5 Points to Remember About Marketing Yourself

1. Differentiate yourself. Sometimes the best way to market yourself is to take the Star Trek approach: to go where no one has gone before. When my first book, State of the Art Selling, came out, I went out on weekends and set up book displays in local diners, video stores, dry cleaners, hair salons—places I knew business people patronized (as did I). What better place to display a business book? In a bookstore, my book could get lost on the shelf. But in the diner, it stood alone.

   Not only did I sell books from these local stores (with the permission of the owners, of course), I made many contacts for my seminar business—and all because I placed my product in unusual settings. Think about it—someone was the first person to look at a gas station and say, "All these people stop here anyway; why not build a convenience store here as well?" Think about how you might differentiate yourself in your own marketplace. Find an unusual niche for your skills and talents that will help you stand out and have less competition.

2. Expose yourself to different environments. It may be difficult to find your unusual niche if you don't learn more about the world around you. Most people don't realize that 99 percent of all great breakthroughs don't come from the industry you're in. FedEx wouldn't be in existence if it hadn't borrowed its check-clearing system from the Federal Reserve Bank. Ban Roll-On wouldn't be in existence if it hadn't borrowed the roller ball from PaperMate pens. Right now, outside your industry, there are new ideas and technologies that might take you in a whole new direction. A concept, approach, method, or technology that's as common as dirt in one industry can have a powerful impact if you're the first to apply it to your field. Go to seminars from different industries to find out how you might benefit those people. Join clubs or organizations where you'll meet people from a variety of fields and circumstances. Change your environment. Step out of your comfort zone and look for new networking opportunities. You never know what you might find, or whom you might meet.

   You are a product of your environment. So choose the environment that will best develop you toward your objective. Analyze your life in terms of its environment. Are the things around you helping you toward success—or are they holding you back?

   —W. Clement Stone,
   business executive and writer

3. Do the little things that make a difference. "The key is to plant seeds," says public relations executive Terrie Williams, whose clients have included Eddie Murphy, Miles Davis, and Janet Jackson. "I read everything I can get my hands on, and keep in mind areas of interest of people I've met. If I find an article someone would like, I send it with a note that says, 'I thought you'd find this interesting.' I stay in touch with people, even if I'm not sure I'll ever see them again. That's how I was able to start my business—this awesome foundation had been built, and I had amassed a really incredible network of contacts."

   I always send hand-written thank-you notes to people who have recommended me for business or have done a favor for me. Never underestimate the power of these little notes. They show you care and keep your name at the top of contacts' minds.

4. Practice bridging. If I find out that someone I know needs a job or help with a particular project, I immediately start to think about all the people I know who might be able to help. I get on the phone, set up a conference call with both people, introduce them to each other—then get off the phone and let them connect. I am "bridging" those two people, and it increases my value to both of them. I know that they will do the same for me if the situation ever arises. Bridging is the ability to pull people together to help them market themselves. Even if it doesn't benefit you at that particular moment, your good deed will come back to you in the long run.

5. Go to the top. Remember this—82 percent of the CEOs today have a background in selling. They appreciate what it takes to call people at the highest levels. When you're marketing yourself, your product, or a service, you can't be worried about calling someone just because of how "big" he or she is. Often, the "biggest" people have the biggest hearts and are more willing to hear you out. And people with greater authority often have less insecurity than those in lower ranks, which means they may be more willing to give you a chance.