessary) but it must also be balanced with ongoing continuous marketing activities.
For example, maybe you have gathered a list of emails from attorneys you’ve mediated with and have not followed up with them with a free article or a newsletter, or individual emails.
Maybe you have been meaning to put your website together and haven’t yet written the copy.
Maybe you have a generic website that is an example of “me too marketing” and you need to ask yourself, “why would someone hire me?”
I’m thinking about branching out into a new mediation niche and I’m asking myself, “what is the biggest pain or problem of the people in this niche?” If I were someone with this problem, what benefits would I be looking for, what qualities in a mediator would I be attracted to? What do I most care about? Is it years of experience in a particular field? Or is it someone who is sensitive to the intense emotions of both sides, or the power imbalance. Is it someone who will be tough on the problem but not the people. Is it someone who will not quit and will hold out the hope of resolution even when the parties feel hopeless?
Hey, you know you don’t have to guess. You can ask people. It’s called market research. Some say it’s overrated. Even if it’s soft research, it can provide great clues as to how you can best serve your ideal clients.
So, what are you waiting for? Is marketing your problem?
Have you started with the basics? e.g. a market segment (geography, specialty, demographics etc.)
Have you identified how you can reach your target market?
Have you thought about what their biggest pain or problem is?
How are you going to provide them with valuable, educational materials to market yourself?
Here are some ideas:
1) Put together a group of 3-5 core articles (that educate your target market)
2) Gather case studies
3) prepare a talk or presentation that can be your “free workshop” to invite people to
4) Do a website (more on this later)
5) get experience any way you can and collect client testimonials
6) Begin to identify potential champions in your midst (see prior post on cultivating champions)
Take baby steps every week.
and then,
NEVER GIVE UP!
You can overcome your problem. Be an example not a lesson. Even if along the way there are many lessons, in the end you can triumph if you persist.
Committed to your success,
Kristina Haymes
Posted in Keys to Inner Mastery, Marketing Strategies, The Inner Game of Success, Practice Building Advice, Coaching Corner
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January 8th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
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