Sell Yourself Without Selling Out

The Ultimate Guide to Building Your Celebrity Status Without Going Broke, Getting Laughed at or Burning in Hell For It

 

Colin Martin

 

Copyright 2011

 

Who is Colin Martin and why should I listen to him?

 

I have been running my own businesses for almost 25 years. I have owned a recording studio, been an independent record producer and built a successful gift-ware company with my beautiful wife. I then moved on to Internet Marketing, working side by side with Tom Antion in his Great Internet Marketing Retreat Center in my hometown of Virginia Beach, as his righthand man and Marketing Manager. I was critical in helping him create the Internet Marketing Training Center, the only dedicated Internet marketing school in the country. I have built dozens of money making websites with hundreds of products for sale: e-books, CD's, training systems and membership sites. I have written 4 how-to books and a novel.

I have a passion for helping authors and small business people realize their dreams of entrepreneurship, but more than that, I care about authors finding their audience. Books and ideas shape the world we live in – the world my son will grow up in and raise his children. A dawning of a new age is on the horizon and I will stand with each author, seer, idealist and dreamer until the message of change has taken hold, and I will not give up on you.

Visit a few of my websites:

The Self Help Business Center The Millionaire Marketers Club Colin's Blog

And see testimonials from some of my biggest fans.

* * *

To go beyond the standard fees in your industry whether it be as a public speaker, author, coach or consultant, you have to create celebrity in yourself. When people Google your name or the name of your business, which they often do before they hire you for anything, there better be thousands of results. Have you tried it recently? Why don't you try it now? Are the results as good as they should be? That's what I thought....

There are many factors as to why a particular business, online or offline, will not be profitable and go under. Marketing yourself has everything to do with the success of your business. No matter what industry you are in, the competition will be so great as to have your head spinning around or worse yet, you get disappointed and disillusioned with your endeavors and give up. There are too many factors that keep good people from getting their message out to the people that need to hear it. It's a crying shame, but it doesn't have to be...

How would the world be different if authors such as Deepak Chopra, Tony Robbins, Wayne Dyer, Stephen Covey and Louise Hay had given up just before they ever got published? Others would have come along, you may say to yourself, but how would you know? Each one of these authors plus hundreds more have something in common: they understand how to market and make themselves the celebrity in their respective fields. They didn't become celebrities because they were beautiful. They worked very hard to get coverage and "virtual real estate." Just like a VISA card, they where everywhere they needed to be, when they needed to be there.

Each one of these authors took to making themselves known in many different and varied ways. Some used radio, some used television, some used their web presence and some even used charitable events to show the world who they are. However they did it, and there are no limits to the creativity of building celebrity, I believe the world is a better place for it. Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield, authors of the "Chicken Soup" series, never turned down a radio interview no matter how small the market. They were not only marketing with strength and conviction, they knew that a small market never stays small. Word of mouth can spread like wildfire just below the surface of your perception. You will never be completely aware of how many people listen to a broadcast, how it may be spread around, discussed at the water cooler or recorded and distributed by MP3 or podcasts. Small is the new big.

Let me share with you something personal.

At the time of this writing my son just turned 17. He is going out into the world very soon without my guidance, without my protection. As sad as this makes me, I know that I have to trust him to see the signs in the world that will lead him in the right directions; to take action when educating himself about the correct actions to take. Without me there 24/7 to hold his hand, where will he learn the ideas and concepts that will shape his decisions to do the right thing? Sure, his friends may have the largest impact: his girlfriend, his teachers at college or his boss at work. These people may create a large impact because he will simply see them everyday.

But there are other things he will see everyday as well.

I'm talking about books, articles, Youtube videos, television shows, television talk shows, infomercials, reality television, newspapers, speakers and presenters at school, radio talk shows and the multitude of media exposure that we all are in front of constantly. We are all influenced by these factors everyday and the things we see and the people we see on these outlets shape the very thoughts of our decisions, whether for good or for bad.

As a business person with a message, you can have access to all of these outlets to get the word out. It doesn't matter what kind of business or industry you're in, there is someone in the media or at a search engine or in a bookstore looking for the information that only you can provide in your own special way. Ok... there are more people out there with the same kind of information. But I said 'in your special way.' Yes. You are unique. Your particular message is as individual as you are. Don't waste it on these “Celebrity Killers” as I like to call them:

• Not feeling ready
• Not feeling attractive enough
• Feeling like your topic has 'already been done'
• Being scared to expose your opinion
• Feeling as if it will cost too much
• Not knowing what to say
• Not knowing where to start
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Saying to yourself 'No one will want to pay to see me'
• Believing that you're not worth the money
• Stage fright problems
• Video fright problems
• And a host of other issues that are very real....

We will be going through each one of these issues and identifying the sources and finding the solutions to these limiting beliefs that you and I have both been through and still go through. These aren't just issues in building celebrity. They can keep us from being even remotely successful, keep us from getting our message out, finding our voices and even limit the personal relationships we have with our spouses, children or friends. If we fall prey to these beliefs in ourselves, they will affect far more than just our businesses.

Marketing yourself to the top of your industry means exposure. It's being in all the places someone of your expertise and stature should be.

 

Let's go.

 

I'm Not Ready

Keeping thinking this and you never will be. I've seen countless experts hold back valuable training that people need right now because they never feel ready enough to present forward. There is only so much that needs to be in place for you to begin, and for the most part, if you have been practicing your discipline for any amount of time and consider yourself an expert on a topic, you're ready to present it to the world. Especially if you have been charging clients a fee for your services, as far as the Internet is considered, you can move forward into blogging, writing, appearing on radio/television and speaking engagements and publishing your website.

If you have written a book or are in the middle of writing it, you're ready for promotion on every level. Do not wait until the book is published to start your marketing. It takes time to get the ball rolling:

• Websites take time to get good search engine placement no matter what anyone tells you. (There are shortcuts, however)
• Getting booked for a speaking engagement is great, but the speech could be months away.
• Many guests get a call from a television producer only when something newsworthy in their topic comes up. If your name is not previously on file as an expert they can call on, it will be too late to contact the producer. They will have found someone else to air in a pinch even though you may be the ultimate authority, just because you waited too long.
• There have been many authors/experts appear on major shows when their book is not yet finished.
• You could have cases of books sitting in your garage getting ruined from mildew while you are waiting for these marketing efforts to start rolling.

Promotion starts today. Period. If you have an idea and are serious to accomplish it, you are ready to promote it. Here are just a few of the things that you can do to get started:
• Make promotional videos talking about your topic. You don't yet have

to have a book or product completed, just put yourself and your topic out there and start getting views.

• Building friends and followers on your social networking platforms. Create a buzz of potential customers just by networking and expressing your thoughts/opinions.

• Use those friends/followers to read parts of your book or use part of the training system to give you reviews and feedback. If this is your first big product, you're going to want to know how people feel about it before you invest too much time.
• Build up written, audio or video testimonials from those folks who have reviewed the book or system so they are ready to go for your product launch.
• Use articles, videos and blog posts to drive internet traffic to a web page where people can sign up for a free chapter. This will build a list of potentials when it's time for the product's release.

All these things take time, and the time to start is now. Just like a game of chess, you should be thinking three moves ahead of where you are at any given moment. While in the middle of writing your book, you should be putting the finishing touches on your website, booking yourself for speaking gigs and have avast array of written and video material ready for launch. By the time the book or system comes out, you should already be preparing the related spin-off products for creation: DVD's, workbooks, membership sites and personal coaching.

I'm Not Attractive Enough (better known as “I don't look like a star”)

Ok. So you're not the most attractive person in the world. So what. Not every well known personality is the finest physical specimen (see Dr. Phil, Wayne Dyer, Neale Donald Walsh, etc). I'm not saying these people are unattractive, I'm simply noting that their fame had nothing to do with their looks. They are master marketers. And here's a piece of advice: There are millions of very attractive people who have contributed very little to society; who are unhappy, bored and confused about their direction in life. Being beautiful does not give you an automatic advantage. There are very talented people who have written books, but have no idea how to sell them, whether they are gorgeous or not. It's the person who knows how to market themselves, who knows how to reach the masses – those are the people that will rule the world.

Marketing is the secret that builds fame, that builds exposure and builds wealth. Sure, being attractive will help. But it will not guarantee success. As I stated earlier, there are millions of people who are attractive, but very few know how to become master marketers. Master marketers leave the rest of the world begging for their next product, their next move.

That being said, you do have to be aware of image when building your business. This can be easily overlooked when you're caught up in working so hard and preparing yourself for launch. Putting time aside for image work is critical to success, not just because you'll look better, but it will re-enforce your expertise in the minds of your clients. Every business or discipline has a corresponding look, feel or image to the general public. In other words, you have to look the part. So, it's not attractiveness that counts, it's the image and confidence level of your business that matters. Dr. Oz is attractive, sure. But there are three important things that subconsciously slip through when people see him: He's a real doctor and knows what he is talking about, he wears a white lab coat even when he's on a television show and he's on television shows. People believe he's the expert not because he's handsome, but because HE believes he's the expert and didn't make excuses. He put himself out there. He is a master marketer, unafraid of success.

Take the time to read and learn all you can about the image you want to convey. Keep in mind what others in your field are wearing, how they carry themselves. You don't want to be a copycat, but they have already established the 'industry standard' for the image at hand. It goes for rock stars, athletes, lawyers, writers, CEOs, you name it. Investing in an image consultant is a good idea or at the very least, get a few good books on the subject. Get advice from other people in your field and from family and friends. Keep in mind image 'musts': Career appropriateness, age appropriateness and the level of comfort for yourself. It must be genuine or people will see through it. You must feel good about how you look to convey the confidence level of a master marketer.

If you have ever read a book about dating (I didn't read one of these books until I was 40 years old, following a divorce), they'll tell you this: if you think you have to wait until you lose weight, grow more hair, get a better car or make more money to start dating, you'll never be ready. They are just excuses that hold you back from finding the right person for you. The same goes for marketing. Excuses, as you'll see from the rest of this book, are the number one reason people don't succeed in marketing or selling themselves. In fact, I dare say it's the only reason. Any other reason can be easily overcome, but self-doubt is the death knell of selling yourself. If you don't care, I don't care.

My Topic Has Already Been Done

When I was a professional musician back in the 80's (yea, I know. I was in 'hair band' and now I'm practically bald), writing songs was a scary endeavor. Its not because it wasn't fun, it's because we felt that every song had been written. You know that same three chord progression: how many different combinations can there possibly be? Imagine if the Beatles had given up on writing music because the same three chords to “I Saw Her Standing There” were too similar to a thousand other songs by blues artists – 1, 3, 5 and 1. The world of music wouldn't be the same. I spent many unproductive years of my musical career feeling uncomfortable and getting nowhere because of the excuses I made: every song sounded like someone else's, I couldn't find an original message, I couldn't find an original hook. I was too engrossed in worrying about what everyone else had done to just go for it: to just play what I wanted, how I wanted and let the originality find its own way.

I'll never waste my time with worrying about that again. If you believe that every topic has been written about and every avenue explored, you better give up now because there's no hope for you. Topics, and how you look at them, are as unique as each of us. Because no one else has lived the exact same life as you in the exact same way, you have a unique perspective. Other people (think customers), only see things the way they do from a single perspective: their own. It's a cool saying – “Walk a mile in someone else's shoes,” but you can't. It doesn't work that way in reality.

You can only see things from your own perspective; how you grew up, what others told you, how you react to words or actions and your natural biases. Every other perspective is potentially new and original to them. Yes, most topics have been covered, but not in the way you see it.

In the world of marketing, identifying a twist in a topic is the goal. There are a number of considerations when looking for twists:

• How has the news about the topic changed the way people see it?
• Has the topic evolved from a negative to a positive or vice-versa?
• How has public opinion changed about the topic?
• How do the events in your life make the topic more unique?
• How have you used the topic in your life as a benefit?
• How have new scientific breakthroughs or inventions changed the topic?
• What other elements of the topic can be altered? (time, intensity, shape)
• How can the idea be used outside of its original intent?

No matter what you are writing about: weight loss, natural healing, psychology, raw foods, happiness, there are new ways of thinking outside of the box and twisting it into something unique. Think about how many lines of thought have been written about happiness alone. From Aristotle to the Secret, no one can predict the new ways that an age-old subject can be twisted. Remember this: there are new generations of people born everyday. From the perspective of these young people, just thinking of some topics for the very first time, it's all new. Take parenting for example. When I was a kid, Dr. Spock was all the rage. Was there anything he didn't cover about parenting? But as time goes on and new influences come in and out of our lives, there is always something new to add to an old idea.

And many topics are time sensitive. Most people never think about parenting advice until they have a baby, then it's all of a sudden the most critical thing on their minds. They will go online or to a bookstore to seek information, and more often than not, they don't go after the older information such as Dr. Spock. They will seek out the most recent or modern information they can. Times are always changing. It's marketing that puts those resources into the hands of its customers. Again, it's what they see on television, what they hear on radio and what websites come to the top of search engine results. It's not by chance, but by strategy and technique that these resources become available to the customer's needs. Marketing is the strategy of matching consumers to the information they need.

I'll give you one example. Weight loss is always a hot topic. But twisting the other elements in a person's life that are important creates an even hotter topic. “Lose 30 Pounds in 30 Days” takes the pressure off of the actual diet plan and addresses another concern, time management. Some people have a limited time to lose weight such as wedding date or bikini season coming up. A twist like this takes another important concern of theirs and focuses on that instead of just another low-carb theory. Customers can be attracted to a title of a book for a ton of reasons, as long as you address their additional concerns.

If you believe that there are no new topics to write about, it's time to give up now. Don't waste your time writing a book you don't fully believe in. This is not the time to second guess yourself, your customers or human existence in general. You maybe smart, but you're not that smart. What time is it? It's time to get out a pen and paper and start writing down all the unique ways that your time-tested topic can be re-written with your unique perspective in mind.

This may not be the most popular excuse for not writing your book, but it is the most irritating to people like me, who know just how valuable your take on the things really are, and how badly people need to hear your unique perspective. It's lazy and selfish to think there's no room for you and that it's all been done already.

I'm Frightened to Expose Myself and My Opinions

I'm not a psychiatrist and I'm not fully sure what this means on a deeper level, but I do hear this excuse often. I guess I'll try and tackle it here. I'm don't want to go in a whole dissertation on how your parents told you to be quiet growing up or that your classmates laughed at you when you gave a book report in eighth grade English class or even your spouse currently telling you that your opinion is 'stupid' or doesn't matter. I've been through all of that myself – we all have to some extent. The focus needs to be outside of yourself and your fears and directed at the millions of people that you could help create better lives for themselves, if you would just bite the bullet and do it.

You're an expert in something. Your talent should not go to waste. The element of fear about sharing has less to do with 'exposing' yourself and more to do with feeling as if you don't deserve it. I used to be a relationship coach just a few short years ago. Many of my clients were still looking for the 'one' not because of a lack of searching, but many truly felt they didn't 'deserve' to be loved, or to be that lucky. Beaten down by life's challenges and their parents telling them they were worthless, this created a guilt about creating wealth and abundance in their lives. Guilt about asking for what they are worth, guilt about being in the spotlight, guilt about having what others don't have. Even in marketing and business, just like in relationships, people don't feel as if they deserve success. I had a marketing client feel very uncomfortable about my helping her get a number one listing for her website on Google. I don't deserve that, she said. What about the other coaches better than me? I thought I'd never hear such a thing from a marketer, but it does exist.

Business, relationships: it's all the same.

Let's change our perspective on this just a bit. Let's take the word 'deserving' out of the equation and look at your duty. As a human being, you have been given many gifts. By nature, by genetics, by God – you pick. It doesn't matter where they come from, but they're there and for a reason. Helping others is not about 'deserving' at all, it's about your place in the world, your calling and your responsibility. There is probably no mystery in that everything you do has repercussions, you've heard that before. But so there is in not doing anything as well. I know this analogy may be a bit far-fetched, but you wouldn't just drive by someone who needed real help on the side of the road. You wouldn't ignore the pleas for help from a stranger drowning. But there are people drowning very slowly everyday. From drug abuse, from alcoholism, from obesity and depression. As an expert, where does your responsibility lie? How can what you know help someone in need? Is it really a stretch that speaking in front of a crowd, writing a book or appearing on television could save one life? I don't think so. It's what you may have been born to do.

Taking the first step can be confusing, but allowing yourself to take the first step is miraculous. It not only changes the life an another, but your own as well. Find the help from a mentor who knows what you are trying to do. Make it your goal to spread the word as far as you can. Every small deed and every small web page has the possibility to reach many people, you just have to take the first step. In the words of Sarah Mclachlan:

Into this night I wander, It’s morning that I dread. Another day of knowing of The path I fear to tread.

Don't make your calling and talents a path that you dread to walk upon. Stand proud and learn the tools you need to to succeed.

 

This Is Going To Cost Me Too Much

 

Benjamin Franklin said: “By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail.”

I could reprise the old guilt-ridden standard of “How much are you willing to invest in yourself?” into some new-fangled truism for the twenty first century, but I won't. That's because when money hungry gurus and get-richquick schemers want humongous amounts of cash to keep their boats afloat, I know far too many ways to create a master marketing empire for the smallest investment possible. I'm not tooting my own horn here, I just would rather make money and make an impact than nickle and dime myself into bankruptcy. Investing in your business is what it is, but it doesn't have to be a psychic drain on your expertise. There has never been a better time to be in business, in my opinion, from the standpoint of your return on investment on the internet. Reaching a world-wide audience is cheaper than at any other time in history.

It's not about investing in yourself, but preparing ahead of time for the tools and education that you'll need to succeed. When things start to click and take off for your business online, you don't want to slow it down by not having the tools in place to take advantage of it.

The main modes of publicity, those tools that expose your business to your potential customer base, cost time but very little money but more than that, take a simple understanding of how they work effectively and how these tools fit work together in tandem to build a solid unit of business.

• Sending out email inquiries for joint venture partners.
• Emailing blog owners asking to write a guest post.
• Sending physical mail to television and radio producers.
• Building your social networking platform.
• Distributing videos across the web.
• Submitting articles to major websites for publication.
• Commenting on forums and discussion boards.
• Responding to reporter requests at Haro.com and Reporter Connection.
• Crafting newsletters, adding affiliate programs and more.

All of these tasks can be accomplished in cheap and effective ways if you don't have the time to do it yourself.

• Overseas outsourcing firms ($5.00 – $7.00 an hour)
• Bid on per project tasks at sites such as Elance.com or Fiverr.com
• Hire a high school or college student a couple of hours a week.
• Hire an intern. Yes, solo entrepreneurs can hire unpaid interns to help them.
• Trade services in exchange for your coaching or pay them in products.

I ran across one business owner who let people help him out on his internet marketing in exchange for learning how to do it. For the student, it was like a poor-man's mentor program: getting the inside workings of marketing techniques in exchange for a few hours a week of online tasking. For the student who can't afford to join a marketing mentor program it is a valuable learning process and it's an alternative solution for the business owner who can't afford to hire a real employee.

And getting help is just the beginning. All of the programs you'll need to run your business online can be found for cheap to free. Many software programs are open-source, meaning that people create programs and let you download them for free in exchange for adding elements to the program, they may put advertising on the program or just may want a small donation. Here are just a few of the free programs I use everyday:

• Audacity – a free audio editor that can create a master CD recording for you. Record, edit, mix and master in .wav format.
• AnyMeeting – free webinar software that manages customer registrations, records the meeting for download and more.
• OpenOffice – a powerful Word style processor that I write all of my books and articles on. It comes with its own PDF creator as well.
• GoogleDocs – a free Powerpoint style presentation creator. Include images, videos and more.
• Vervante – send your audio files and Word documents and they'll make CDs, DVDs and printed books for you and ship them to the customer. They only c