Say Goodbye to Ms. Imposter Syndrome

How many times have you been working on a project, feeling motivated and making progress, when Ms. Imposter Syndrome pays a visit? You know what I’m talking about, right? That voice in your head that starts second-guessing you. The one that says, "This work isn't any good. No one is going to be interested and no one will ever buy your stuff! Everyone's going to know that you don't know what you’re talking about," and so on. Has this ever happened to you?

If so, it ends today because we’re going to put that nasty voice back in her box!

I want to ask you something: Would you ever speak to a friend the way you speak to yourself when you do this? Of course you wouldn’t. Because you have a big heart and want to help people, that’s why you’re so passionate about your business. If you wouldn’t speak to others that why, then why do it to yourself? You deserve your own kindness and your own respect. You’ve worked hard and you owe it to yourself to celebrate your wins, not focus on your worries. We all have fears that we aren’t enough or that our work isn’t enough. But what I would like to ask you, is to focus on your progress and how far you’ve come. Think back to where you were 6 months ago, a year ago. Hasn’t so much changed? Haven’t you had so much learning and growth? The sales will come…

I know that Ms. Imposter Syndrome can have a lot to say, but when you’re new to the entrepreneur game, one of her favourites is, "There are so many people who talk about what I talk about and sell what I sell. They all know so much more than I do, why should anyone listen to me?" Lets address this with two reasons why your dream clients want to hear from you.

First, there may be other people out there who sell what you sell, but none of them are you. You are unique. Only you can do things in the way that you do, with your individual approach and methodology. You will attract the people who resonate with you and who empathize with your style.

For example, there are lots of people who teach digital course creation, from idea to launch and everything in between. When I was ready to create a digital course, there was no one I wanted to learn from more than Amy Porterfield. I think that she’s amazing and her approach really works for me. I love that she teaches step-by-step, and I love how she's so generous with her time and her content. This could be the I Love Amy Show, but the reason that I'm mentioning it is because her particular style and characteristics are the things that appeal to me.

Someone else may want a totally different system and methodology. Maybe Amy’s style wouldn’t work for them even though she’s hugely successful and a big star in the online world. Maybe the right person for them is someone else entirely with a small following, but a message that resonates with them. Do you see what I’m saying here? There are so many different people selling things in different ways, but there's only one you. Your style, your personality, your methods will resonate with the people who are meant to buy from you. You are the only person doing things your way.

Second is the 10% rule. Do you know about this? To teach something successfully, you just need to be 10% ahead of the people that you are serving. You don't have to be the ultimate expert in a field to help somebody who knows less than you do. If you're 20% or 50% ahead great but being just 10% further along is more than enough to provide value. Helping and serving our audience is what this is all about.

Most of us go into business wanting to make money. If we're not making money, it's not a business, right? But even more than that, we want to help people. I know that for you, it’s not just about making money. I know that you care. How do I know that? Because you wouldn’t have gotten this far into this blog, and you wouldn’t have watched the video if my style didn’t resonate with you. And this is stuff I talk about all the time. The more obsessed you are with serving your audience and generating value, the more you will attract the right people and the more successful you will be.

Without doubt I also talk about making money. I talk about attracting clients. I talk about customer retention. I talk about sales funnels. I talk about social media planning. All these things are critical to an online business. But I talk about achieving these things to people who want to help other people. 

Listen, your intentions are coming from a good place. You're not out to scam anyone, you're not out to cheat anyone, you are out to be of service, you are out to create impact, you are out to help people. That' it. There's no reason to second-guess yourself for something like that. Serving others is a noble purpose.

When you start telling yourself that you can’t stand out from the crowd or that you don’t know enough, you need to remember your offer comes from a genuine and real place. You want to give people value and you want to give people service. There is no reason to second-guess that or to doubt your ability to succeed. You can do this.

Are you ready to put Ms. Imposter Syndrome back in her box?

The next time she tells you that you are not good enough and that no one wants to listen to you, this is what you’re going to say:

“First, only I can do what I do, sell in the way that I sell and talk in the way that I talk. Only I can offer my services in the way that I do because I'm unique and nobody else can do it like me. Second, I am further along the learning curve than the people that I'm serving, and I want to share my knowledge with them. They want to hear what I have to offer.”

Go out and be true to yourself and be genuine. I know you have this, I know you can do this, and I believe in you.

If this strategy to second guessing yourself resonates with you, I would love to hear from you. I would be honoured to hear what self-talk trips you up the most and help you to address it. I can only do that if you let me know what’s on your mind so please do let me know in the comments below.

Committed to your success,

Marina x