It’s time for me to get off the fence about whether to have a Facebook Page for my business. I think I need to write a blog post to help me land on one side of the fence.

Perhaps by the end of writing this, I will have launched a Page that you can check out. Let’s see how it goes. I honestly don’t know yet as I write this line.

Reasons I’m Hesitant About a Facebook Page

1. Hello, there’s only so much time in the day. Obviously. I already feel spread thin.
2. I already interact on Facebook with business contacts via my Facebook profile. So, why add one more thing? Won’t people get confused, especially since my business name is the same as my name?
3. Separating business and personal feels false somehow. It’s all me.
4. Some people tell me they aren’t getting as much out of having a Facebook Page as they hoped.
5. Twitter, LinkedIn, and some local networks are already good referral sources for me and maybe I should stay focused on those.
6. I’m skeptical about how much longer Facebook will last given all their glitches lately. Hmmm.

Reasons I Want a Facebook Page

1. Practically everyone is on Facebook and I should go where they are.
2. I want my audience to have easy access to me in a format they are familiar with.
3. It’s fairly easy to set up and post to it on a regular basis, especially if I integrate it with what I’m already doing on Twitter and LinkedIn, using a tool like Hootsuite (highly recommended).
4. I’ll probably draw in new people and new ideas.
5. It will be a great learning experience especially since I help my clients with these things.
6. It could be a way for my Facebook friends to opt in to my business-related communications instead of my wondering if they want those updates in my personal feed.
7. I asked a few clients and colleagues and they think I should do it.
8. I believe in being heart-centered with communications and marketing, and Facebook feels like an opportunity to expand that.
9. What’s the harm in an experiment? Just because I start, it doesn’t mean I can’t quit if it doesn’t make sense any more. Somehow I feel locked in but actually I’m not.
10. Despite people claiming they don’t get much out of a Facebook Page, most of them are only adding an update once a week, but that’s not enough to matter. I could get more out of it.
11. I think I would like it. And enjoyment is an important factor. Give that 20 points.
12. It feels like the responsible thing to do to have a Facebook Page for my business, not just a profile with everything mixed together.
13. I’m about to host a free community workshop and I want a fun, easy way to stay connected with the attendees. Now is the perfect time.

Decision and Action Time

OK Val, you must admit those positive reasons are winning. I can feel myself starting to jump off the fence onto the side of experimenting with a Facebook Page. It finally feels right. Aaah, thanks for listening.

Now, I’m off to get it going and will be back with my link so you can see the result. <pause>

So, couple hours later, I’m working on my Page and I must say there are many glitches in their Page system. But I’m still plugging away. <pause again>

Ta Dah!

After some fussing, the Val Nelson Facebook Page is ready. I announced it to lots of Facebook friends and within a couple minutes, I have some fans.

The experiment has begun. I hope you “Like” it.

And You?

What are your Facebook Page deliberations?

Or, in a broader sense, what are you on the fence about? How are you going to get off the fence?

Please comment below.

Update: Two Weeks Later

It’s now May 25th, two weeks later, and I’m so happy with this experiment already. I have 131 Facebook “fans” and they are interacting with me in a much more visible (and “viral”) way than here on my blog. They’re also telling their friends about it.

I have made new contacts as a result and have a lot more buzz about my business and my blog. The first blog post I wrote after starting my Page was the most popular ever, thanks to Facebook.

All those positive reasons I listed above are coming true.

Whether you’re applying for a job, pitching your services to a client, or telling your boss why you need a raise, you need to be ready to tell your “accomplishment story.”

Think of a time when you were presented with a challenge and you did something that got great results. Be ready to describe the situation, the actions you took, the positive results, and why you are passionate about it.

Then keep it short and to the point and you’ve got an accomplishment story.

When you tell your accomplishment story, the listener’s eyebrows will go up in that way that says “Oooh, I need that!” People can relate to a concrete story better than almost anything else you say in that meeting. And when you include the passion, they really listen and remember you.

What Story Should You Choose?

Ah, of course you have many accomplishments, so which one do you choose to keep up your sleeve for those key moments?

Ideally, you’ll know what your favorite superpower is so you can tell a story that shows that off.

Don’t just choose a story you think they want to hear. Choose a story that describes the part of you that you most want to bring to the world. Something that naturally makes you smile.

Sample Accomplishment Story

I have an introverted business owner client who first came to me because she had felt stuck for years around marketing her business on the web. It felt too exposing for her.

So together we finished the final wording on her website to make sure it felt right for her and her ideal audience. I also gave her web designer some optimization instructions. Almost as soon as the website launched, people started calling and saying they found her in Google and loved her website. Business started taking off even in the midst of a down economy.

Now we continue working together on her other marketing needs, including finding ways to make networking more fun and effective for her. She’s more booked up than ever — and glowing more than ever because she’s doing more of the work she loves.

And I am thrilled about it because I get to be connected to her success at living her calling.

What’s Your Story?

Are you willing to tell us in the comments section below? At least give it some thought and try it on at home.

Has the critic in your head got a hold of you, saying you haven’t accomplished much? I don’t buy it! Don’t listen to that critic.

Everyone has accomplishment stories. For those who think they haven’t accomplished enough, your homework is to make a list of at least 10 accomplishments, big or small. Start with basics to get the ball rolling, like graduating from college, getting a job, getting your picky five-year-old to eat broccoli, etc.

I actually tell some of my coaching clients to write an accomplishment list every night because you can find something every day if you are paying attention! A simple list of three items each night can do wonders to quiet that critic in your mind. What a relief.

My new business cards came today. What a birthing process that was!

First getting the words just right (I had multiple smart and patient people give me feedback). Then getting the design just right (Jenn is awesome and patient too!). Then choosing a printer and forking over the cash (well, the Visa).

Front and back of my new card.

I admit I forked over a little more cash than I should have because I chose “rush” so I’d have accurate cards for a big event this weekend (PodCamp Western Mass 2!).

And all those steps say nothing of the agony of expressing your true self on a tiny card! Impossible of course but my brain was a bit too determined. (I’m sure you’re detecting my back sliding into perfectionism.)

There’s something about my business card that has plagued me for months. My friends can tell you. Have you experienced that?

For me, this particular card symbolized the rebirthing of my business, which is no small thing!

They’re Here!

So they arrived an hour ago. I was opening the package, all ready to jump  up and down to hold one in my hand and yell “They’re here, they’re here!” Why not? I love the design and the words and now I was going to have them in my hands.

Arrgh, the print job is awful! Did they run out of ink? Forget to sharpen the cutting blade? What the…? Seriously, this is not just the perfectionist in me. Well, 50% perfection, 50% them.

No jumping up and down. No yelling. Shoulders slouching. Damn.

Onward. I just submitted a complaint and asked for a reprint. (They agreed.)

Nonetheless, I’m going to share my excitement to be almost done by revealing them right here as an image. (If you can’t see it, view the card here.)

What is it about business cards? Even in a digital world, we still need that little something to hand over in real life that says “This is me.”

How do you feel about your business card?

If you fill out the Google user profile, you’ll see that alongside the blanks for your name and website address  is a blank for “Your Superpower.”

What would you put? If you don’t know, it’s worth deciding.

When I talk about superpowers, I’m talking about what makes you special. Everyone has something that makes them stand out. In order to excel in your work or get that job offer, you better know what makes you unique.

How To Find Your Superpower

You probably minimize your superpower because it comes so naturally to you that you could do it in your sleep. But other people struggle with it. What’s the thing you can do that seems so easy to you but that seems to amaze others? Mapping out a big project? Helping people feel deeply understood? (You have more than one superpower.)

Think about it. Better yet, ask others what they would say is a unique talent of yours. They can see it better than you can.

Another way to discover your superpowers is to take a personality test (such as Myers-Briggs) to see where you excel. For instance, if you find out you’re an introvert, you’ll learn how they are amazing at cutting to the heart of the matter.

I figured out my superpowers with my coach. I’ve decided to write my superpowers on the back of my new business card. Isn’t that what people really want to know before they hire you? They want to know “what makes you so special?” Be ready to tell them.

Clarifying your superpower(s) is a great way to define your personal brand. The buzzword for 2010 is personal branding. Branding isn’t just for businesses and entrepreneurs anymore, it’s for every individual who wants to earn a living.

My Superpowers

As drafted for my new business card, here they are:

• Uncovering and mobilizing your superpowers!
• Bringing our hearts to online and offline communications.
• Making networking fun – even for introverts!
• Getting to Aha and Aaaaah – today.

(Update: you can see the final list I used on my business cards here.)

Your Turn!

Are you ready to say what some of your superpowers are in the comments box below? It’s OK to tell us. It can be a brief rough draft. No one will hold you to it. Try it on.

And  for extra credit… now that you know one or more of your superpowers, consider whether you’re using them to their potential!

Recommended Resources About Personal Branding

• Book: The Anti-Resume Revolution (2009) by Angela Lussier
• Book: Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? (2010) by Seth Godin
• Blog post: Personal Branding for Introverts (2009) by Andrew Hedges

Resources for Discovering and Activating Your Inner Superhero

• Quiz: Which Superhero Are You?
• The Personal Productivity Encyclopedia of Superhero Powers (2008) by Matt Cornell

Helping professionals, healers, artists, introverts, and many others are often convinced that it’s just not in their make-up to promote their services or talents. They often tell me they feel “too fake” trying to sell.

If it feels fake or like “selling,” stop. Because you’re not doing it right. Fake is a turn-off, not to mention it’s draining for you.

The same part of you that loves to help or create something beautiful is exactly the part of you to bring to your networking and marketing. Here’s what to focus on instead of “sales”:

• Be helpful. (Good marketers give first.)
• Whatever you say, speak from that heart-centered place of being so excited about what you do. Imagine that painting you created or the power of seeing your patient recover, and then tell people what you do, from that place.

Being your true self is enough; better yet, it is exactly what you need to do to be successful.

I love this related thought from a hero of mine:

The power that gives you your gifts is also going to give you the power to share your gifts with the world.

Tama Kieves, author of This Time I Dance

]]> http://www.valnelson.com/heart-centered-marketing/stop-selling/feed/ 10