Guest post by by Lisa Dolce, Right-Brain Business Plan® Licensed Facilitator,

For heart-centered entrepreneurs the words selling, marketing, and branding typically trigger the heebie-jeebies or all out panic attacks.

And why wouldn’t they? Our media is filled with in-your-face promotion, superficial slogans, and a plethora of gurus touting the next big miracle formula to getting customers.
It sounds like it works…but it’s just not our style.

So when the time comes to put ourselves out there, we slip into full-on avoidance mode: cleaning our desks, surfing the web, and spiraling into overwhelm. Not the best formula for business success!

Here’s the secret that I’ve learned: Traditional marketing doesn’t work for heart-centered entrepreneurs.

After years of wasting too much time and money trying to learn these approaches, my perfect customers still couldn’t find me. And when they did, it turned them off!

The good news is that you CAN market yourself in a comfortable, authentic way. You don’t have to suffer, feel sick to your stomach, or settle for less-than-ideal clients.
All it takes is a simple mindset shift…and a few strategic questions to launch your heart-centered marketing plan.

Ready? Here goes:

Instead of selling, start giving your gifts to the world.

Don’t persuade someone to buy your services or products. Just share your unique talents with them. (Doesn’t that sound so much more exciting?!)

When you switch from selling wares to sharing gifts, you stop cringing and get really excited.

Here’s a two-part process you can follow to make the transition easy. It’s a total game-changer!

Step 1: Identify your unique gifts and talents.

The clearer you are on what you offer, the easier it will be for customers to understand the immediate benefits of working with you. Use these questions to guide you:

• What do you do well and enjoy?
• What are you most passionate about sharing with others in your business?
• What impact do you want to make in this world?
• Do you help people do something they couldn’t do on their own?
• Do you give people support in some way that can significantly change their lives?
• Do you create beautiful products or experiences for people?

Step 2: Align your gifts with the language of people who need your gifts the most.
Survey some of your current ideal clients and ask them what problem you solve for them.

Incorporating your ideal clients’ language into your message will draw more like-minded peeps. Use these questions to guide you:

• What are the specific benefits that your customers will receive from your gifts?
• What need are you fulfilling? (What do they need to learn, know or do?)
• What are you helping to make better for them?

Any time you create marketing materials, use this process as your foundation. You’ll make it easy for dream clients to hear you amidst the noise of traditional marketing—so go ahead and shine a big bright light on YOUR gifts so the right clients can find you!

To learn more on how to package your talents and gifts, check out Jennifer Lee’s second book “Building Your Business the Right Brain Way”.

Lisa Dolce is a Small Business Coach, Start-Up Mentor and Licensed Facilitator of the Right Brain Business Plan ®. She helps heart-centered entrepreneurs bring together their brilliant ideas and beautiful gifts and talents to design, launch and grow their own profitable business.