The Personal Touch

One of the most rewarding things about being an entrepreneur and a mediator is how you personally identify with your company. Since most of us are solo-practitioners we tend to feel tremendous pride in our practice creation. However, too frequently practitioners treat their practices in an officious and overformal way. Instead try treating your small business a little more warmth.

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you know I advocate that you never attempt to be something or someone you're not. Phonies don't fool many people for very long. Staying true to your nature almost always pays off in profits. You're not some multinational conglomerate or large bureaucracy. Take advantage of this fact and use the warm, friendly personality of your small business to your benefit. It has an endearing appeal that the 'big boys' would die to acquire, if they only could, and in fact an appeal that they spend hundreds of thousands of dollars feigning. So instead of putting on airs and pretending to be what you are not, put on a smile and get down-home friendly, figuratively speaking of course.

All the marketing dollars in the world cannot buy what you start out with, that friendly demeanor that comes with a new, small-scale entrepreneurial enterprise. Call it the corner store identity, or the 'mom and pop' atmosphere.

Call it anything you like, but take advantage of while you have it.

Begin capitalizing on your practice's small friendly nature, you can and should develop personal marketing habits, and make sure that you live by them, which also has the pleasant side effect of setting an example for your staff if you have one.

Remember that people do business with people they like.