The 6 P's of Personal Marketing
Unless you're using every advantage of Personal
Marketing , you're not achieving all of the potential success that is sitting
there waiting for you to grab. Personal Marketing means that you're
providing the right impression of your small business, right down to the
smallest detail. If you want to be more successful in all your various
endeavors- and especially in the case of a small business- you need to
know the six "P's" of personal marketing. These are a set of concepts
developed by business and entrepreneurship experts that give you the key
to unlocking your potential.
PERSONA
Who are you? What is your small business
all about? What kind of customer service do you provide? What
are your business values? What are you proud of ? What
makes you different from the competition ? These are questions potential
customers and clients must answer for themselves in a short period of time.
How they answer them depends not just on what you say or what kind of persona
you have managed to convey to them. Your policies, atmosphere, customer
service, integrity, and overall quality are all factors that you can usually
control. Your business "personality" has to shine through , so don't
waste time wondering if they'll like you. Simply be yourself and
they will.
POSITIONING
Everyone knows you have to be at the right
place at the right time and know the right people-right? While this
is true to some extent, more important to realize is that you can put your
business in the right place when the time is right and get to know all
the right people. Positioning is how you do it- and this simply means
you want to make sure you're always in the best position possible.
PACKAGING
Just like you make decisions about the
products you buy based on their packaging, so do prospective customers
and clients. They make a decision about your business as a whole
by the atmosphere you put forward, the quality the packaging of your specific
products implies, and the additional support, guarantees , and other peripheries
that you offer. When it comes to personal marketing, packaging is
a behind-the-scenes kind of preparation that's only really obvious if you
don't do it, or if you don't do it right. If you've ever wondered
how someone gets to be "the whole package" it's because they put
the time and forethought into all the little things that many others overlook.
Just a little attention to your own packaging can help you market yourself
much more effectively.
PRESENTATION
Just as important as making sure you're
"the whole package" is paying close attention to every aspect of your presentation.
Again, this is a lot of little things that can add up to a big impression-and
you always want to make a good one. It's an unfortunate reality in
today's world that appearances do matter, and they play a large role in
how prospective and current customers see you. Those who market themselves
effectively know that how you present yourself is of the utmost importance,
and it goes beyond just having a fancy exterior. Providing quality
service, standing behind your products and services, presenting effective
follow-up, and maintaining an overall professional and polite impression
are all crucial elements of your presentation.
PROMOTION
Perhaps the most important element of personal
marketing is promotion- shameless self-promotion. You know your business,
including its strengths, what makes it stand above the rest, what makes
it a good "deal" and what qualities you possess: it's absolutely crucial
you convey this to potential customers.
PASSION
Last but certainly not least in the concepts
that make up personal marketing is passion-for what you're doing, for who
you are, and where you're going. Customers are looking to know you-so
don't waste time trying to be something you're not. Instead,
let your passion- your enthusiasm and energy for the job you're doing and
the things you love-shine through and you're sure to meet with the kind
of success you've always dreamed of.
Remember, the key to effective personal
marketing is confidence. Don't be afraid to let others know what
makes you great, and why you're the best choice there is.
© Robert Moment
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