It’s Hard To Know What’s Real, Isn’t It?

When I published my first book, it was like starting a new business. The publishing world was new to me, and I was excited to get my book out to small business owners because I knew it would help them. The book was based on real-life client situations – marketing that actually worked with a real business client – and I couldn’t wait to get it out there.

Then I encountered the problem facing so many business owners today – how do you know what’s real? I know my book is real because I lived those experiences. But how does someone who might buy the book know that it’s real? How does an organization that might onboard the book for entrepreneur clientele know it’s authentic? How do you know what’s real?

The Detective Hat

I look at a lot of websites, and I explore a lot of learning opportunities. I don’t always get it right, but I’m starting to notice some similarities with legitimate offers, and some similarities with offers that don’t quite meet the authenticity test. Here’s the list:

1. The promise is too high. If the offer makes a promise that makes it seem as if you have won the lottery in finding it, it’s not likely to be legitimate. Business growth doesn’t happen overnight; it happens with a commitment to change and steps to implement that change. Nothing sustainable and worthy is instant. If you’re promised an instant result, you’re likely headed for no results at all.
2. The supporting proof is suspect. Look for things that a legitimate company would establish as part of their marketing strategy: an email address that is not a generic service provider (i.e. gmail, yahoo, etc.), a website without a physical address, a physical address that, when searched, doesn’t actually lead to a real building, no personal way to contact someone, a search history that doesn’t return results, and so forth. Spend some time learning about this person or company and look for the proof that supports it being legitimate.
3. The social media dilemma. Anyone can be a hero on social media, but there are some ways to perform due diligence in determining value. If someone is selling a business service, they should have a LinkedIn page. With any social media, take a look at what they post and how they comment. Get a sense of this person to whom you’re looking to give your time and money.
4. Make a planned decision versus a reactive one. Trusting someone to grow your business is an important decision. While you might be hyped up about someone in particular, give yourself three options to choose from. See what all three offer and compare them across values that you have (i.e. easy to contact, good response rate, has worked in the area that matters, etc.) Learn a little about the service you want to onboard from different competitors in the space. You can make your decision and know you have two backups.
5. Read beyond the headlines. In content writing, the headline is important because it attracts a reader. Most people only read the first paragraph or two and then move on. When you’re evaluating someone to work with your business, read more than the headline and a few lines of text – see if there is depth to what they offer. If the copy repeats the same idea over and over in different words, there’s not a lot of depth there.

Use Your Own Experience as a Guide

If you own a business, you know that success isn’t instant. You invested time to get to where you are, and moving to the next level by onboarding help that can get you there is also an investment. My work with clients has often involved vetting other service providers, and you can learn a lot from taking the time to investigate their ability to be an asset to you. That time can save you a lot of money and frustration in the long run.

There are times when, despite your due diligence, you made a choice that didn’t result in the authentic service you were hoping to find. That experience can make you feel unsure of your ability to successfully pursue that service again. It’s natural to feel that way, but you can (and should) learn from the experience and use it to make a better decision the next time. (For more on this, see my blog post on How To Recover Quickly From a Marketing Miss.)

Real marketing drives business results. Keep focused on the solution you want and you’ll find the service that can help you get there.

Resources

Get thousands of dollars of advice in two easy books.

Forward Thinking for Your Business is geared to established businesses wanting to improve their marketing and is available on Amazon US and Amazon Canada, or contact Jennifer directly for bulk orders.

Forward Thinking for Future Entrepreneurs is focused on people looking to become business owners and who want to benefit from the advice of other entrepreneurs. Available on Amazon US and Amazon Canada, or contact Jennifer directly for bulk orders.

Work 1:1 with Jennifer. Email her at jennifer@fwdthink.ca or call 613-312-7824.