(Photo by DeeAshley )

The easiest thing about marketing your own business is that you’re the world’s expert at what you’re selling. The hardest thing about marketing your own business is that your prospective customers are not likely experts in understanding what you’re selling.

You know all the pros and cons of your offering. You understand all the detailed specifications and shortcomings. When you have a conversation with a prospective customer who’s highly educated about your technical expertise, you “click well”. They understand what you’re saying and vice versa. But unless you’re only targeting highly-informed customers, your marketing is likely off-the-mark.

Think of your marketing like dating. You first want to “get” your date. What are they saying? What are they needing in their life? How do they make decisions? Only after you “get them” can you focus on having them “get you”.

Japanese Zen Buddhism introduced the concept of “shoshin” (“Beginner’s mind”). Approach your marketing by thinking like a non-expert in what you’re the expert of. This will no doubt hard for you, since it’s been a long time since you’ve been a beginner in your field. But if you can convey your message to a beginner, someone who doesn’t necessarily know what they’re looking for, your marketing is likely to connect with your entire market.

Beginners may not have a clearly articulated problem. They just have a vague problem and are looking for an answer. Position your business squarely by clearly giving voice to what a beginner is needing to hear. You can then showcase that you’re not simply talking to beginners, but your entire niche.