Does the world really need another “how-to” guide on building a successful business? Are you skeptical? The strategies in Book Yourself Solid are based on actual knowledge and genuine relationships.

 

It also debunks a few myths shrouding marketing and sales. Do you hate sales, or do you hate the unscrupulous client-snagging “hacks?” Book Yourself Solid teaches you a different way: honesty and efficiency.

Learning and Falling in Love

 

The first step of booking yourself solid is learning about yourself, your trade, and your interpersonal skills.

 

Michael Port starts the book with the idea of the “red velvet rope” policy, which entails finding the people who “energize and inspire” you as clients. Sometimes, offering your service to anyone with a pulse and checkbook is necessary, but it isn’t good for you or your business in the long run. The highest-paying clients might also be the ones you dread the most. Operating in this way keeps you from delivering your best work and undermines the value of your service. 

 

Who energizes and inspires you? The answer lies in solid knowledge about yourself. Here is the written exercise to help with the self-examination. Combine your red velvet VIP profiles with 1) your professional training, 2) the industry you serve, and 3) your passion; now you have a solid foundation. 

 

For example, say you’re an accountant passionate about filmmaking. You prefer to (or only) work for honest, quirky, and funny filmmakers. Only after this step can you go further into the system.

Getting Started – Center your audience

Never let anyone convince you that your expertise isn’t valuable. Every form of knowledge is practical to someone; you just need to find out to whom. In the book, Michael Port tells the story of a lovely lady named Susan, who has the distinct habit of giving scarlet-colored thongs to her friends as gifts. As such, they always asked her questions about intimacy, and so she started the Scarlet Thong Society, an invitation-only club that helps women over 40 explore their sexuality. (She didn’t think anything of it for over twenty years.)

 

Your knowledge, no matter how trivial or inconsequential you think it is, might be helpful to someone else, kindred spirits you find along the way. That’s ultimately what we seek: a sense of belonging.

 

After you gain substantial knowledge about yourself, getting to know your audience becomes the natural second step. Here are a few things to start with.

• The urgent needs of your audience
• One significant result you can achieve
• The benefits of your service (ideally 10X in return) – The return includes financial, emotional, physical, and spiritual. 

 

Answering these questions is how you make yourself relevant to your audience. Think big and deep, have fun with it,  and get help if necessary.

 

Marketing – Clarity and Patience

 

Now that you have solid knowledge about yourself and your audience, it’s time to let people know and attract the right ones to form lasting relationships with. That’s marketing. The rule of thumb is clarity.

 

Make it clear:

• Who you are
• What you do
• Why you do it
• A tagline (A catchy phrase like “Just do it.” Only it’s uniquely you!)

 

Clarity goes a long way. Later, when you make the “elevator pitch” or introduce yourself at an event, be clear. Develop three versions: short, mid-length, and long. Most importantly, be genuine and friendly.

 

The steps are straightforward retrospectively, but the actual process might differ. It might take you a week or ten to settle on something that truly resonates with you. It didn’t happen for Michael Port right away, either. 

Two Pillars of Sales – Credibility and Trust

 

Sales start with a simple conversation. Thus, networking, direct outreach, and referral are mandatory to grow your business. Speaking, writing, and online engagement is optional. Those activities are based on credibility and trust. 

 

You can build credibility by:

• Having a professional website
• Having a professional email address like yourname@yourdomainname.com
• Keeping your social profile(s) consistent with your professional image
• Having professional photographs and display them on your website and social media
• Having quality business cards 

 

Ensure you meet the basic standards of service:

• Quality (or the differentiating factors of your service)
• Tools and methods
• Responsiveness
• Credentials (Relevant to your business.)
• Client importance
• Appropriate Price

 

Then, learn everything you can about the subject matter. That’s the only way to become the authoritative figure you want to be,

 

Finally, be comfortable with the idea that you can get paid for what you’re naturally good at doing. Many people are unsure whether they should get paid for things they enjoy doing since they enjoy it so much. Well, can you imagine Martin Scorsese making movies for free? No.

Providing Value

What makes a sale worthwhile is the value it contains. Before your potential clients hire you, you’d like to show them you can provide value. Many service professionals have the innate desire to deliver value, but many don’t do so with intention and become irrelevant. 

 

So, be clear about: 

1. Who your target clients are.
2. What they are looking for.
3. Where they look for you.
4. When they look for you.
5. Why they should choose you.
6. How you want them to engage with you

Then, list five questions your prospects have. Provide in-depth and systematic answers to them. You can use various formats or venues, such as a report, a blog post, an e-book, or a free webinar. As your business grows, you can build a comprehensive subject matter library (HubSpot) or write a book (Michael Port) that is universally accessible for free or at a low cost.

 

If you need a fresh pair of eyes to examine your vast knowledge reservoir (like Susan in Book Yourself Solid), we’re always happy to help!