For many business owners, the “last straw” moment comes when…
A marketing coach says, “People don’t know how great you are.”
A client exclaims, “I had no idea you could do all these great things.”
A prospect blurts out, “Are you sure you’re really good enough to do this?”
Often the reason is related to what I call FOB – Fear of Bragging.
The truth is, your clients want to hear how good you are. They want to brag about you.
After all, don’t you like to tell people, “I have the best dentist in town?” Or, “My accountant is amazing – very smart and he’s easy to deal with.” Or, “My financial planner just saved me a bundle – he told me to get busy and refinance the house.”
I learned this from one of my early clients. Right after my first book came out, I was mostly doing career coaching. One client said, “I saw your book in the bookstore and thought, wow – I am working with her!”
Business bragging doesn’t mean you describe yourself with big adjectives.
In fact, the worst thing you can do is describe your business as “amazing” or “fabulous.”
Here’s how to make it happen.
(1) Share your success stories.
Everybody promises they’ll take your business to the next level. You show how you actually deliver on your promises. Here’s a light-hearted example for an imaginary success coach:
“When Jenny called me, she was having trouble relating to her bosses and colleagues in her job. She knew her next promotion would depend on her people skills.
“Jenny had worked with other consultants who advised her to sound more upbeat. Some even told her to think like a cheerleader. But that wasn’t Jenny’s style. I helped Jenny learn techniques that felt comfortable to her.”
“Almost immediately Jenny reported feeling more at ease in her work environment. Within a year she was on track to a promotion.”
You can learn more about success stories in my kindle book on Amazon, Grow Your Business One Story At A Time (no need to buy a kindle – and it’s free to members of Kindle Unlimited).
(2) Get other people to brag for you. Use testimonials to build credibility exponentially.
Your client says, “Hey, I really got a lot from your service.” That’s your signal to move fast.
Many happy clients are delighted to help but don’t have time to write out a testimonial. So draft up a quote for them.
Sometimes you’ll offer a sensitive service, where you’ll have trouble getting clients to offer signed testimonials. When that happens you could consider writing more success stories and case studies.
Here’s a free infographic that helps you – and your clients – write testimonials that sell.
(3) Show how your past accomplishments will allow you to deliver higher quality service to your clients.
I always encourage clients – and everybody! – to avoid sharing personal stories. However, you can certainly share experiences and qualifications that show you’re well-qualified to offer your services.
Here’s the key: When you make a statement about yourself, imagine your audience responding with, “So what?”
For example:
You spent 20 years in the meanest company in corporate America. You are uniquely qualified to coach executives who face unreasonable demands.
You’re a CPA with a hobby of oil painting. You can relate to clients who are artists – or wish they were.
Your unique 3-step process will transform home offices from chaotic to calm. Your clients see results faster than those who use standard methods (and they are happier, too).
And discover the best way to brag about yourself with this short course – Tell Stories To Build Your Personal Brand.
Thank you so much for sharing knowledgeable information, nice article.
You are so welcome! Thanks for stopping by.