Came across a great post by Robert Middleton which hits upon a sore point for attorneys and other professionals who hit a wall when thinking about marketing or selling their own professional services. It’s in 2nd in a series of posts about 7 “marketing motivators”, things that compel people to do marketing. Some of those 7 however, are actually things that often turn professionals off from engaging in marketing activities; Robert writes:
“…All of these work to some degree or other, but the ones we tend to observe the most often – Greed, Competition and Selfishness are the most problematic. These motivations appeal to the lower parts of ourselves. And they are also very compelling. When we see others marketing their services from these motivators we are often easily seduced. We form images of money, success, and personal gratification that are very seductive.
And it’s not unusual that we form beliefs that this is what marketing is, what it must be for us to succeed. But for many, this is also a big gigantic turn-off. Therefore our only recourse, if we are to maintain our integrity, is to avoid marketing altogether…”
Which of course is a shame, since those with integrity are most likely to do a great job for their clients, and have services that are well worth marketing.
Susan Martin, marketing coaching for attorneys and professionals.
