How to Beat Imposter Syndrome
Episode 322: Show Notes
Today's episode is all about the required steps that you need to take in order to successfully sell what you do. That's right we are giving you the tools to really beat your imposter syndrome and beat it well! For the last couple of weeks we have been speaking a lot about where your clients are and how to find them, this is a big internal piece and it means getting over a big hairy monster! We also suffer and have suffered from this issue, so do not fear, this is the way to crack the code and move forward. We know you are doing this so no need to hide in the reeds! We see you convincing yourself if your work gets better you will get more clients and the reason you are not currently getting more clients is because of the quality of your work. It is easy to start thinking you should work for free or very cheaply and get into the churn of lowering your value, so that one day the glory gates will miraculously open and you will have arrived.
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You know this is not the world we live in! It is not like your portfolio does not have any say in your client base but so many potential clients out there are less concerned with your portfolio than you. Customers are not in your field and do not have as discerning an eye as you do, they are more interested in the experience you are selling. So we are here to tell you to stop selling yourself purely on what you have already done and how good you think you are, not everyone knows good from bad as well as you do!
How Most Customers Make Decisions
If you are struggling to find customers, take it from us, it is not because you are not the best. You can even be bad at your job! You know there is that one person who you see crushing it and making so much money but who also does not seem that much better than you at what you both do? This is proof that quality of work does not often match the amount of money you make. How is it that they are raking in cash and finding clients under every stone? What is the difference between you and them? Are they more competent? Here is the difference: they have learned the best way to sell their offer. This means switching what you are selling from the quality of your service to the experience of your service. You need to ask yourself how to show up as the unique person that you are and how to internalize the way you serve so people can see the value of what you are offering.
Stop Worrying So Much About Your Portfolio
We know the feeling, you don't like some of your old work because it does not represent where you are at anymore, but when you focus on making your portfolio a certain way you can start attracting only one type of client and losing out on lots of great opportunities. It's like when you finish school, no one really cares about your GPA! It can help with certain things but it is not the decisive factor in whether you get a job or not. In the end, you want the process of looking for clients to be under your control as much as possible. If you are selling only the quality of your work, all you can do is show it to them and they can decide whether they like it or not. But if you start focusing on the experience you are trying to promote there are so many things that you can do to try and sell your service. You can do all types of research that back up what your skills provide, you can present information on how the service you are offering can impact their lives. This means knowing the value of your trade and offering them this, as opposed to just showing them how good of a designer you are. Share these ideas with your clients, sell them on the idea of what you do, be yourself and show up! You need to be comfortable and you can never be comfortable if you are not authentically yourself in these environments. It feels good to be who you really are!
Your Unique Brain Is Your Strongest Tool
You can go and buy all the guides and how-tos for the skill you are immersed in, you can practice until your nose bleeds and you can try and live up to an exterior model that you believe is correct but in the end it will be inauthentic, disconnected and awkward if it is not really you. You need to focus on creating an experience for those you are working with and rebrand accordingly. This can make all the difference, trust us, we lived this in our early days! A great exercise can be to think about what it is that you are attracted to, what are you already like and what are your favorite parts of your process. This is why we teamed up in the beginning! Early on in our collaboration we worked on a campaign for a salsa company and it was just a dream, the process was so rewarding and fun and the passion with which we approached the shoot was so contagious, you could see the joy in the results!
Building Confidence and Momentum
Remember, results breed confidence and as you do more work you will hone your craft. This improvement will happen over time, so start easy and go from there. Once you have gained some experience you will start to be more clear and defined about what it is you need on the job. This coupled with enthusiasm and the passion with which you pursue your work will be so attractive to clients. It is the passion that light things on fire and will get your biz blazing. We promise that in no time you can have a bunch of happy customers singing your praises and spreading the word on your great service. We have been through the tough seasons and you have to learn from the difficult parts of the process but if you can make it through the rockier times you can step into your element and move onto great things.
Quote This
It's not about trying to be like anyone else, it's about discovering what you love about what it is you do and doing more of it.
Highlights
Most Customers and How They Make Decisions. [0:06:50.3]
Stop Worrying So Much About Your Portfolio! [0:11:36.5]
Your Unique Brain Is Your Strongest Tool. [0:19:38.2]
Building Confidence and Momentum. [0:30:21.7]
ON TODAY’S SHOW
Abagail & Emylee
The Strategy Hour Podcast
We help overwhelmed and creative entrepreneurs break down their Oprah-sized dreams to create a functioning command center to tame the chaos of their business. Basically, we think you’re totally bomb diggity, we’re about to uplevel the shiz out of your business.
KEY TOPICS
Selling, Clients, Imposter Syndrome, Experiences, Online Business, Skills
